The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-12-29

I CAME TO GOOD LOOKING FARMHOUSE.
that state and were run down at the
heel, had blistered my feet, l looked
for Il place TO lay up for three or four
days and take things easy.
You can understand by that l was
willing TO do light work for some farm
er for Il bed in the haymow and a few
meals i'll the wood shed. That's the diff
ference between a professional tramp
and Il dilapidated gentleman. The one
won't work under any circumstances,
while the other quits the road occasion
ally to take up the hoe.
along about shutdown | came to Il
good looking farmhouse with middle
aged woman sitting on the piazza.
opened the gate to be told to go ON
about my business, and though l of
fered to work for my board the terms
were refused. l was turning away
when the woman suddenly changed her
mind and called me back and said:
Perhaps you are not regular
trampT
"'No, ma'am, I'm not. I'm only a
dilapidated gentleman making fare
well tour of Connecticut
"'What is Il dilapidated gentleman?
she asked as she looked me over in
puzzled way.
Its an eX, ma'am an ex-Har-
ward man, an ex-swell young fellow.
an eX-sOn of Il millionaire who wouldn't
marry the parlor maid his father had
picked out for him, an eX-member of
society who has become Disguised with
the world and taken to sauntering over
the country. | can hoe corn or pOta-
toes, cut grass, milk cows, repair
fences, sing song, feed the hogs
write poetry or most anything else
"'You say you can write poetry
81 can. ma'am.'
Then you may stop tonight, and
tomorrow | will talk to you further
Il had no idea what she was after
in the poetic line" said the G. o. D.
man, but after good supper, good
bed and a square breakfast she called
me into the sitting room and explained
that she was Il widow. In fact, she
was three widows in one She had
married three times and buried three
husbands. started out to sympathize
with her, but she limited that she was
going to change her name soon for the
fourth time and wasn't looking for
coincidence. She wanted poetry in
stead. She hadn't erected q gravestone
for any of the three yet, but was going
to give an order for the trio in bunch,
and she wanted something better than
Sacred to the memory of - etc.
l got her idea of what she wanted.
and she said she'd give me board and
lodging for week if l hit it, l took
pencil and paper to the barn and sat
down, and in about an hour | was
ready to show her the following:
81 grieve for Thomas lying here
In health l ne'er forsook him.
But held his hand until the last
And wept when death oertook him
Full kind and gentle Thomas was;
His nature it was cheerful.
And, though he died long years agone,
His widow still is fearful.
''That seemed to dispose of No. l
all right" said the C. o. d. man, "and
L sndTpeueu MY pencil ana went aItel
No. .. 1t wasn't much of an effort to
get off the following and add an extra
verse for his being next
For thirty days James Speedwell lay
Upon his bed a-dying,
And all this time the doctor he
To save his life was trying.
"But death had marked him for his
own
A case it was of fever
And, though he chung to his dear wife,
He had TO die and leave her.
Her love for him will always last;
His kindness she'll remember.
Her tears will ever fall for him
In May or in December.
"That brought me down to No. g."
said the poet, "and as | had lots of
time l did the handsome thing by him
as follows:
"And now we come to Henry Clay,
So wise and good and tender
That if he is an angel now
His neighbors needn't wonder.