Chapter XVII: Appendix: Mrs. Agnes E. Mitchell

Dr. Henry A. Cottell, the Louisville booklover, is authority for the statement that Mrs. Agnes E. Mitchell, author of _When the Cows Come Home_, one of the loveliest lyrics in the language, lived at Louisville for some years, and that she wrote her famous poem within the confines of that city. The date of its composition must have been about 1870. Mrs. Mitchell was the wife of a clergyman, but little else is known of her life and literary labors. It is a real pity that her career has not come down to us in detail. She certainly "lodged a note in the ear of time," and firmly fixed her fame with it.

WHEN THE COWS COME HOME

[From _The Humbler Poets_, edited by S. Thompson (Chicago, 1885)]

With Klingle, Klangle, Klingle,
'Way down the dusty dingle,
The cows are coming home;
Now sweet and clear, and faint and low,
The airy tinklings come and go,
Like chimings from some far-off tower,
Or patterings of an April shower
That makes the daisies grow;
Koling, Kolang, Kolinglelingle,
'Way down the darkening dingle,
The cows come slowly home;
And old-time friends, and twilight plays
And starry nights and sunny days,
Come trooping up the misty ways,
When the cows come home.

With Jingle, Jangle, Jingle,
Soft sounds that sweetly mingle,
The cows are coming home;
Malvine and Pearl and Florimel,
DeCamp, Red Rose and Gretchen Schnell,
Queen Bess and Sylph and Spangled Sue,
Across the fields I hear her OO-OO,
And clang her silver bell;
Goling, Golang, Golinglelingle,
With faint far sounds that mingle,
The cows come slowly home;
And mother-songs of long-gone years,
And baby joys, and childish tears,
And youthful hopes, and youthful fears,
When the cows come home.

With Ringle, Rangle, Ringle,
By twos and threes and single,
The cows are coming home;
Through the violet air we see the town,
And the summer sun a-slipping down;
The maple in the hazel glade
Throws down the path a longer shade,
And the hills are growing brown;
To-ring, to-rang, to-ringleingle,
By threes and fours and single,
The cows come slowly home.
The same sweet sound of wordless psalm,
The same sweet June-day rest and calm,
The same sweet scent of bud and balm,
When the cows come home.

With a Tinkle, Tankle, Tinkle,
Through fern and periwinkle,
The cows are coming home.
A-loitering in the checkered stream,
Where the sun-rays glance and gleam,
Starine, Peach Bloom and Phoebe Phyllis
Stand knee-deep in the creamy lilies
In a drowsy dream;
To-link, to-lank, to-linkleinkle,
O'er banks with buttercups a-twinkle,
The cows come slowly home;
And up through memory's deep ravine
Come the brook's old song--its old-time sheen,
And the crescent of the silver queen,
When the cows come home.

With a Klingle, Klangle, Klingle,
With a loo-oo and moo-oo and jingle.
The cows are coming home;
And over there on Morlin hill
Hear the plaintive cry of the whippoorwill;
The dew drops lie on the tangled vines,
And over the poplars Venus shines.
And over the silent mill;
Ko-link, ko-lang, ko-lingleingle;
With a ting-a-ling and jingle,
The cows come slowly home;
Let down the bars; let in the train
Of long-gone songs, and flowers and rain,
For dear old times come back again
When the cows come home.

