Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-05-16

der the kettle and smell the sweet odor
Of the boiling sap. Uncle Eb minded
the shanty and the fire. and the woods
rang with his merry songs. When I
think Of that phase Of the sugaring I
am face to face with one Of the great
est perils Of my life. My foster father
had consented to let me spend night
with Uncle Eb in the shanty, and was
to sleep on the robes, where he would
be beside me when he was not tending
the fire. 1t had been mild, bright day,
and David came up with our supper at
sunset. He sat talking with Uncle Eb
Tor an hour or SO. and the woods were
darkling when he went away.
When he started on the dark trail
that led to the clearing I wondered at
bis courage-it was SO black beyond the
arelight While we sat alone I plead
Tor story, but the thoughts Of Uncle
Eb had gone to roost early in sort of
gloomy meditation.
"Be still. my boy" said he, IAN 60 I.
sleep. amt a-goin' Z tell no yarns an
git We all stirred up. Ye go T. sleep.
Come mornin' well go down Z the
brook an see II We can't ind q mink
or tew n the traps"
remember hearing great crackling
Of twigs in the dark wood before I
slept. Az lifted my head Uncle Eb
Whispered "Harkr'' and we both lis
tened. A bent and aged figure came
stalking into the freight. His long
white hair mingled with his beard and
covered his coat collar behind.
Don't be scairt," said Uncle Eb.
"'Taint no bear. It's nuthin' but a
poet"
I knew him for man who wandered
much and had rhyme for every one
4 kindly man, with reputation for
laziness and without any home.
"B'ilin', ehT' said the poet.
"Bilin',~ said Uncle Eb.
I'm bilin' over n the next bush"
said the poet, sitting down.
'How's everything in JinglevilleY'
Uncle Eb inquired.
Then the newcomer answered:
well. neighbor dear, in Jingleville
We live BY faith. but we eat our fill.
An what w'u'd we do II It want fer
prayer?
Fer we can't raise thing but whiskers
an hair
Gurus how you can talk po'try,"
said Uncle Eb 1.-THE only thing I've
got agin you is them whiskers an thet
hair. 'Tain't Christian"
"Tain't what's on the head, but
what's in tt thet's the important
thing" said the poet. "Did ever tell
ye what wrote about the birds?"
don know g 70 ever did," said I'm
Gle Eb, stirring his fre.
1.-THE boy'll like 1t mebbe,' said he,
taking dirty piece Of paper out of his
pocket and holding it to the light
| The poem interested me, young as l
was, not less than the strange figure Of
the old poet who lived unknown in the
backwoods and who died, dare say,
with many finer Song in his heart.
remember how he stood In the fire.
light and chanted the words in a sing
song tone. He gave us that rude copy
Of the poem, and here It ia:
THE ROBINS WEDDING.
Young robin redbreast he'd beautiful
nest, an he says to his love. says he:
SITS ready now on rocking Dough
In the top Of a maple tree.
I've lined It with down an the velvet
brown on the waist Of bumblebee."
They were married next day in the land o.
the hay, and the ladybird an ne
The bobolink came and the wife o. the
same.
An the lark an the fiddle de dee,
An the crow, came down In minister
gown = there was nothing that he
didn't see.
He futtered his wing as they asst him to
sing. an he tried fer t clear out his
throat;
| He hemmed an he hawed an he hawked
an he cawed.
But he couldn't deliver a note.
Tho swallow was there. an he ushered
each pair, with his linsey an claw
hammer coat.
The bobolink tried fer t. frt with the
bride In way tibet was sassy an
bold
An the notes that he took as he shivered
an shook
He'd sound like the Jingle Of gold.
He sat on brier an laughed at the choir
an said tibet the music was old.
The sexton he came-Mr Spider by name
"a citizen hairy and gray.
His rope In a steeple, he called the goot
people
Vhat i've IN the land o tne nay.
The ants an the squgs an tho crickets an
bugs came out in a mighty array
Some came down from Barleytown an thu
neighboring city o. Rye.
An the little black people athey climbed
every steeple
An sat looking up at the sky.
They came fer t see what a wedding
might be. an they furnished the CAKE
an the pie.
l remember he turned to me when ht
had finished and took one of my small
hands and held 1t in his hard palm ant
looked at it and then into my face.
"Ah, boy" he said, your way shall
lead you far from here, and you shall
get learning and wealth and win many
Victories"
""What nonsense are you talking. Jet
Feary? said Uncle Eb.
"Oh, you oil think I'm a fool an I
, hHnbvx sas ! Lit Why. Ebss