"Here, take this piece of poetry, Mister H---, and see if you can set _it_ to music. Mind you, it is none of mine; but though not _quite_ so good, it is som'at in my style. I cut it out of a newspaper down East. You are welcome to it," he continued, with a patronizing nod, "that is, if you are able to do justice to the subject." I took the piece of dirty crumpled newspaper from his hand; and, struck with the droll quizzing humour of the lines, I have preserved them ever since. As I have never seen them before or since, I will give you them here. To The Falls Of Niagara. "I wonder how long you've been roarin' At this infernal rate; I wonder if all you've been pourin' Could be cipher'd on a slate. "I wonder how such a thunderin' sounded When all New York was woods; 'Spose likely some Injins have been drownded, When the rains have raised your floods. "I wonder if wild stags and buffaloes Have stood where now I stand; Well--s'pose being scared at first, they stubb'd their toes; I wonder where they'd land. "I wonder if that rainbow has been shinin' Since sun-rise at creation; And this waterfall been underminin' With constant spatteration. "That Moses never mention'd ye--I've wonder'd, While other things describin'; My conscience!--how ye must have foam'd and thunder'd When the deluge was subsidin'! "My thoughts are strange, magnificent, and deep, When I look down on thee;-- Oh, what a glorious place for washing sheep Niagara would be! "And oh, what a tremendous water power Is wash'd over its edge; One man might furnish all the world with flour, With a single privilege. "I wonder how many times the lakes have all Been emptied over here; Why Clinton did not feed the grand Canal Up here--I think is queer. "The thoughts are very strange that crowd my brain, When I look up to thee; Such thoughts I never expect to have again, To all eternity." After reading the lines, I begged my friend to excuse me, as I wanted to go below and take a nap. I had not been long in the cabin before he followed me. To get rid of him I pretended to be asleep. After passing me two or three times, and leaning over me in the most inquisitive manner, until his long nose nearly went into my eye, and humming a bow-wow tune in my ear to ascertain if I were really napping, he turned from me with a dissatisfied grunt, flung himself into a settee, and not long after was puffing and blowing like a porpoise. I was glad of this opportunity to go on deck again, and "I left him alone in his glory." But, while I was congratulating myself on my good fortune, I found him once more at my side.