INDEX

Ainslie, Hew, I, 87-91

Allen, Frank Waller, II, 366-368

Allen, James Lane, II, 4-17

Allison, Young E., II, 53-56

Altsheler, Joseph A., II, 144-149

Anderson, Miss Margaret S., II, 318-320

Andrews, Mrs. Mary R. S., II, 104-110

Aroni, Ernest, II, 206

Audubon, John J., I, 45-51

Audubon, John W., I, 185-187

Badin, Stephen T., I, 30-34

Banks, Mrs. Nancy Huston, II, 17-20

Barnett, Mrs. Evelyn S., II, 119-122

Bartlett, Elisha, I, 147-150

Barton, William E., II, 126-129

Bascom, Henry B., I, 98-102

Baskett, James Newton, II, 1-4

Bayne, Mrs. Mary Addams, II, 202-205

Beck, George, I, 23-26

Betts, Mary E. W., I, 237-239

Bingham, George, II, 375-378

Bird, Robert M., I, 135-139

Birney, James G., I, 91-95

Blackburn, J. C. S., I, 232

Bledsoe, Albert T., I, 169-172

Bolton, Mrs. Sarah T., I, 228-230

Bradford, John, I, 5-7

Breckinridge, John C., I, 231-234

Breckinridge, Robert J., I, 112-114

Breckinridge, W. C. P., I, 319-323

Brodhead, Mrs. Eva Wilder, II, 267-273

Broadus, John A., I, 261-265

Bronner, Milton, II, 303-305

Brown, John Mason, I, 240

Browne, J. Ross, I, 200-204

Bruner, James D., II, 184-186

Buchanan, Thompson, II, 355-362

Buck, Charles Neville, II, 371-375

Burton, George Lee, II, 222-228

Butler, Mann, I, 59-62

Butler, William O., I, 84-87

Caldwell, Charles, I, 34-37

Call, Richard E., I, 240

Cawein, Madison, II, 187-198

Childs, Mrs. Mary F., I, 356-359

Chivers, Thomas H., I, 152-156

Clay, Henry, I, 39-44

Clay, Mrs. Mary R., I, 240

Cobb, Irvin S., II, 323-342

Collins, Lewis, I, 104-106

Collins, Richard H., 244-247

Comfort, Will Levington, II, 363-366

Connelley, Wm. E., II, 63-67

Conrard, Harrison, II, 236-237

Corwin, Thomas, I, 95-98

Cosby, Fortunatus, Jr., I, 119-123

Cottell, Dr. Henry A., II, 384

Cotter, Joseph S., II, 115-116

Crittenden, John J., I, 71-74

Crittenden, William L., I, 238

Crockett, Ingram, II, 77-80

Cutter, George W., I, 176-179

Dargan, Mrs. Olive Tilford, II, 255-262

Davie, George M., I, 363-364

Daviess, Miss Maria Thompson, II, 279-283

Davis, Jefferson, I, 156-160

Dazey, Chas. Turner, II, 67-71

Dinsmore, Miss Julia S., I, 295-297

Dixon, Mrs. Susan B., I, 220

Doneghy, George W., I, 146

Doty, Douglas Z., II, 239

Drake, Daniel, I, 65-68

Duke, Basil W., I, 323-325

Durbin, John P., I, 117-119

Durrett, Reuben T., I, 239-243

Ellis, James Tandy, II, 228-230

Filson, John, I, 1-4

Filson Club, I, 240-241

Finck, Bert, II, 254-255

Flagg, Edmund, I, 194-196

Fleming, Walter L., I, 158

Flexner, Mrs. Anne Crawford, II, 239

Flexner, Miss Hortense, II, 381

Ford, Mrs. Sallie R., I, 272-275

Foster, Stephen C., I, 255-257

Fox, John, Jr., II, 172-181

Frazee, Lewis J., I, 216-218

Fruit, John Phelps, II, 72-74

Furman, Miss Lucy, II, 247-253

Gallagher, Wm. D., I, 160-163

Geppert, Mrs. Hester Higbee, II, 57-60

Gilmore, Miss Marion F., II, 380-381

Giltner, Miss Leigh Gordon, II, 311-317

Goodloe, Miss Carter, II, 217-222

Green, Thomas M., I, 310-313

Griffin, Gilderoy W., I, 331-333

Gross, A. Haller, I, 151

Gross, Samuel D., I, 150-152

Harney, John M., I, 74-78

Harney, Will Wallace, I, 291-292

Harris, Credo, II, 295-297

Hatcher, John E., I, 276-278

Hentz, Mrs. Caroline L., I, 114-116

Herrick, Mrs. Sophia, I, 171

