The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-05
HONEST ABE. U. S. NJ.
His Poetry Does Not Always Effect a
Cure.

sons the other day TO leave letter
found the old farmer at the gate with
a very serious face on him After we
had talked about corn and potatoes
and fall calves he said:
Abe, you are one of the best men
in this world, and l don't want 10 say
a word to hurt your feelings, but l nope
you won't write any more poetry on
our Sarah"
months ago when I was along here You
said that Sarah was going into de-
cline because her felier had gone back
on her.
And you wanted. me to write some
poetry to brace her up, and something
to hit Jim Fuller between the eyes at
the same time"
And I wrote a poem composed of
six verses, the first of which ran as
follows:
Come list We maidens all to me
And let your sorrows vanish;
And from your heart let grief depart.
And all your troubles vanish.
Yes. that's what you wrote, Abe"
Wen didn't it brace Sarah up and
cause her to forget her sorrows?''
1T did 1t braced her too much. In
q hours she had driven the picture OF
Jim Fuller from her heart ana was
gnawing at harvest apples. In three
in love with her, and within fort
night she had a wind mill man, piano
agent, a barbed wire man, Two 1rult
buyers and a patent hay fork man
hanging around and signing like steam
whistles. She is now as good as en-
gagged to about six different feilers'
and has got so ambitious that cllmD-
ing apple trees or shining up the roof
of the barn are nothing to her Me
and her mother are taking turns sit
ting up nights for fear she'll elope.
She lays it all to your poetry and says
she's going to ask you for four more
MOI"
Don't do it. If you do we can't hold
on to her a week longer, and she'll run
away with the patent churn man. II
was all kindness on your part to want
to brace her up when she lay there
with a broken heart, but you went too
far. She braced too much. If she
catches sight of you and asks you"
Just then Sarah. who had been
throwing apples at a COW and whist
ling Yankee Doodle" happened 10
look our way and came on the run,
but an appealing look from her father
sent me off on the gallOp, and she
called in vain for me to halt.
got along to the widow Hardman's
on that same trip to find her so cast
down that 1 could not refrain from ask
ing her if her sister in Iowa was dead
''She is, Abe was the reply, as the
Accident or sickness
Suicide"
MOP"
Yes: she jumped down the wen the
week after she received the poem ]
sent her. You wrote it, remember 1t
was four weeks ago. 1 told you that a
widower had been paying her atten-
lions. but seemed to be cooling on q III
tie, and you suggested"
Yes, remember. I had few min
utes to spare, and l wrote poem for
her to copy and send to the. widoWer.
thought it would start him going
again. You don't mean to tell me that
it worked the other way
1T did. 1t seems that he was
plain, every day man, who had never
read a poem in his life, and he wanted
a wife who knew all about making
soft soap, milking cows and sewing
carpet rags. When he got the poem
from my sister he made up his mind |
that she was too ethereal for farm
work, and he went to counting a girl
who eats two pounds Of corned beef
at a meal. My poor loved one saw that
all was lost and she jumped into the
well to end her sorrows.'
/ remembered the poem. It read;
The meadow lark has gone to rest.
And hushed the nightingale;
And ne'er a sound comes through the |
night
Except my hearts sad wall.
In loneliness SIT me mere,
Beneath the vines a-clinging;
And wonder where my true love is,
And what the night is bringing.
"Oh, Sammy, dear, I wouldst that thou
Knew what my heart was saying;
And how 1 Ionged to hear thy voice,
Like distant music braying.
Each gust of wind speaks of my love-
Each star with love doth twinkle;
And j am ready any day
70 be your periwinkle.'
widow, "but your sister was too i'm
pulsive. She ought to have held on
and given me another show. L could
have written a poem to convince the
widower that she could hoe more corn
and split more wood than any hired
man in the county"
But don't do it again." she said as
her tears fell afresh and she turned
and entered the house.
Two weeks ago I dashed off a little
omething for Joe Hend erson. who is
hired man to Farmer White. Joe was
but hadn't given himself
away yet. He knew that she was fond
of poetry and dotted on sentiment,
and, getting me ito the barn. he whis
pered:
ABE, I've got to win Sally Whites
love or perish. It's got SO that 1 can't
live without her. I've lost five pounds
of flesh this last week, and every time
1 fall asleep 1 dream of being kicked
by mules or falling over precipices."
But the father may not want you
to marry Sally I suggested.
Then I'll get her to elope with me.
If she don't, I shall kill COWS, burn
barns or do something RASH I may
even hang myself
isn't Sally engaged to Tom
IF she is I'll bust it higher'n a kite.
I've got to bust it or be busted myself.
Abe, it's up to you to melt that girls
heart and helm me win her YeSter-