I never kan eradicate holy from mi memry the sound ov the first gong I
ever herd--i was setting on the frunt stupe ov a tavern in the sitty ov
Bufferlo, pensively a smokin.
The sun was a goin tu bed, and the heavens fur and nere was blushing at
the purformanse.
The Eri kanall with its goldin waters was on its windin wa tu albany,
and i was perusin the line botes, a flotin by, and thinkin ov Italy,
(whare i used tu live,) and her gondolers, and gallus wimmin.
Mi entire sole was, as it ware in a swet, i wanted tu climb, i felt
grate, i aktually grew.
Thar ar things in this life tu big tu be trifled with, thar ar times
when a man brakes luce from hisself, when he sees speerits, when he kan
almost tuch the moon, and feels as tho he kud fill both hands with the
stars ov heavin and almost sware he was a bank president.
Thats what ailed me.
But the korse ov tru luv never did run smoove, (this iz Shakesperes
opinion too, i and he often think thru one quill) just az i was doing my
best, ... dummer, dummer, spat, bang, beller, crash, roar, ram, dummer,
dummer, whang, rip, rare rally, dummer dummer, dummer dum, ... with one
tremenjis jump, i struck the senter ov the side walk, with anuther i
kleared the gutter and with anuther, i stud in the middle ov the strets
snorting like a injin poney, at a band ov musik; i gazed in wilde
dispare at the tavern stand, mi harte swelled up as big as an out door
oven, mi teeth were as luce as a string ov prairy beads.
I thout all the crokery in the tavern stand had fell down, i thout ov
fenomenoms, i thought ov gabrel and his horn.
I was just on the pint ov thinking ov sumthing else when the landlord
cum out to the frunt stupe ov the tavern stand holding by a string the
bottom ov an old brass kittle.
He called me gentla with his hand i went slola and sadla tu him, he
calmed mi feres, he ced it was a gong; i saw the cussed thing, he ced
supper was reddy, he axed me if i would hav black or green tea and i ced
i would.