The Curious Republic of Gondour and Other Whimsical Sketches

“Go and try. But mind, curb folly. No poetry at the expense of truth. Keep strictly to the facts.”

I said I would, and bowed myself out, and went upstairs.

“Hiawatha” kept droning in my head – and so did my father’s remarks about the sublimity and romance hidden in my subject, and also his injunction to beware of wasteful and exuberant fancy. I noticed, just here, that I had heedlessly brought the deed away with me; now at this moment came to me one of those rare moods of daring recklessness, such as I referred to a while ago. Without another thought, and in plain defiance of the fact that I knew my father meant me to write the romantic story of my half-brother’s adventure and subsequent good fortune, I ventured to heed merely the letter of his remarks and ignore their spirit. I took the stupid “Warranty Deed” itself and chopped it up into Hiawathian blank verse without altering or leaving out three words, and without transposing six. It required loads of courage to go downstairs and face my father with my performance. I started three or four times before I finally got my pluck to where it would stick. But at last I said I would go down and read it to him if he threw me over the church for it. I stood up to begin, and he told me to come closer. I edged up a little, but still left as much neutral ground between us as I thought he would stand. Then I began. It would be useless for me to try to tell what conflicting emotions expressed themselves upon his face, nor how they grew more and more intense, as I proceeded; nor how a fell darkness descended upon his countenance, and he began to gag and swallow, and his hands began to work and twitch, as I reeled off line after line, with the strength ebbing out of me, and my legs trembling under me:

The story of A gallant deed

This indenture, made the tenth

Day of November, in the year

Of our Lord one thousand eight

Hundred six-and-fifty,

Between Joanna S. E. Gray

And Philip Gray, her husband,

Of Salem City in the State

Of Texas, of the first part,

And O. B. Johnson, of the town

Of Austin, ditto, WITNESSETH:

That said party of first part,

For and in consideration

Of the sum of Twenty Thousand

Dollars, lawful money of

The U. S. of Americay,

To them in hand now paid by said

Party of the second part,

The due receipt whereof is here—

By confessed and acknowledged

Having Granted, Bargained, Sold, Remised,

Released and Aliened and Conveyed,

Confirmed, and by these presents do

Grant and Bargain, Sell, Remise,

Alien, Release, Convey, and Con—

Firm unto the said aforesaid

Party of the second part,

And to his heirs and assigns

Forever and ever all

That certain lot or parcel of

land situate in city of

Dunkirk, County of Chautauqua,

And likewise furthermore in York State

Bounded and described, to-wit,

As follows, herein, namely

beginning at the distance of

A hundred two-and-forty feet,

North-half-east, north-east-by north,

East-north-east and northerly

Of the northerly line of Mulligan street

On the westerly line of Brannigan street,

And running thence due northerly

On Brannigan street 200 feet,

Thence at right angles westerly,

North-west-by-west-and-west-half-west,

West-and-by-north, north-west-by-west,

About—