Bijah’s Christmas Contribution

He wrote a Christmas story and he sent it right away

In a fever of excitement to the magazines that pay;

Back and back it came in order till it looked like thirty cents,

Then he put it in the fireplace and regretted his expense.

Then he wrote a Christmas poem, one that seemed to him all right,

Picturing the ride of Santa through the long and frosty night;

But it came back, like the story, to the one who sent it out,

And exactly like the story by and by went up the spout.

Yet again a mood o’ertook him, quite hilarious was he

And some Christmas jokes he fashioned that were full of mirth and glee;

But, alas! The mighty powers failed to see the humor there

And the joke was on the author who was tempted sore to swear.

“By the Gods of rhyme and story!” said he in his black despair,

“I will send a contribution they will publish anywhere.”

So he took his pen and paper, with a countenance most bland,

And he wrote his verse as follows, in a bold and lucid hand:

                             To the Editor Of –

Here’s a check for twenty dollars,

     For the needy of your town,

Please accept with kindest wishes

     Your servant, Bijah Brown.

Oct. 13, ‘08