The Washington herald., 1911-02-26


Or one-eyed Calendars horse Of brass.
Witch aStride Of human back,
Islams prophet on ALBorak.
The stranSest ride that ever was sped
Was Ircsor's out from Marblehead!
Old Floyd Ireson, for his hard heart,
Tarrcd and feathered and carried IN a cart
BY the women Of Marblehead!
Body Of turkey, head Of owl.
Wings a-droop like rainedOn fowl.
FeatheIed ard uIffied in every part.
Skipper Ireson stood in the cart
Scores of women. old and young
Strcus a muscle. and glib of torEue.
Pushed and pulled up the rucky lane.
Shouting and singing the shrill refrain:
Here's FLUID OiIsUn fur his hoTrid hort.
TCn'd an futher'd an CORD in a cUTt, %
By the women o Morblc-ead
wrinked scolds with hands on hips,
Girls in bloGm Of check and lips.
Wid-Cycd. free-lmbed. such chase
Baoclus round Gomc antique vase.
Brief Of skirt With ankles bare.
IOCSc ct gITchief and loose of hair.
With cCnch-shells blowing ard fshh0rn's twang, I,
Over and the Maenads snng:
Here's Flud Oirson. frIr his h0Trd hort.
TCH'd an futhend an csTd in co1t
BY the women o MCrble cad
Small pity for him He sailed away
From leaking ship in Chalour Bay
Sailed away from a sinking wreck.
lay by! lay by they called TO him,
Back he answered. Sink or swim.
Brag Ct your catch cf fish again
And OH he sailed through the fog and rain.
Old FLOYD Ircson. for his hard heart.
TaTreJ and feathered and carried in a cart;
By the women Of Marblehead!
Fathoms dtep in dark Chalerr
That wreck shall lie f0revermOre.
Mother ard sister. wife and maid.
Looked from the rocks Of MaTblehead
Over the moaning and rainy sea-
Looked for the coming that might not be!
What did the winds and the seahiTds say
OF the cruel captain who sailed away
Old Floyd IresOn. for his hard heart.
TaHCd and feathered and carried in a cart
By the women Of Marblehead!
Through the street on either side
Up few windows. doors swung vide:
Sharped-tongued spinisters old wives gray;
Treble lent the fshhOrn's bTay
Sea-worn gTandsires. cripple bound.
Hulks Of old sailors run aground.
Shook head. and fist. ard hat, and cane.
And cracked with GIBes the hnarsc refrain:-
Here's Find OirsCn fur his horrid hort
''TOu'd an fIthcrr'd an cord in a cout
BY the women o Motbe ead!'
Sueetly along the Salem road
Bloom Of orchard and Lilac showed.
Little the wicked skipper knew
of the fields green and the SKY blue,
Riding there in his sorry trim.
Like Indian idol sium and grim,
Scarcely he seemed the sound To hear
OF voices shouting. far and near
Here's FLUID OiTsUn. fur his hOTTd hOrrt,
Tcrr'd an futherr'd an CORD in a CONT
By the women o Morble cad =.
Here me- neiShbors,' at last he cried
What to me is this noisy ride!
What is the shame that clothes the skin
To the nameless horror that lives within?
Waking sleeTinG. ! a wreck,
And hear a cry from a reeling deck,
Hate me and curse me. l only dread
The hand Of God ard the face Of the dead"'
said old Floyd IresOn. for his hard heart.
Tarred and feathered and carried in a cart
BY the women Cf MaTbehead!
Then the wife Of the sxipper lost at sea
Said God has touched him!-Why should we!''
said old wife mourning her only son. Z.
Cut the rugue's tether ard let him num-
So with soft relentings and rude excuse.
Half scurn. half pity. they cut him loose.
And gave him cloak to bide him in,
And left him alone with his shame and sin.
Poor Floyd Ircson. for his hard heart
Tarred and feathered and carried in a cart
By the women Of Marblehead!
Skipper Ireson's Ride is not to be
sssed among the very best efforts of
,hn Greenleaf Whittier. but outside of
Maud Muller il is undoubtedly his most
'pulaT. Upon being asked how he came
write the ballad, he says the subject
as suggested to him by the repetition
an old schoolmate of the lines of an
d refrain popular at the time. In his
PRODUCTION to the poem Mr.. Whittier
i'd:
'In a valuable and carefully prepared
history of Marblehead, published in
70 by Samuel Rhoades, ir.. is stated
at the crew of Capt. Ireson, rather
an himself, We're responsible for the
of the disabled vessel To
reen themselves, they charged their
ptain with the crime. In view of this
e writer of the ballad addressed the
flowing letter 10 the historian:
Knoll, Danyers, 5mo.. Is, 1880.
u My Dear Friend:-I heartily thank
u for a copy of the History of Mar
ehead.' have read it with great in
rest, and think good use has been made
the abundant material No town in
;sex County has a record more honor
lie than Marblehead. No one has done
ore to develop the industrial interests
New England seaboards, and certain
none have shown such evidence of
lf-sacrifice and patriotism. am glad
e story of it has been at last told so
I'll. l have no doubt that the version
Skipper Ireson's Ride is a correct
e. My verse was founded solely on the