This page needs to be proofread.
288
HISTORY OF OREGON LITERATURE
And on fields of prickly-pear,Till you wished yourself at home again,Or any place but there?
Did you travel long, hot daysAnd never see a spring,Till just at night you came to oneYou fancied "just the thing"?Did you seize a cup in hasteAnd think to drink it dry,When, lo! 'twas almost boiling hot,Or strong with alkali!
Did you see the glorious landscapesSpread out before the eye,As you climbed the rocky ridges,Or stood on mountains high?Did your wagons tip up end-wise,As you rattled down the hill;Or did you let them down with ropesIn places steeper, still?
And lastly, though not least,Did you cross the Cascade rangeAnd see the noted "elephant"The world would think so strange?Did you slide down "Laurel Hill",When the rain was falling fast,And with one yoke of "cows"Did you reach the goal at last?
If you saw and did all this,With a thousand items more,I think it can't be doubtedYou are wiser than before;Though your home's a leaky cabin,When the Winter rain comes on,No wonder you are well contentTo live in Oregon.
OCTOBER 25, 1858.
