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Poem
December 26, 1872
Mineral Point Tribune
Mineral Point, Iowa County, Wisconsin
What is this article about?
A father's humorous and affectionate poem describing his baby daughter Annie's playful invasion of his library, where she scatters books, but he ultimately cherishes her presence over his solitude.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
An Intruder,
BY HIRAM RICH.
Baby has been here, it seems—
Baby Annie on the wing—
In my little library,
Plundering and reveling.
Annie dear, the darling witch—
See how innocent she looks—
But she has a world of wiles
When she gets among my books.
Half the time, I own, she seems
Less a being than a star;
Then again I cry, "My books!
Annie, what a rogue you are!"
"No, no"—papa cries in vain,
Down the dainty volumes come;
Papa, here you are no king,
I am queen in baby-dom.
Stately Johnson lies in grief
Under laughing Rabelais.
Emerson is flat for once;
Heine's thumbing Thackeray.
Whittier, O poet rare!
Thou hast many pages less;
But if all were gone but one,
That would hold and charm or bless.
Baby with the double crown,
And the laughter-hearted eyes,
Papa's sanctum, volume-strewn,
Is to thee a Paradise.
I forgive thee when I feel
Breath and lips upon me pressed,
Sweet as any alien air,
Blown from harbors of the blest.
"Papa," something whispers me,
"Better every laden shelf
Emptied by her baby hands,
Than the house all to thyself."
—Scribner's.
BY HIRAM RICH.
Baby has been here, it seems—
Baby Annie on the wing—
In my little library,
Plundering and reveling.
Annie dear, the darling witch—
See how innocent she looks—
But she has a world of wiles
When she gets among my books.
Half the time, I own, she seems
Less a being than a star;
Then again I cry, "My books!
Annie, what a rogue you are!"
"No, no"—papa cries in vain,
Down the dainty volumes come;
Papa, here you are no king,
I am queen in baby-dom.
Stately Johnson lies in grief
Under laughing Rabelais.
Emerson is flat for once;
Heine's thumbing Thackeray.
Whittier, O poet rare!
Thou hast many pages less;
But if all were gone but one,
That would hold and charm or bless.
Baby with the double crown,
And the laughter-hearted eyes,
Papa's sanctum, volume-strewn,
Is to thee a Paradise.
I forgive thee when I feel
Breath and lips upon me pressed,
Sweet as any alien air,
Blown from harbors of the blest.
"Papa," something whispers me,
"Better every laden shelf
Emptied by her baby hands,
Than the house all to thyself."
—Scribner's.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ode
What themes does it cover?
Friendship
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Baby Annie
Library Chaos
Fatherly Affection
Book Scattering
Domestic Humor
Hiram Rich
What entities or persons were involved?
By Hiram Rich
Poem Details
Title
An Intruder
Author
By Hiram Rich
Subject
Baby Annie In The Library
Key Lines
Baby Has Been Here, It Seems—
Baby Annie On The Wing—
In My Little Library,
Plundering And Reveling.
"Papa," Something Whispers Me,
"Better Every Laden Shelf
Emptied By Her Baby Hands,
Than The House All To Thyself."