Charles G. Eastman （b. 1816,d.1861） was born in Maine,but removed at an early age tVermont,where he was connected with the press at Burlington,Woodstock,and Montpelier. He published a volume of poems in 1848,written in a happy lyric and ballad style,and faithfully portraying rural life in New England.
1.The farmer sat in his easy-chair Smoking his pipe of clay,While his hale1 old wife with busy care,Was clearing the dinner away;A sweet little girl with fine blue eyes,On her grandfather’s knee,was catching flies.
2.The old man laid his hand on her head,With a tear on his wrinkled face,He thought how often her mother,dead,Had sat in the selfsame place;As the tear stole down from his half-shut eye,"Don‘t smoke!" said the child,"how it makes you cry!"
3.The house dog lay stretched out on the floor,Where the shade,afternoons,used tsteal;The busy old wife by the open door Was turning the spinning wheel,1Hale,healthy.And the old brass clock on the manteltree1 Had plodded2 along talmost three.
4.Still the farmer sat in his easy-chair,While close this heaving3breast The moistened brow and the cheek sfair Of his sweet grandchild were pressed;His head bent down,all her soft hair lay;Fast asleep were they both on that summer day.1 Manteltree,shelf over a fireplace. 2 Plodded,went slowly.3 Heaving,rising and falling.
