 | The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") |  |
JOHN KEMPSTONE.
Come in, an' take a cheer. Lavisy Ann,
You give the boy a seat. Jes' make as free
As ef at home. How old's the little man?
Not fourteen yit? Sho! Broke your axle-tree?—
Well—Jeemes'll fix it.
You give the boy a seat. Jes' make as free
As ef at home. How old's the little man?
Not fourteen yit? Sho! Broke your axle-tree?—
Well—Jeemes'll fix it.
I jedge you air a furriner by your clo'es—
Bad roads!—we mostly use the saddle here.
Crape on your hat—you've lost your wife, I s'pose?
So I allowed. Now mine is dead ten year—
She was a Dingess.
Bad roads!—we mostly use the saddle here.
Crape on your hat—you've lost your wife, I s'pose?
So I allowed. Now mine is dead ten year—
She was a Dingess.
Lookin' for timber? No! Don't mean to say
You're buyin' cattle? Thought that wasn't so;
You don't look like a drover nary way.
Ef I mought be so bold I'd like to know
What is your beezness?
You're buyin' cattle? Thought that wasn't so;
You don't look like a drover nary way.
Ef I mought be so bold I'd like to know
What is your beezness?
430
The Kemps'n' place!—why, no one's livin' thar—
Shet up, an' gone to ruin, I allow:
The house all rottin' down for want o' car',
The fences levelled—things left anyhow—
The fields in briers.
Shet up, an' gone to ruin, I allow:
The house all rottin' down for want o' car',
The fences levelled—things left anyhow—
The fields in briers.
The Colonel!—He's been dead this seven year—
Stood well, consid'r'n what he onderwent.
In trouble? Likely. Did you never hear?
His sin was followed by his punishment:
Seemed like a jedgment.
Stood well, consid'r'n what he onderwent.
In trouble? Likely. Did you never hear?
His sin was followed by his punishment:
Seemed like a jedgment.
A man of honor! Yaas! he never lied,
Nor cheated—ne'ther was the Kemps'n' way;
'Twarn't in the breed. They war too full of pride
To lie or cheat. Thar's whar the trouble lay
That wrought the mischief.
Nor cheated—ne'ther was the Kemps'n' way;
'Twarn't in the breed. They war too full of pride
To lie or cheat. Thar's whar the trouble lay
That wrought the mischief.
I was a boy when first the thing begun—
The Colonel he was fifty, or about,
An' had a quarrel with his oldes' son,
John Kemps'n', an' the way the two fell out
Was from a woman,
The Colonel he was fifty, or about,
An' had a quarrel with his oldes' son,
John Kemps'n', an' the way the two fell out
Was from a woman,
Of co'se. Thar air no quarrels hunted roun',
But weemen or whiskey allus starts the game:
It's been so, since old Adam trouble foun',
In the snake beezness, an' 't'll be the same
Forever 'n' ever.
But weemen or whiskey allus starts the game:
It's been so, since old Adam trouble foun',
In the snake beezness, an' 't'll be the same
Forever 'n' ever.
John fell in love with Hiram Doss's Ann,
That lived on Pigeon whar it heads agin
A branch of Twelve Pole. Hiram was a man
Not much respected. So that he could win,
He'd take all chances.
That lived on Pigeon whar it heads agin
A branch of Twelve Pole. Hiram was a man
Not much respected. So that he could win,
He'd take all chances.
431
Hiram was rich in cattle, lands, and cash;
Traded around in everything that paid;
Quick as a steel-trap; peert, but never rash;
Went in wharever money could be made,
An' had no scruples.
Traded around in everything that paid;
Quick as a steel-trap; peert, but never rash;
Went in wharever money could be made,
An' had no scruples.
His darter Nancy was his kin, not kind;
She ne'ther had his failin's nor his face:
He was a homely creatur' to my mind,
While gals like her war allus powerful sca'ce,
An' growin' sca'cer.
She ne'ther had his failin's nor his face:
He was a homely creatur' to my mind,
While gals like her war allus powerful sca'ce,
An' growin' sca'cer.
Ev'ry one liked her. No one wondered when
The Colonel's John fell dead in love with her.
A likely pa'r. John was the man of men—
You laugh, but that is so—all man—yes, sir!
Was that John Kemps'n'.
The Colonel's John fell dead in love with her.
A likely pa'r. John was the man of men—
You laugh, but that is so—all man—yes, sir!
Was that John Kemps'n'.
Some slenderer th'n you, but otherwise
Built on your pattern; but his skin was white,
An' yours is brown; some over middle size—
Except you stoop I jedge you'd reach his height—
Active an' soople.
Built on your pattern; but his skin was white,
An' yours is brown; some over middle size—
Except you stoop I jedge you'd reach his height—
Active an' soople.
John told his father he would marry Ann.
The Colonel laughed. “To spark the gal might do,
Though triflin' doesn't much become a man;
But such a mate was never meant for you
As Doss's darter.
The Colonel laughed. “To spark the gal might do,
Though triflin' doesn't much become a man;
But such a mate was never meant for you
As Doss's darter.
“I've nothin' to say agin the gal herself;
She's well enough perhaps; but Hiram Doss,
A man who'd sell his very soul for pelf—
A strain like ours with his should never cross—
Should not, and shall not.
