THE AWAKENING.
An adventure befell a Tennessee poet, which he narrates in very moving verse, but which we transmute into plain prose. He had been hunting, one sultry day, and, being very tired, lay down under a shady tree, with his faithful dog by his side. He there fell asleep, and dreamed the orthodox dream of all young poets. A maiden “beautiful exceedingly” approached him, and, after a very brief wooing, expressed a perfect willingness to bless the poet with her affections. Hereupon,—but plain prose cannot do justice to the dénouement, so we must give it in the poet’s own verse:
I kissed her, but,—oh, shocking!
I kissed a beard so rough!
Surprised, half choked, awaking,—
Ah, broken was the charm;
There lay—will you believe it?—
My pointer on my arm.
