The Project Gutenberg EBook of Excelsior, by Bret Harte

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Title: Excelsior

Author: Bret Harte

Release Date: December 24, 2007 [EBook #24019]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EXCELSIOR ***

Produced by Anne Storer and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

"EXCELSIOR"
BY Bret Harte

PRESENTED BY
ENOCH MORGAN'S SONS CO.
NEW YORK.

* * * * *

[Illustration]

The shades of night were falling fast,
As through an Eastern village passed
A youth who bore, through dust and heat,
A stencil-plate, that read complete--"SAPOLIO."

[Illustration]

CLEAN PAINT, OIL CLOTHS, FLOORS,
WOOD WORK, TABLES & SHELVES
_WITH SAPOLIO._

[Illustration]

His brow was sad, but underneath,
White with "Odonto" shone his teeth,
And through them hissed the words, "Well, blow
Me tight if here is 'ary show!" "SAPOLIO."

[Illustration]

WASH DISHES, PORCELAIN, CHINA
& GLASS WARE
_WITH SAPOLIO._

[Illustration]

On household fences, gleaming bright,
Shone "Gargling Oil," in black and white,
Once "Bixby's Blacking" stood alone,
He straight beside it clapped his own--"SAPOLIO."

[Illustration]

POLISH MILK CANS & PANS
AND ALL KINDS OF TIN WARE
_WITH SAPOLIO._

[Illustration]

"Try not my fence," the old man said,
"With 'Mustang Liniment' 'tis spread,
Another vacant spot thar aint."
He answered with a dash of paint--"SAPOLIO."

[Illustration]

CLEAN STEEL KNIVES & FORKS AND ALL
METALLIC TOOLS AND UTENSILS
_WITH SAPOLIO._

[Illustration]

"O, stay," the maiden said, "A rest
Pray give us! What with 'Bixby's Best,'
And 'Simmons' Pills,' we're like to die."
He only answered, "Will you try--SAPOLIO?"

[Illustration]

CLEAN BATH TUBS, WASH BASINS
AND SINKS
_WITH SAPOLIO._