FIGHT A BOY OF YOUR SIZE.
Back, far back in that backwood’s school
Of Lincoln, Grant and the great we prize
We boys would fight, but we had one rule—
You must fight a boy of your size.
Or white boy or brown, aye, Boer no doubt,
Whatever the quarrel, whatever the prize
You must stand up fair and so fight it out
With a boy somewhat your size.
But a big boy spoiled so for fights, he did,
He lied most diplomatic-like-lies
And he fought such fights—ye gods forbid—
But never a boy of his size.
He skinned and he tanned, kept hide, kept hair,
Now I am speaking figure-wise—
But he didn’t care who and he didn’t care where
Just so he was under size.
Then the big boy cried, “A big chief am I,
I was born to bang and to civilize,
And yet sometimes I, in my pride I sigh
For something about my size.”
Then the good Schoolmaster he reached a hand
And across his knee he did flop crosswise
That bully, and raise in his good right hand
A board of considerable size.
And the good Schoolmaster he smote that chief,
He smote both hips and he smote both thighs;
And he said as he smote, “It is my belief
This board is about your size.”
Beware the bully, of his words beware,
His triangular lips are a nest of lies,
For he never did dare and he never will dare,
To bang a boy of his size.
MILLER, C. H. (Joaquin)
(The Poet of the Sierras)
Complete Poetical Works
In One Volume
This volume completes the life work of this “Sweet Singer by the Sunset Sea.” In it are included all the best poems formerly published under the following titles: “Songs of the Sierras”—“Songs of Sunland”—“Songs of Summerlands”—“Songs of Italy”—“Songs of the Mexican Seas”—“Classic Shades”—“Songs of the Soul”—“Olive Leaves”—“Joaquin,” and others. The book contains 330 pages of double column matter, printed from new type on laid paper. Each of the longer poems is followed by extensive foot notes written by the poet himself, also a most interesting, reminiscent preface and appendix narrating incidents and scenes in his eventful life, never published before. It has several illustrations showing the poet at different ages, also a beautiful scene from his present home on “The Hights.”
| PRICE. | |
| Beautifully Bound in Silk Cloth, side and back stamp in gilt, gilt top | $2 50 |
| Gift Edition, bound in three-quarter Levant | 4 50 |
| Limited Autograph Edition, bound in full Morocco | 7 50 |
WHAT TWO GREAT POPULAR POETS SAY:
Edwin Arnold recently said: “Joaquin Miller is one of the two greatest American poets.”
James Whitcomb Riley said of Joaquin Miller’s singing: “It is the truest American voice that has yet thrilled the echoes of our wild, free land, and awakened the admiration and acclaim of the Old World. No marvel that our Country is proud of this proud child of hers, who in all lands has sung her dawning glory and his own changeless loyalty to her.”
Songs of the Soul
This volume contains this well known poet’s latest, and as pronounced by all critics, best poetic productions. The longest poem, entitled “Sappho and Phaon,” occupies seventy-three pages of the book, and is destined to become a classic. Besides this there are several of his older and most popular poems, such as “Columbus,” “Passing of Tennyson,” “Sunset and Dawn at San Diego,” etc., making a 12 mo. volume of 163 pages, with author’s latest portrait.
| PRICE. | |
| Bound in Fine Silk Cloth, design on cover, Library Edition | $1 00 |
| Author’s Autograph Gift Edition, bound in full padded Leather | 3 50 |
| Paper Edition, printed in Gilt | 25 |
“If Joaquin Miller had written nothing else, this one poem (Sappho and Phaon) would make a place for him among immortals.”—The Wave.
The Critic, in a recent article, places him among the world’s greatest poets.
The London Athenæum gives “Columbus” first place among all the poems written by Americans as to power, workmanship and feeling.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:
Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.
Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.
The Table of Contents was created by the transcriber for the convenience of the reader and is granted to the public domain.