Part 6

A dreamy day; and tranquilly I lie At anchor from all storms of mental strain; With absent vision, gazing at the sky, "Like one that hears it rain."

The Katydid, so boisterous last night, Clinging, inverted, in uneasy poise, Beneath a wheat-blade, has forgotten quite If "Katy DID or DIDN'T" make a noise.

The twitter, sometimes, of a wayward bird That checks the song abruptly at the sound, And mildly, chiding echoes that have stirred, Sink into silence, all the more profound.

And drowsily I hear the plaintive strain Of some poor dove . . . Why, I can scarcely keep My heavy eyelids--there it is again-- "Coo-coo!"--I mustn't--"Coo-coo!"--fall asleep!

AT LAST

A dark, tempestuous night; the stars shut in With shrouds of fog; an inky, jet-black blot The firmament; and where the moon has been An hour agone seems like the darkest spot. The weird wind--furious at its demon game-- Rattles one's fancy like a window-frame.

A care-worn face peers out into the dark, And childish faces--frightened at the gloom-- Grow awed and vacant as they turn to mark The father's as he passes through the room: The gate latch clatters, and wee baby Bess Whispers, "The doctor's tummin' now, I dess!"

The father turns; a sharp, swift flash of pain Flits o'er his face: "Amanda, child! I said A moment since--I see I must AGAIN-- Go take your little sisters off to bed! There, Effie, Rose, and CLARA MUSTN'T CRY!" "I tan't he'p it--I'm fyaid 'at mama'll die!"

What are his feelings, when this man alone Sits in the silence, glaring in the grate That sobs and sighs on in an undertone As stoical--immovable as Fate, While muffled voices from the sick one's room Come in like heralds of a dreaded doom?

The door-latch jingles: in the doorway stands The doctor, while the draft puffs in a breath-- The dead coals leap to life, and clap their hands, The flames flash up. A face as pale as death Turns slowly--teeth tight clenched, and with a look The doctor, through his specs, reads like a book.

"Come, brace up, Major!"--"Let me know the worst!" "W'y you're the biggest fool I ever saw-- Here, Major--take a little brandy first-- There! She's a BOY--I mean HE is--hurrah!" "Wake up the other girls--and shout for joy-- Eureka is his name--I've found A BOY!"

FARMER WHIPPLE--BACHELOR

It's a mystery to see me--a man o' fifty-four, Who's lived a cross old bachelor fer thirty year' and more-- A-lookin' glad and smilin'! And they's none o' you can say That you can guess the reason why I feel so good to-day!

I must tell you all about it! But I'll have to deviate A little in beginnin', so's to set the matter straight As to how it comes to happen that I never took a wife-- Kindo' "crawfish" from the Present to the Springtime of my life!

I was brought up in the country: Of a family of five-- Three brothers and a sister--I'm the only one alive,-- Fer they all died little babies; and 'twas one o' Mother's ways, You know, to want a daughter; so she took a girl to raise.

The sweetest little thing she was, with rosy cheeks, and fat-- We was little chunks o' shavers then about as high as that! But someway we sort a' SUITED-like! and Mother she'd declare She never laid her eyes on a more lovin' pair

Than WE was! So we growed up side by side fer thirteen year', And every hour of it she growed to me more dear!-- W'y, even Father's dyin', as he did, I do believe Warn't more affectin' to me than it was to see her grieve!

I was then a lad o' twenty; and I felt a flash o' pride In thinkin' all depended on ME now to pervide Fer Mother and fer Mary; and I went about the place With sleeves rolled up--and workin', with a mighty smilin' face.--

Fer SOMEPIN' ELSE was workin'! but not a word I said Of a certain sort o' notion that was runnin' through my head,-- "Some day I'd maybe marry, and a BROTHER'S love was one Thing--a LOVER'S was another!" was the way the notion run!

I remember onc't in harvest, when the "cradle-in' " was done, (When the harvest of my summers mounted up to twenty-one), I was ridin' home with Mary at the closin' o' the day-- A-chawin' straws and thinkin', in a lover's lazy way!

And Mary's cheeks was burnin' like the sunset down the lane: I noticed she was thinkin', too, and ast her to explain. Well--when she turned and KISSED ME, WITH HER ARMS AROUND ME--LAW! I'd a bigger load o' Heaven than I had a load o' straw!

I don't p'tend to learnin', but I'll tell you what's a fac', They's a mighty truthful sayin' somers in a' almanac-- Er SOMERS--'bout "puore happiness"--perhaps some folks'll laugh At the idy--"only lastin' jest two seconds and a half."--

But it's jest as true as preachin'!--fer that was a SISTER'S kiss, And a sister's lovin' confidence a-tellin' to me this:-- "SHE was happy, BEIN' PROMISED TO THE SON O' FARMER BROWN."-- And my feelin's struck a pardnership with sunset and went down!

I don't know HOW I acted, and I don't know WHAT I said,-- Fer my heart seemed jest a-turnin' to an ice-cold lump o' lead; And the hosses kind o'glimmered before me in the road, And the lines fell from my fingers--And that was all I knowed--

Fer--well, I don't know HOW long--They's a dim rememberence Of a sound o' snortin' horses, and a stake-and-ridered fence A-whizzin' past, and wheat-sheaves a-dancin' in the air, And Mary screamin' "Murder!" and a-runnin' up to where

I was layin' by the roadside, and the wagon upside down A-leanin' on the gate-post, with the wheels a-whirlin' roun'! And I tried to raise and meet her, but I couldn't, with a vague Sort o' notion comin' to me that I had a broken leg.

Well, the women nussed me through it; but many a time I'd sigh As I'd keep a-gittin' better instid o' goin' to die, And wonder what was left ME worth livin' fer below, When the girl I loved was married to another, don't you know!

And my thoughts was as rebellious as the folks was good and kind When Brown and Mary married--Railly must 'a' been my MIND Was kind o' out o' kilter!--fer I hated Brown, you see, Worse'n PIZEN--and the feller whittled crutches out fer ME--