 | The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") |  |
DALY'S COW.
A LEGEND OF FORT LEE.
While Doctor E. was sleeping sound last Wednesday morn in bed,
A voice came shrieking in his ears, and these the words it said—
“Arouse! arise! and don your clothes, and to your feet add wings,
If you would save your cabbages, your beets and other things
From the cow of Paddy Daly!”
A voice came shrieking in his ears, and these the words it said—
“Arouse! arise! and don your clothes, and to your feet add wings,
If you would save your cabbages, your beets and other things
From the cow of Paddy Daly!”
The Doctor rose, and glared and said, (but then not sure I am
What was the very word he used, but know it rhymed with “clam”)
And, while he put his trowsers on, he backward said a prayer.
And frequently repeated it, till sulphur filled the air,
For the cow of Micky Daly.
What was the very word he used, but know it rhymed with “clam”)
465
And frequently repeated it, till sulphur filled the air,
For the cow of Micky Daly.
And when he to the garden got, the sight that there was seen!
The wreck of cabbages and beets, the crush of pea and bean!
Cow-trampled Oxyuras; crushed Verbenas scattered round!
Petunias munched; and Picotees all levelled with the ground!
By the cow of Alick Daly!
The wreck of cabbages and beets, the crush of pea and bean!
Cow-trampled Oxyuras; crushed Verbenas scattered round!
Petunias munched; and Picotees all levelled with the ground!
By the cow of Alick Daly!
He gazed upon the fearful wreck in utter, black despair—
What words could fairly justice do to half the ruin there?
But not e'en Horace Greeley could, though swearing all he knew,
Do half as much as Doctor E. to make the air look blue
At the cow of Phelim Daly.
What words could fairly justice do to half the ruin there?
But not e'en Horace Greeley could, though swearing all he knew,
Do half as much as Doctor E. to make the air look blue
At the cow of Phelim Daly.
He said it was a [blank, blank] shame that such a [blank, blank] beast
Should do such [blank, blank] mischief, and at his expense should feast;
Quoth he—“I've stood this [blank, blank] wrong, too [blank] long any how;
The owner is a son of a [blank]; I'll pound his [blank, blank] cow—”
'Twas the cow of Teddy Daly.
Should do such [blank, blank] mischief, and at his expense should feast;
Quoth he—“I've stood this [blank, blank] wrong, too [blank] long any how;
The owner is a son of a [blank]; I'll pound his [blank, blank] cow—”
'Twas the cow of Teddy Daly.
The cow had been Pat Mallen's cow, and ravaged all the town;
Pat sold her (Coytesville leaped with joy) and thus sold Richard Brown;
But Brown he found she was a rogue, enough to vex a saint,
And, being an honest man himself, not prone to cause complaint,
Sold the cow to Brian Daly.
Pat sold her (Coytesville leaped with joy) and thus sold Richard Brown;
466
And, being an honest man himself, not prone to cause complaint,
Sold the cow to Brian Daly.
But whether Patrick Mallen's cow, or Brown's, or Daly's, she
Was fond of visiting at times the place of Doctor E.;
No hunter leaped a fence so well, and never burglar cracked
A crib with such dexterity as she a gate attacked—
Did this cow of Terry Daly.
Was fond of visiting at times the place of Doctor E.;
No hunter leaped a fence so well, and never burglar cracked
A crib with such dexterity as she a gate attacked—
Did this cow of Terry Daly.
So with some point-blank adjectives that had a rolling sound,
The Doctor started off with her to Mr. Irving's pound;
And on the road the quarrymen just going to their work
Declared they smelt a brimstone smell, and saw some raging Turk
Chase the cow of Owny Daly.
The Doctor started off with her to Mr. Irving's pound;
And on the road the quarrymen just going to their work
Declared they smelt a brimstone smell, and saw some raging Turk
Chase the cow of Owny Daly.
Just at Schaffhausen's corner now the cow she made a turn;
She gave a snort, and then a jump, and tossed those heels of her'n;
She thought she'd slope to Coytesville, then her old friend, Pat, to see—
“Not if the court she knows herself, you don't!” said Doctor E.,
To the cow of Barney Daly.
She gave a snort, and then a jump, and tossed those heels of her'n;
She thought she'd slope to Coytesville, then her old friend, Pat, to see—
“Not if the court she knows herself, you don't!” said Doctor E.,
To the cow of Barney Daly.
The cow was rather fleet of foot, the Doctor fleeter still—
He turned her head, and off they went (2.40) up the hill;
In front of Semmindinger's house she tried to make a bolt,
And shot toward Sam Corker's next, as frisky as a colt,
Did this cow of Dinny Daly.
