The Weekly Gazette

How we love the little paper e’er modest and so meek

As it comes it lengthy journey from the country every week;

From the good old town behind us that we left so long ago

When the city fever beck’ed us with its artificial glow.

O the news is never startling and the pictures are but few,

And it’s crowded with stock matter and the type is never new,

But it brings an old-time feeling as we turn its pages o’er

Reading here and there of neighbors, as we’ve often read before:

“John Smith has gone to Meadowbrook

     To see his brother Bill.”

“Ike Marvin’s hired the Pekham place

     On top of Miller’s Hill.”

“Sam Barton’s fixed his cider press,”

     “Hen Holmes has bought a cow,”

“Hamp Culver’s going to paint his barn.”

     “It’s time to hay it now.”

“Doc Sander’s boy has cut his foot.”

     “The wells are getting dry.”

“The price of eggs has dropped a cent,

     But butter still keeps high.”

“A drummer came to town today.”

     “Bill Brown has sold his mare.”

“Ice cream at Baker’s Corner Store,

     It’s cooling to be there.”

Yes, we love the little paper, it’s so brimming full of news,

And we tear the pasted wrapper we’re so eager to peruse.

And we settle by the fireside as the world goes rushing on,

And devote an hour to reading which is all too quickly gone.

And we look across the distance from the city to the town,

And we sigh and brush a teardrop as we lay the paper down.

For we’re carried back to schooldays and to good old days of yore

When we read these simple items, as we’ve often read before:

“The band will meet on Friday night.”

     “Dick Wade is out again.”

“Lew Wallace’s sold his sorrel horse,

     And team to Enoch Lane.”

“Will Miner’s passing round cigars –

     A bouncy boy, they say.”

“Dot Clark has got the chicken pox.”

     “The schools are closed today.”

“Sim. Haines is going to build an ell.”

     “Church festival tonight.”

“The summer boarders have arrived,

     The town is lively quite.”

“A parcel lost on Miller’s hill,

     Finder please leave it here.”

“Subscribe for the weekly Gazzette,

     A dollar for the year.

c. June 24, ‘03

(original working title: ‘The Paper From Home’)

(There may have been more to this? It ends with a paragraph break and no signature or date)