Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-05-03
BARNARD TRAGEDY.
! see their unborn faces shine
About the never-lighted fire.

MaflnQa Harding lOVe0 JOHH hui u,
and twas a Preside joke that John
would never marry-he was always go
ing broke. Bad crops, low prices, hope
deferred, loves flame all turned to
smoke.
One spring he told Marinda, who'd
been waiting wrinkled years, if pota-
toes would com booming, and he'd
good luck with his steers, they'd wed
the coming autumn and stop the gibes
and sneers.
John Horns potato field frontiered
pap Harding's orchard fence. The
fragrant snow of apple blooms walked
in RIMS soul intense, and springborn
nesting longings, born in every girl OF
sense.
She stole forth from her chamber
in the chill light of the star; hope
drawn, and drawing rake and hoe, she
crossed the hedge-bound bar. To see
her hoe the tubers, angels set the
gates ajar.
When the poor girl grew back
weary, she braved her nightborn fears,
and, listening, all alert with her
shame-inflaming ears, she slipped into
Johns barnyard and fed the wond'ring
steers.
John marveled at the magic which
made his tubers leap so fast above his
n%eighbors' that theirs appeared to
creep. by the Great Horn spoon" he
quoted, they grow while others Sleep"
The steers, you should have seen
them! No scandal grew so fast, nor
hogs in old Kentucky when they feed
upon the mast. The great bovine
colossi set the countryside aghast.
Their e%lephantine mightiness made
wonder for the world. 1t got into
the papers; Barnum's agent, oiled and
curled, made offers vainly till Johns
brain in greedy spirals whirled.
The mystic moonlight maiden smiled
Aprilian through her tears: She was
steering Johns barque closely with
bunch of bumper steers. Soon they'd
be geared together; she had engineered
the gears.
OHGcI nOI, OllldlI AlSAdiluCis IL @
girls love could have grown like this
for you, that could claim it all in all
your own, you'd nourish on prime sir
loin steak where now you gnaw
bone.
Gut woe walls in the wandering
wind; there's roe upon the sea; woe
broods upon the hilltop, in valley
plain or lea. It's all but greater lesser
woe, but difference in degree.
Alas! those lovely bovine, they grew
so tall. immense, that, by humping jus
a little they could step across a fence
When they did, they ate the tuberI
with a greediness intense.
On a solemn night in August wher
the Ianterned f~irefiies were sparkling
DER the tubers like the comets of thu
skies, then the monsters munched the
tubers till they'd swelled to double
size.
Now, tuber tops are not the herb
judicious feeders choose to nouriSh fat
tening cattle; you're prepared. then
for the news? The sight that met tn
morning was a sight to cause tn
blues.
There, prone upon their ample backs
their stark legs in the air, on the des
ert of the tuber field, S~tonehenge pas
Druid's prayer John Horns big DO
vines dead and gone, and past al
profit, were.
They'd g~rasshoppered the 'tater tops
clean down to solid ground. Not on
was left to show what grew in all tn
regions round. The comments of tn
owner are unfit for sight or sound.
The telephones got busy; from
every countryside the farmers cam
half-frantic, as fast as they coult
ride. The preacher and the squire
too, came ambling side by side.
The throng gazed long in speeches
awe upon the scene of death. III,
squire said it was enough to take
body's breath. The preacher, habi
hit, looked pure, and said: we mus
have faith"
1T makes one want to hide his face,
said one hoarse aside. ''Or hide nj