He turned her head, and off they went (2.40) up the hill;
In front of Semmindinger's house she tried to make a bolt,
And shot toward Sam Corker's next, as frisky as a colt,
Did this cow of Dinny Daly.
Then, when he circumvented her, she slowly took her way,
But kept her eyes wide open for the chances, as they say,
Up Linwood Avenue she slipt—“I'm off, I am!” thought she;
But her four legs were slower than the two of Doctor E.—
That same cow of Larry Daly.
But kept her eyes wide open for the chances, as they say,
467
But her four legs were slower than the two of Doctor E.—
That same cow of Larry Daly.
But the cow run of the Doctor, it came very near to be
A Bull Run at the moment, as spectators well could see;
The cow she took a sudden cut, as if she were [blank] bent,
And over 'twixt Mat Glaser's and the Chick's, off she went,
Did this cow of Danny Daly.
A Bull Run at the moment, as spectators well could see;
The cow she took a sudden cut, as if she were [blank] bent,
And over 'twixt Mat Glaser's and the Chick's, off she went,
Did this cow of Danny Daly.
Had Glaser been at home himself, he could, if so inclined,
Have stopped her with a fence-rail, or with something of the kind;
But Mat was off to Hackensack, enjoying like a king
The county's hospitality, and could not get a fling
At the cow of Martin Daly.
Have stopped her with a fence-rail, or with something of the kind;
But Mat was off to Hackensack, enjoying like a king
The county's hospitality, and could not get a fling
At the cow of Martin Daly.
Now up the rise, then down the hill, right for the fields she sped,
And, like a pair of compasses, the Doctor's legs they spread.
She's at the gap! She'll gain it now! She won't! The Doctor's first,
And wins the race by half a head (of speed a wondrous burst)
O'er the cow of Hughie Daly.
And, like a pair of compasses, the Doctor's legs they spread.
She's at the gap! She'll gain it now! She won't! The Doctor's first,
And wins the race by half a head (of speed a wondrous burst)
O'er the cow of Hughie Daly.
Then through the ice-house hollow, and along 'Squire Taylor's lane,
He raced her and he chased her till they gained the road again;
There she made for Katy Lewis's—the Doctor put on steam,
And headed her and turned her, till of hope there was no gleam
For the cow of Barty Daly.
He raced her and he chased her till they gained the road again;
There she made for Katy Lewis's—the Doctor put on steam,
And headed her and turned her, till of hope there was no gleam
For the cow of Barty Daly.
468
She hung her head, her wind was gone, she painful moved and slow;
He clapped his hands against his sides, and gave a mighty crow—
Take care! beware! she's fooling you! she makes for Jones's lane!
The Doctor gave a burst of speed, and quickly round again
Turned the cow of Archy Daly.
He clapped his hands against his sides, and gave a mighty crow—
Take care! beware! she's fooling you! she makes for Jones's lane!
The Doctor gave a burst of speed, and quickly round again
Turned the cow of Archy Daly.
The gate is reached and in she goes, but goes not where she should;
She's through the new-mown meadow, and is heading for the wood—
In vain! in vain! she's turned again! she's driven to the pound!
While Caspar stares, and Aider glares, and neighbors gather round
Near the cow of Lanty Daly.
She's through the new-mown meadow, and is heading for the wood—
In vain! in vain! she's turned again! she's driven to the pound!
While Caspar stares, and Aider glares, and neighbors gather round
Near the cow of Lanty Daly.
“I'd not have triumphed in the race,” the breathless Doctor says—
“Were not her conscience weighted down with fifty cabbages.
But [blank] your eyes! you're safe at last, you brute! [blank, blank] your blood!”—
The cow she didn't answer him, but merely chewed her cud—
Did this cow of Andy Daly.
“Were not her conscience weighted down with fifty cabbages.
But [blank] your eyes! you're safe at last, you brute! [blank, blank] your blood!”—
The cow she didn't answer him, but merely chewed her cud—
Did this cow of Andy Daly.
In Daly's castle there was grief the evening of that day;
And Daly thought his darling cow had surely gone astray;
Be comforted, ye Dalys all! the cow will yet be found;
She chews again those cabbages in Henry Irving's pound—
Does the cow of Corny Daly.
And Daly thought his darling cow had surely gone astray;
Be comforted, ye Dalys all! the cow will yet be found;
She chews again those cabbages in Henry Irving's pound—
Does the cow of Corny Daly.
| The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") | |