The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-26
HONEST ABE, .. S. A.
A Great and Sudden Demand for His
Poetry.
nv M OradN

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Poetry.
(By NJ. Quad.)
When I took to my route again the
other day after a three weeks lay-off
I found that mumps, measles and
chicken-pox had been sweeping over
the county Hardly a household had
escaped scot free. AS soon as I heard
the news I realized what would follow.
I drove up to Farmer Allison's gate
to find him waiting for me, and had
only passed the time of day when he
said.
ABE. you've got to get down and
come in. Our daughter Milly has had
the chicken-pox and wants to see you.
She don't get strong at all, and spends
half her time crying.
But what can do for her?"
asked.
"Weu. you know how Milly is. She's
great on sentiment If you could write
her a piece of poetry it would do her
more good than all the chicken broth
in the country. She feels it herself
but she don't want to bother you. If
went in and found Milly propped
UP in bed and looking pale and weak.
" hen I told her that I had come to
pOetize her the first smile that she had
smiled in a month came to her face
and she pressed my hand. Her mother
got me a sheet of paper and 1 retired
to the kitchen table and wrote:
1.-THE pale-faced NdiIly lies in bed,
As Autumn days go by;
No RI ging laughter from her lips
She nothing does but sigh.
They make her chicken broth and
toast
She turns her head away;
In vain they try to make her laugh,
For she will not be gay.
ut was a case of chicken-pox.
For days they thought she'd die;
For days the doctor felt her pulse
And said she soon must fly.
"F'air maiden, let me say to you
That down the dusty road
There rides knight upon a steed-
His coming love doth bode.
your golden hair it draweth him
OF eyes of blue he's heard:
They've told him of your marble brow
And fun his heart is stirred.
aHe cometh hence to speak Of love
He comes to ask your hand;
A knight would fair maiden we'd
The fairest in the land.
Take chicken broth each passing
Take toast and currant jell;
Eat all you can-cheer up, my dear,
For things are coming well.
''The jingle of the spurs hear
The neigh Of prancing steed;
Your knight is coming Ger the hill,
And love it gives him speed.
[ read the poetry to the almost dying
girl when it was finished and was sur
prised to find her blushing. read It
/ again and she called to her mother to
bring her a pint of chicken broth. I
read the verses over for the third
time and Miss Milly. said she had a
hankering for boiled dinner. When
I was ready to go the mother said to
"Abe, it's the most wonderful thing
I ever saw. Milly has made more i'm.
provement in the last half hour than
for three weeks past She's beginning
to look like her old SELF, and it's all
on account of your poetry. May
heaven ever bless you"
The next case was more sorrowful.
I got along to Farmer brakes to find
the old folks sitting on the doorsteps
with tears in their eyes. When asked
what had happened they told me that
the oldest daughter was no more. She
had been taken with mumps and lived
only a week. They were waiting for
/ something in the line of obituary.
tried to put them off till next time,
but they begged so hard that took
the time to scratch off the following
before pursuing my way;
"a maiden fair
With golden hair,
Her name was Jessie Drake;
Took to her bed,
With throbbing head
And terrible backache-
"'Oh, mother dear,
She cried in fear,
I feel I'm doomed to del
The doctor get,
And let me sweat
Or I shall surely fly.
I'm all post haste,
No time to waste,
The doctor reached her slider
I've come too late,
It was her fate'l
And then and there she died.
1.-THE doctor said,
And shook his head,
The humps they had struck in;
| And that was why
/ Poor Jess did fly
To world without sin"
At Uncle Joe SINNERS. where I had
/ to stop to leave a letter, they told me
of curious case, and found their
i daughter Jennie cooking q boiled din
ner and singing at the top Of her voice.
When the incident had been related
they insisted that I put 1t into poetry
for the benefit of the Jones family. and
as they backed up the request with
fried cakes and new cider. I had to
yield and write the following and get
out Of the neighborhood as fast as pos
sible:
$50 blithesome and gay,
In her bltthesome way,
Our Jennie went out to the meadow;
The measles was there,
In It's hidden lair