The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-16

While he Went out to Lean over the
Barnyard Fence to Wipe His Eyes
/ Occasionally.
While he went out to lean over the
/ barnyard fence and wipe his eyes
! occasionally and the wife went into
/ the kitchen to do the churning,
4 composed the following:
Our hearts were light. our spirits gay,
/ And we were full of glee;
/ As little Marian played around
| Or sat upon our knee.
The March winds blew across the lea
The snow fell now and then;
! The lowing of the kline was heard
/ The pig squealed in his pen.
Yes, all was joy. and peace. and love
/ When the wings of night there came
The dreaded whooping-cough.
For two long weeks our little one
Was on a bed of pain;
/ And then she went away to dwell
And ne'er come back again.
/ oh, friends. beware of whoOpingcougs-
OF measles, Ttoo, beware;
And do not let the mumps get hold
OF children young and fair.
Both Uncle Abner and his wife ex-
pressed their deep sense of gratitude
and perfect satisfaction over my eff
fort, and the former assured me that
when his old bull died, which event
he was looking for every day, 1
should have the preference over Long
a send-off. Then I went over to the
house of John Franklin Bebee, which
was mourning the loss of an infant
three months old. After had eaten a.
piece of apple pie and drunk a glass of
milk I turned to the business in hand
and produced the following:
1T wasn't a case of the whoopingcough,
Nor a case of the chickenpox;
1t wasn't the Group that laid its hand
On the brow of our little Rox.
The collie had never twisted him:
And measles had passed him by:
And the scarlet-rash had kept afar
From the watchful mothers eye.
las sudden as waters breaking loose.
As sudden as cannon's roar,
AS swift the arrow takes it fight
our Rex was seized by the clammy
And nd wit With shakes and twists and jumps
He was borne away to that better land
With sudden case of humps.
When I had finished the verses.
Farmer John read them over and
dropped a silent tear and went out to
feed the hogs. His wife read them
over and held her apron to her face
and went out to put on ham to
cook. Even the dog was SO affected
that he scratched at the door to get
out When I got out to the cart I
found a bag of potatoes and four
pounds of butter, and the hired man
was there to offer me a chew of to-
bacco, and to say that he hadn't cried
SO much for years. When I got to
Uncle Ben Bebee's, he was at the gate
to say:
''Howdy, Abe. We was lookin' for
you. We lost little Reuben a month
ago. and we want some poetry about
it, but I wanted to tell you not to
bear on too hard. We've got six
other children left. you know, and
besides that we are busy with spring
work and haint time to be too
mournful. His mother has gone
around Weepin' till her nose is as red
as fire. and don't you add to it. Don't
be gay, but at the same time don't
be too sad. 1t was measles that took
little Reuben off. He got cold and
they struck in. All the other children
got over EN- all right. Now, then
come INTO the house and go ahead
In fifteen minutes after getting to
work L had invented the following:
Dc Twas Reuben Bebee. five years old.
AND son of Ben and Hammer.
Who rose one morning from his bed
with gloomy face and manner.
He could not eat his breakfast and
lie could not go a-skating:
But m0ped and moaned about the house,
And kept the dinner waiting.
e Twas not till evenings shadows came
Ihat mother knew the reason:
And then it suddenly occurred
That measles were in season.
She busted Reuben into bed
And mothers care she gave him:
And tried her best. with catnip tea
And other things, to save him
But Reuben Bebee he was bound
To leave this life for t'other:
And like breath his life went out
Without a bit of bother.
with angel wings he flies around
And IA and ma and all the rest
Won't worry over him
I stood up before the whole family
and gestured the verses out. and the
results were highly satisfactory. Uncle
Ben began to talk about trading three
hogs for a COW. his wife ceased pulling
at her red nose, and the children went
whooping outdoors for the first time