History of Michigan, / by Charles Moore. [Vol. 3]

HISTORY OF MICHIGAN

1513

quest of their pastors. In this connection we are allowed to present a
poem, the author of which, a minister of the Presbyterian church, is one
of Father Murphy's dearest and most appreciative friends. This was
sent him on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee banquet given in his honor.
"For Father Murphy-A Bit of Sauce to his Meat on Monday Night:
My genial friend and brother,
I clip your jolly phiz
From this night's Daily Journal,
And, homely as it is,
I am right glad to see it,
And, Father, note the news
That Flint will do you honor
And I cannot refuse
To give myself the pleasure
Of jingling just a bit,
If I can only manage
To get the hang of it.
My Pegasus is balky,
And now and then he kicks,
And sometimes, when I trust him,
He leaves me in a fix.
For if I try to force him
To jingle, off he goes
And dumps me and my measure
Into a ditch of prose.
But, after all, he's handy,
Like your Kentucky bay,
To lug a portly preacher
Along a dusty way.
To drop the classic figure,
When lacking thought, I rhyme it;
The hill of sense is sandy
And nonsense helps me climb it.
Let me congratulate you,
And if the Monday night
Be 'mong the happiest of life
Old man! 'twill serve you right.
Heaven bless you with the best
It's larder can provide you,
And, better still, with loving friends
To eat and drink beside you.
May life be all illumined
E'en to its latest page,
And like your wine be better
By reason of its age.