Of course he does not expect to escape, what he needs so greatly, the discipline of severe criticism; for he is aware that he has often wandered out of the beaten track, and has many times been too regardless of the established rules of rhythm, in his (oftentimes vain) search for the flowers of poesy.
But he believes that The People are, after all, the true critics, and will soon ascertain whether there are more good than poor things in a book; and whatever may be their verdict in this case, he has made up his mind to be happy.
W. C.
CONTENTS
[FARM BALLADS]
[Betsey and I Are Out.]
[How Betsey and I Made Up.]
[Gone with a Handsomer Man.]
[Johnny Rich.]
[Out of the Old House, Nancy.]
[Over the Hill to the Poor-House.]
[Over the Hill from the Poor-House.]
[Uncle Sammy.]
[Tom was Goin' for a Poet.]
[Goin' Home To-Day.]
[Out o' the Fire.]
[OTHER POEMS]
[The New Church Organ.]
[The Editor's Guests.]
[The House where We were Wed.]
[Our Army of the Dead.]
[Apple-Blossoms.]
[Apples Growing.]
[One and Two.]
[The Fading Flower.]
[Autumn Days.]
[Death-Doomed.]
[Up the Line.]
[How we Kept the Day.]ILLUSTRATIONS
["Draw up the Papers, Lawyer, and make 'em good and stout"]
["Give us your Hand, Mr. Lawyer: How do you do To-day?"]
["And just as I turned a Hill-top I see the Kitchen Light"]
["And intently readin' a Newspaper, a-holdin' it wrong side up"]
["And Kissed me for the first Time in over Twenty Years"]
["My Betsey rose politely, and showed her out-of-doors"]
["Curse her! curse her! say I; she'll some Time rue this Day"]
["Why, John, what a Litter here! you've thrown Things all around!"]
["'Tis a hairy sort of Night for a Man to face and fight"]
["When you walked with her on Sunday, looking sober, straight, and clean"]
["And you lie there, quite resigned, Whisky deaf and Whisky blind"]
["And bid the Old House good-bye"]
["Settlers come to see that Show a half a dozen Miles"]
["Right in there the Preacher, with Bible and Hymn-book, stood"]
["Over the Hill to the Poor-House, I'm trudgin' my weary Way"]
["Till at last he went a-courtin', and brought a Wife from Town"]
["Many a Night I've watched You when only God was nigh"]
["Who sat with him long at his Table, and explained to him where he stood"]
