| Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. (1833–1908). An American Anthology, 1787–1900. 1900. |
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| 1144. A Man by the Name of Bolus |
| | | By James Whitcomb Riley |
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| A MAN by the name of Bolus—(all ’at we ’ll ever know | |
| Of the stranger’s name, I reckon—and I ’m kindo’ glad it ’s so!)— | |
| Got off here, Christmas morning, looked ’round the town, and then | |
| Kindo’ sized up the folks, I guess, and—went away again! | |
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| The fac’s is, this man Bolus got “run in,” Christmas-day; | 5 |
| The town turned out to see it, and cheered, and blocked the way; | |
| And they dragged him ’fore the Mayor—fer he could n’t er would n’t walk— | |
| And socked him down fer trial—though he could n’t er would n’t talk! | |
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| Drunk? They was no doubt of it!—W’y, the marshal of the town | |
| Laughed and testified ’at he fell up-stairs ’stid o’ down! | 10 |
| This man by the name of Bolus?—W’y, he even drapped his jaw | |
| And snored on through his “hearin’”—drunk as you ever saw! | |
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| One feller spit in his boot-leg, and another ’n’ drapped a small | |
| Little chunk o’ ice down his collar,—but he did n’t wake at all! | |
| And they all nearly split when his Honor said, in one of his witty ways, | 15 |
| To “chalk it down fer him, ‘Called away—be back in thirty days!’” | |
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| That ’s where this man named Bolus slid, kindo’ like in a fit, | |
| Flat on the floor; and—drat my ears!—I hear ’em a-laughin’ yit! | |
| Somebody fetched Doc Sifers from jest acrost the hall,— | |
| And all Doc said was, “Morphine! We ’re too late!” and that ’s all! | 20 |
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| That ’s how they found his name out—piece of a letter ’at read: | |
| “Your wife has lost her reason, and little Nathan’s dead— | |
| Come ef you kin,—fergive her—but Bolus, as fer me, | |
| This hour I send a bullet through where my heart ort to be!” | |
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| Man by the name of Bolus!—As his revilers broke | 25 |
| Fer the open air, ’peared like, to me, I heard a voice ’at spoke— | |
| Man by the name of Bolus! git up from where you lay— | |
| Git up and smile white at ’em with your hands crossed thataway! | |
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