Arizona republican., 1915-11-07
ANN MATILDA JONES
 POETESS Her Reflections in Prose and Verse (An Rights Reserved.)
CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER THREE I was warned, by a friend, to be impersonal in this volume. But hold that an author can write best ! about what he best knows. I know the following story by heart. It IS is the only poem I ever wrote which was declined by the Bugle. I know the reason. The old wretch who in spired it, takes three copies of the paper. Thus is. the independence and usefulness of the press some times hampered. Read what follows and judge:
 ii Josephus Skages, Widower A Widower, Josephus Skaggs, Whose trousers spread like barlt bags
 About his wobbly knees, At early twilight sought my door. He came to do foolish chore Approached by slow degrees. He ventured, first, to list his lands, The goods and chattels in his hands, And then his money bags. But I'll be brief. He said he came To see if I would change my name Forsooth from Jones to Skaggs. If you will be my ownest own Nor longer finger here alone, In helpless spinsterhood We'll make a happy home l know Your silly rhymes you can forego Nor nurse so poor a brood!" I was so "hopping mad at that II almost said, Resume your hat, And from my presence travel" But took another tack indeed, Ere I should hear his steps recede Adown the creaking gravel. I cited him the Widow Ames, And three more antiquated danes
 Who might with him have deal
 ings.
 He said, Mt Shasta may be old But. probably, not quite as cold As they, in all their feelings. But later on-a year or more I learned he'd courted all the four
 Old parties I had mentioned. For making such a score as that And never giving up the bat, I trow ne should be pensioned- What drop my diamond pointed pen I wouldn't for a dozen men;
 'Twould be a stupid blunder. know full well a woman's heart How Passion sometimes toys with
 Art.
 And bears away the plunder. With pulsing breast, and wistful face She loves to finger near the place
 Where Cupid makes invasion; And if. perchance, his prickly dart Has missed, or merely grazed her
 heart.
 She'll welcome more persuasion. But I'll not enter such a net As old Josephus tried to set
 For Ann Matilda Jones; Nor be the second Mistress SkassS For all his farms and money-bags'
 And all he thinks he owns. He drinks, and he has learned to A thin, gray lambrequin of halr
 His cerebellum fringes;
 He's balder than bliillru pdli' His arms and lower limbs have all
 Grown rusty in their hinges So I unleashed a single Word' Which I made doubly sure he hearu
 The old, adventuring rover! Then added: "I will have you not Till Heaven becomes supremacy not
 And Hades frozen over.'
 will own that I was rather not and hasty. But that settled hlih- He hasn't come this way since Una. moment: and even now the name ol Skacgs sends the shivers galloplhS down my spine like cup -Wlnnhs horsee at the Derby. l would not marry him if he were twenty years younger: nor if he riValed Apollo Tn manly beauty St. Paul in plety, or Lord Bacon in learning and Wlsdorn-
 Yet I hear that he is again on the war path in hot chase after a WI dow Johnson. several miles up the Hollow, where he is not so well known. Heaven proteit her.
 ANN MATILDA JONES.