She's well enough perhaps; but Hiram Doss,
A man who'd sell his very soul for pelf—
A strain like ours with his should never cross—
Should not, and shall not.
432
“Please your own fancy, but the day that sees
You Nancy's husband, sees you not my heir;
Ef you like better than a life of ease
To fight your way with her, go win and wear
Your wild-wood blossom.
You Nancy's husband, sees you not my heir;
Ef you like better than a life of ease
To fight your way with her, go win and wear
Your wild-wood blossom.
“I've other sons, an' one can take your place.
Thar's Guy—he wouldn't cross me in my will,
Nor on the name of Kemps'n' bring disgrace;
Give up this folly, boy, an' you are still
Pride of your father.”
Thar's Guy—he wouldn't cross me in my will,
Nor on the name of Kemps'n' bring disgrace;
Give up this folly, boy, an' you are still
Pride of your father.”
“Nevertheless I'll marry her,” said John:
“I pledged my word.” “Then keep your word, young sir!
That bein' lost, a Kemps'n's honor's gone;
But havin' kep' it, leave the place with her,
No more a Kemps'n'.”
“I pledged my word.” “Then keep your word, young sir!
That bein' lost, a Kemps'n's honor's gone;
But havin' kep' it, leave the place with her,
No more a Kemps'n'.”
How did I know all this? Well, I was young;
I'd sot out on an arrand to the crick,
An', comin' back, I crossed the corn among
Whar they wer' standin'—'twas a boy-like trick
To stan' an' lissen.
I'd sot out on an arrand to the crick,
An', comin' back, I crossed the corn among
Whar they wer' standin'—'twas a boy-like trick
To stan' an' lissen.
John married Nancy; but he didn't stay
With Nancy's father—'twix' the two thar wer'
No common feelin'—so he went away
Somewhar off norrud—must have been quite fur—
Never was heerd from.
With Nancy's father—'twix' the two thar wer'
No common feelin'—so he went away
Somewhar off norrud—must have been quite fur—
Never was heerd from.
He writ no letters home—he did?—Sho! how should you
Know ef he did or no? They never come;
That much I'm shore of; an' the old man grew
Grummer an' grummer every day, an' dumb
About his feelin's.
Know ef he did or no? They never come;
433
Grummer an' grummer every day, an' dumb
About his feelin's.
You'd ruther think he had no elder son—
He spoke to no one of him evermore;
He kep' his thoughts apart from every one;
But half the time sot at the open door,
Allus out-lookin'.
He spoke to no one of him evermore;
He kep' his thoughts apart from every one;
But half the time sot at the open door,
Allus out-lookin'.
Folks said that he was keepin' open eye,
To watch John's comin' back; but whether 'r no,
At any time, as you were passin' by,
You'd see the Colonel, sun, or rain, or snow,
Set thar a watchin'.
To watch John's comin' back; but whether 'r no,
At any time, as you were passin' by,
You'd see the Colonel, sun, or rain, or snow,
Set thar a watchin'.
An' years passed by. He never heerd from John,
But still kept waitin'—never saw the sight
He seemed to long for, but he waited on,
Until his body bent, his ha'r grew white,
His wrinkles deeper.
But still kept waitin'—never saw the sight
He seemed to long for, but he waited on,
Until his body bent, his ha'r grew white,
His wrinkles deeper.
He grew quite blind at last, but sot thar still,
No day too hot nor cold. He couldn't see,
But kep' his sightless eyeballs toward the hill
The road winds over—'twas the way, you see,
John took in goin'.
No day too hot nor cold. He couldn't see,
But kep' his sightless eyeballs toward the hill
The road winds over—'twas the way, you see,
John took in goin'.
One evenin' as they come to lead him in,
He lay thar stretched, as though his race was run,
An' muttered when they raised him—“Pride's a sin
That punishes itself. Come back, my son!”
An' so died sudden.
He lay thar stretched, as though his race was run,
An' muttered when they raised him—“Pride's a sin
That punishes itself. Come back, my son!”
An' so died sudden.
434
Guy!—yaas, that was the second son—he's dead.
He fell at Gainesville, killed thar by some Yank.
He never married. Edward? Well, young Ned
Drank hard, an' tumbled off the river bank
One night, an' drownded.
He fell at Gainesville, killed thar by some Yank.
He never married. Edward? Well, young Ned
Drank hard, an' tumbled off the river bank
One night, an' drownded.
Alishy!—why, you know 'em like a book!
That was the darter—powerful full of pride.
She married with Jeemes Tolliver, who took
Her off to old Virginny, whar she died,
Last of the fam'ly.
That was the darter—powerful full of pride.
She married with Jeemes Tolliver, who took
Her off to old Virginny, whar she died,
Last of the fam'ly.
But Mrs. Kemps'n'!—that's the Colonel's wife—
She took her bed when John he left the place,
An' died within a year. Why, bless my life!
How pale you are!—I mought have known the face!—
Why, you're John Kemps'n'!
She took her bed when John he left the place,
An' died within a year. Why, bless my life!
How pale you are!—I mought have known the face!—
Why, you're John Kemps'n'!
| The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") | |