The Hope pioneer., 1921-04-28
THE WOODS
By DOUGLAS MALLocH
RAIN.

u AMIN. is it? So 1t is
X An knew it would.
When a man has rheumatis
In this old left stem of his
He can tell as good
When it's go'n' to leak
AS your fancy weatherman
Down, here in Chicago can,
II he thinks . week.
An I guess it's jest because
Rheumatic an Natures laws
Sort of work together
Lots of moisture in the air,
Rheumatic a-plenty there,
Both mean stormy weather.
This left stem Of mine can smell
Water miles away;
This old stem OF mine can toll
Fifty furlongs from q we'll
Where it ought to lay.l
An Ill tell you why:
This old stem an me has tramped,
Waded, sWum an drove an camped.
Never gittin' dry.
Forty Winters, forty Springs;
Do you wonder thet she sings
When she smells the water?
II you fellahs really knew
/. All that laig an me went through
Guess you'd think she oughter.
You amt never had the. luck
swampin' in the snow:
None of you ain't never stuck
To your boot-tops in the muck
When it's ten below.
There amt none Of you
Ever drove the Chippeway
In the early days Of May i.
When a norther blew
When the river water froze
In your boots an in your clo'es-
Freezin', thawin', freezin'.
II this stem Of mine finds out
When there's water round about,
Surely there's reason.
An, besides, there's quite q line
OF such signs of rain;
There is many another sign
'Ceptin' this old stem of mine
Thet is just as plain.
There is bunions yet
Fer a corn er bunion is
: Most as good as rheumatic
Prophesyin' wet.
When you see cat eat grass,
= When you see small-mouth bass
Sendin' up bubble.
When you hear a rain-crow ecaw-
It is simply Natures law
Indicatin' trouble.
Rainin', is It? So it seems:
It's a nasty night.
Yonder how the street lamp gleams!'
'lke the light you see in dreams,
Soft an far an white,
Like the light you see
When you let life's half-hitch slip,
When you kind of lose your grip
On the things thet be.
An sometimes think the shore
Thet we all are headin' for
= Looks SO far an ghostly
Cause we're lookin' Qike tonight
We are lookin' at the light)
Through a fog-bank mostly.
How the asphalt pavements shine!
Almost lookin' clean.
Ev'ry lamp post makes line
Like the shadow of a pine
On snowy scene.
In the gutter nigh .a
Little ripples curl an comb.
Little dirty rivers foam,
In an hour to die.
They are like the stream Of life.
Full of work an play an strife.
Proud with splash an splutter.
Each believes himself a flood
Most of US is only mud
Runnin' down gutter.
Rainin'7 Sure enough 1t is. u
But It amt the goods: a
Doesn't git right down to biz
Like, the whirling raindrops whis
Up there in the woods.
It's city shower,
Like the other kinds Of stun
In the city, mostly bluff.
Lastin' fer an hour.
Up there, when 1t rains, 1t rains.
Fillin' rivers. fioodin' plains
Down the mountains washin'.
Up there when rain we git.
when we're really through with II,
Things are Jest a-sloshin'.
Fer a rainstorm In the brush
Is the wettest thing,
Ground beneath you soft as mush
An around you all hush,
Not bird to sing
Jest the droppin' slow
OF the raindrops on the leaves.
epillin' from billion caves.
On the earth below:
Jest a blanket in the mire.
Jest smudgy kind Of fire.
Weak an slow an smoky:
Breakfast-pancakes simply lead:
Dinner-wet an soggy bread;
supper-biscuits .soaky.
Rainin', is 1t? 30 1t is.
Glad I'm high and dry.
When a man has rheumatis
In this old left stem Of his
Keep inside. say I.
Now, this city stuff
Amt like woods rain near a. wet.
Amt like woods rain To-. an yet
It Is wet enough.
Course the. woods rain 10 the best
Il IL dampest, healthiest.
Better altogether;
But guess I'll stay inside
Cryin' to be satisfied
witt this city weather.
(Copyrisht)