The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-20

Joe was Leaning over the BaInyard
Gate and Looking Loensome-
I went in with him and found Aunt
Sarah in tears, and after drinking d
class of hot cider to thaw out my muse
/ wrote as follows;
Our little Peter came and went
ike shadow on the water -
And though we wipe our weeping eyes
We know we hadn't orter-
For little Pete is better of.
With wings of gold a-hylng,
Instead of having chickenpoNs
And with the collie crying
II he had lived he might have been
A leading politician =,s
A15 fhen 5eain ne might have filed =
In Sing Sing position
Twas better he was called away,
And we our grief must sIno IN. let
And think his loss was LOT the oes''
And look out for another-
..Sav. Abe" said Uncle Jim, as he
read the verses and brought his rlst
down on his knee, that's poetry, tha s
is Yesterday 1 borrowed copy u
Shakespeare of Bill saunders anu anu
tried to ind sunthin to comLort ",
but not a burned thing could L get
hold ~ The verses didn't rhyme ana
the lines wobbled all around hlgnI
here is sunthing' to teen the near 7,
and I'll be hanged if 1 don see see yo "a u
T7afd for it, What dye say, mother
Aunt Sarah replied that no poet II
the world could have done petter' anu
that lust hearing II read over OnCS
had almost made her resigned 20 nSf
loss She handed down pump hlIa
ME for me to devour, and when TOOK
my departure Uncle Jim accompanied
me out TO the gate ana sara.
ABE any time you get reaoy eo
resign your position and go 10 Will
ing poetry just femme know anu p, L
order fifty poems as a starter: ~ ~
thunder but wen be a di1erent ram y
after this. Have you go5 any Hiai
Tor Henry Johnson's folks
Zone letter, I believe
'rwall, was goin,r to ask ,, you fe Il
5oyyn the cellar stairs the other day
sr5 7 shouldn't wonder If they wanted
some poetry written about II
Farmer Johnson heard my horl
blowing and was at the gate, and thF
first thing he said was; - -. :;
a tarnal hurry to get It's man 0e sll
cd. but that don't make no GlIereIlcs
to me. You've got to get down ane
come in. Mebbe you've heard apou
Nffrandy falling downstairs
yes, something about it.
"ebs vas goin' down after some
picked peaches for supper, ana ne
foof struck sunthin' and away Sh'
went. We all thought the house wa
falin' down. She weighs 22O, yol
know. and she made a thunderln' pli
dent in the cellar bottom. Come rlgh
in, Abe"
I found Aunt Miranda propped VI
IN bed with a look of suffering on he
face, and she shook hands with m
abe. the doctor has been here an
saws / will live through it and frisl
again, but somehow I've made up m
mind that I wOn't-nOt unles yo
write some poetry onto me It's a.
idea I've got into my head and can
I replied that I'd write some poe
try onto her. with the utmost cheer
fitness. and fifteen minutes later. an
without sweating hair, had pro
duced the following:
Twas Aunt Miranda Johnson who starte
down the stairs. -,
To get some picked peaches IN a bow
And while she was a-thinking Of her Va
And a feeling Of gladness in her soul
Her foot it did alight upon an apple pee
And OF course she lost her balance ar
And Uncle Hienry's feelings leave fc
As She struck the cellar bottom with
yell.
The tumble that she took would ha'
And i her coming min = down 1 it would ha,
Oh. the way She bumped the bottom
ne'er can tell the half,
And so leave the task to poet other.
And the doctor said he thouht 81
might recover;
Unless some bones were broke, or b
fairness got too thin,
Or he'd failed him all the splinters
discover
but the angels are a-watchine. al
they'll bring her out all right
And she'll frisk again upon the cell
stairs;
And she'll sing the same old SONGS fro
morning until night,
And laugh away her burdens and h
cares.
did you hear it, NIirandy2" ask.
Uncle Henry. as I finished the vers
and read them aloud.
yes"
Every word?'
Eyes, every word and line"
And what do you say2"
II say them verses is better'n al
three doctors. and I'll bet all the Or
serves in the house that I'll be up al
around within a fortnight. Abe,
don't know how to thank you.
could feel that I wanted sunthin' b
ade smedicine and liniments, and tn