Dog Hollow, in the Green Mount State, Was his first stopping-place, And then Skunk's Misery displayed Its sweetness and its grace. By easy stages then he went To visit Devil's Den; And Scrabble Hollow, by the way Did come within his ken. Then, via Nine Holes and Goose Green, He travelled through the State, And to Virginia, finally, Was guided by his fate. Within the Old Dominion's bounds, At Pole Cat, too, he spent a week, Then with his carpet-bag in hand, To Dog Town next he went; Though stopping at Free Negro Town, Where half a day he spent. From thence into Negationburg Which having gained, he left the State And took a southward way. North Carolina's friendly soil Morn found him on the road again, At Bull's Tail, and Lick Lizzard, too, But the plantations near Burnt Coat And made the wondering tourist feel At Tear Shirt, too, the scenery And Purgatory near. But spite of all these pleasant scenes And travel is a bore. So back he went to Maine straightway. A little wife he took ; In his note introductory of this poem the editor of the Lily affirmed that I had named none but veritable localities (which was strictly true), and ventured the belief that the composition would remind his readers of Goldsmith. Upon which his scorpion contemporary in the next village observed that there was rather more smith than gold about Up to the time when this poem appeared in print, I had succeeded in concealing from my father the nature of my incidental occupation; but now he must know all. He did know all; and the result was that he gave me ten dollars, and sent me to New York to look out for myself. "It's the only thing that will save him," says he to my mother; "and I must either send him off or expect to see him sink by degrees to editorship and begin wearing disgraceful clothes." I went to New York; I became private secretary and speech-scribe to an unscrupulous and, therefore, rising politician, and now I am in Washington. I had a certain postmastership in my eye when I first came hither; but war's alarms indicate that I may do better as an amateur hero. R. H. Newell ("Orpheus C. Kerr"). He runs, und schumps, und schmashes dings, In all barts of der house; But vot off dot? he vas mine son, Mine leedle Yawcob Strauss. He gets der measles und der mumbs, He sbills mine glass of lager bier, He dakes der milk-ban for a dhrum, He asks me questions, sooch as dese: Who vas it cuts dot schmoodth blace oudt How gan I all dose dings eggsblain I somedimes dink I schall go vild Und vish vonce more I gould haf rest, |