Around the World with Josiah Allen's Wife — John Shaqi
Around the World with Josiah Allen's WifeHolley, Marietta
General
Around the World with Josiah Allen's Wife
Holley, Marietta
Women travelers -- Fiction
But as I say, this great giant is chained by one foot, as it were, and
is doin' good day's works, and no knowin' how much more will be put on
it to do when the rest of its strength is buckled down to work. All
over the great Empire State, mebby, he will have to light the evenin'
lamps, and cook the mornin' meals, and bring acrost the continent the
food he cooks, and turn the mills that grinds the flour to make the
bread he toasts, and sow the wheat that makes the flour, and talk for
all the millions of people and play their music for them--I d'no what
he won't be made to do, and Josiah don't, but I spoze it is a sight to
see the monster trap they built to hold this great Force. We wanted to
go there, but hadn't time.
But to resoom backwards a spell. Miss Meechim and Dorothy was
perfectly awe-struck to see and hear the Falls, and I didn't wonder.
But I had seen it before with my beloved pardner by my side, and it
seemed to me as if Niagara missed him, and its great voice seemed to
roar out: "Where is Josiah? Where is Josiah? Why are you here without
him? Swish, swash, roar, roar, Where is Josiah? Where? Roar! Where?"
Oh, the emotions I had as I stood there under the cold light of the
moon, cold waters rushin' down into a cold tomb; cold as a frog the
hull thing seemed, and full of a infinite desolation. But I knew that
if Love had stood there by my side, personified in a small-sized
figger, the hull seen would have bloomed rosy. Yes, as I listened to
the awestruck, admirin' axents of the twain with me, them words of the
Poet come back to me: "How the light of the hull life dies when love
is gone."
"Oh," sez Miss Meechim, as we walked back to the tarven, takin'
in the sooveneer store on the way, "oh, what a immense body of
water! how tumultous it sweeps down into the abyss below!" I answered
mekanically, for I thought of one who wuz also tumultous at times,
but after a good meal subsided down into quiet, some as the waters of
Niagara did after a spell.
And Dorothy sez, "How the grand triumphal march of the great Lakes, as
they hurry onwards towards the ocean, shakes the very earth in their
wild haste."
I sez mekanically, "Yes, indeed!" but my thoughts wuz of one who had
often pranced 'round and tromped, and even kicked in his haste, and
shook the wood-house floor. Ah, how, how could I forgit him?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account