The Washington herald., 1910-03-06

nam UIUfII
ere it is retaining the OF the poet the te
ore readers for the illustrious plowman po
When champion brothers leave the street
And thirsty neighbors. neighbors meet
AS market days wearing late
And folks begin to take the gate
While we sit drinking at the ale house
And getting full and very happy
we think not on the long Scotch miles.
The MOSES waters gates. and stiles
That lie between us and our home
Where sits sulky, sullen dame
Gathering her brows like gathering storm
Nursing her wrath TO keep it warm!
This truth found honest Tam o. Shanter
As he from Ayr one night did canter.
old Ayr that neer town surpasses
For honest men and bonny lasses:
o Tam. had'st thou but been so wise
AS taken thy own wife Hates advice
She told thee well thou vert worthless.
talking clustering drunken fellow,
That from November till October
On market day thou vast not sober.
That with corn. and drinking miller
Thou sat long thou had silver:
That every horse a shoe nailed
The smith and thee got roaring full on,
That at the ale house Sunday
They drank with Kirton Jean till Monday.
She prophesled that late or soon
Thou would be found deep drowned in Doom:
Or caught with Wizards In the dark
BY Alloway's old haunted Kirk
All, gentle Danes 1t makes me weep
To think how many counsels sweet
How many heightened sage advices
The husband from the wife despises
But 10 tale market night
Tam had got planted snug and right
Fast by the fire, blazing finely
With foaming ale to drink divinely,
And at his elbow cobbler Johnny
His ancient, trusty. thirsty crony;
Tam loved him like a very brother
They had been full for weeks together,
The night drove on with songs and clstter
And ali the ale growing better;
The landlady and Tam grew gracious,
With favors. secret. sweet. and precious:
The cobler told HIS queerest stories;
The landlords laugh was lready chorus:
The storm without might and rustic
Tam did not mind the storm 2 whistle,
Care mad TO man so happy
Even drown himself among the tipsy
As bees fly home with loads of treasure
The minutes winged their way with pleasure.
Kings may be blessed, but Tam was glorious
Ger all the ills of life victorousl
But pleasures are like peoples spread
You seize the flower, its bloom is shed
Or like the snow falls in the river,
moment white, then lost forever;
or like the bOrealis race
That fit ere you can point their place
Or like the rainbow's lovely form
Evanishing amid the storm.
No man can tether time or tide
The hour approaches Tam must ride;
That hour of nights black arch keystone.
That dreary hour he mounts his beast on.
And such night he takes the road in
AS no poor sinner abroad in
The wind blew 'twould blow its last:
The rafting showers rose on the blast:
The speedy CLEANS the darkness swallowed;
That night a child might understand
The devil had business on his hand!
Well mounted on his gray mare Meg
A better never lifted leg
Tam rode on through dub and mire.
Despislng wind and rain and FIRE.
While holding fast his good blue bonnet
While grooming Ger some old Scotch sonnet.
While glowering round with prudent cares
Lest spirits catch him unawares.
Kirk Alloway was drawing nigh
When ghosts and screech owls nightly cry!
BY this time he was cross the ford
Where in the snow the wOodman smothered.
And past the birch and craggy stone
Where drunken Charlie broke neck bone,
And through the rocks and by the stones
Where hunters found the murdered child.
And near the thorn. above the well
Where Mangos mother hanged herself!
Before him Doom pouFs all his foods
The doubling storm roars through the woods;
The lightnings fash from pole to pole;
Near and more near the thunders roll;
When glimmering through the groaning trees
Kirk Alloway seemed a blooming blaze;
Through every hole the beams were glancing
And loud resounded mirth and dancing
Inspiring bold John Barleycornl
What dangers thou can make US scOrn!
With twopence. we will fear no evil:
With whisky we will face the cavil
The sweat so hot Tammies noodle
Fair play, he feared no ghost or devil
But Maggie stood right sore astonished,
TIL by the heels and hand admonished