Holley, Horace, I, 52-56

Holley, Mrs. Mary A., I, 69-71

Holmes, Daniel Henry, II, 36-47

Holmes, Mrs. Mary J., I, 265-269

Imelda, Sister, II, 233-235

Imlay, Gilbert, I, 11-16

Jeffrey, Mrs. Rosa V., I, 269-272

Johnson, Thomas, Jr., I, 19-23

Johnston, Mrs. Annie Fellows, II, 165-169

Johnston, J. Stoddard, I, 292-294

Johnston, William P., I, 288-290

Kelley, Andrew W., II, 49-53

Ketchum, Mrs. Annie C., I, 247-249

Kinkead, Miss Eleanor T., II, 175

Knott, J. Proctor, I, 282-284

Lampton, Will J., II, 96-101

Leonard, Miss Mary F., II, 142-144

Litsey, Edwin Carlile, II, 300-302

Lloyd, John Uri, I, 364-368

Lorimer, George Horace II, 230-233

Lyon, Matthew, I, 8-11

McAfee, Mrs. Nelly M., I, 353-356

McClung, John A., I, 139-142

McElroy, Mrs. Lucy Cleaver, II, 139-142

McElroy, Robert M., II, 289-293

McKinney, Mrs. Kate S., II, 85-86

Macaulay, Mrs. Fannie C., II, 181-184

MacKenzie, A. S., II, 305-307

Madden, Miss Eva A., II, 170-172

Magruder, Allan B., I, 37-39

Marcosson, Isaac F., II, 343-345

Marriner, Harry L., II, 262-264

Marriott, Crittenden, II, 211-217

Martin, Mrs. George M., II, 198-202

Marshall, Humphrey, I, 26-29

Marshall, Thomas F., I, 123-126

Marvin, William F., I, 145-147

Mason, Miss Emily V., I, 191-193

Menefee, Richard H., I, 173-175

Mulligan, James H., I, 348-352

Murphy, Miss Ethel Allen, II, 381

Musgrove, Charles Hamilton, II, 377

Mitchel, Ormsby M., I, 166-169

Mitchell, Mrs. Agnes E., II, 385-386

Morehead, James T., I, 102-104

Morehead, Mrs. L. M., I, 103

Morris, Rob, I, 205-207

Navarro, Mary Anderson de, II, 101-104

Norris, Mrs. Zoe A., II, 135-139

Obenchain, Mrs. Eliza Calvert, II, 81-84

O'Hara, Theodore, I, 218-228

O'Malley, Charles J., II, 86-91

Patterson, John, II, 123-125

Pattie, James O., I, 142-144

Penn, Shadrach, I, 82-83

Perrin, William H., I, 240

Perry, Bliss, I, 252

Peter, Dr. Robert, I, 240-241

Petrie, Mrs. Cordia G., II, 273-279

Piatt, Mrs. Sarah M. B., I, 303-307

Pickett, Thomas E., I, 241

Pirtle, Alfred, I, 240

Pitts, Miss Mabel Porter, II, 379-380

Plaschke, Paul, II, 377

Polk, Jefferson J., I, 126-128

Portor, Miss Laura S., II, 308-310

Prentice, George D., I, 129-135

Price, Samuel W., I, 240

Price, William T., I, 359-362

Quisenberry, A. C., II, 27-28

Rafinesque, C. S., I, 56-58

Ranck, George W., I, 240

Rankin, Adam, I, 17-19

Rice, Mrs. Alice Hegan, II, 238-243

Rice, Cale Young, II, 284-289

Ridgely, Benj. H., II, 129-135

Rives, Mrs. Hallie Erminie, II, 297-300

Roach, Mrs. Abby Meguire, II, 320-323

Robertson, George, I, 78-82

Robertson, Harrison, II, 74-77

Robins, Miss Elizabeth, II, 156-162

Rouquette, Adrien E., I, 187-191

Rule, Lucien V., II, 265-266

Schoonmaker, E. D., II, 293-294

Seibert, Miss Venita, II, 368-371

Semple, Miss Ellen C., II, 162-165

Shaler, Nathaniel S., I, 336-342

Sherley, Douglass, II, 110

Shindler, Mrs. Mary P., I, 179-180

Shreve, Thomas H., I, 163-166

Slaughter, Mrs. Elvira M., II, 110-114

Smith, Langdon, II, 91-96

Smith, William B., II, 20-26

Smith, Z. F., I, 258-261

Spalding, John L., I, 334-335

Spalding, Martin J., I, 181-184

Speed, Thomas, I, 240

Stanton, Henry T., I, 297-302

Taylor, Zachary, I, 62-65

Tevis, Mrs. Julia A., I, 107-111

Towne, Charles Hanson, II, 350-353

Tufts, Mrs. Gertrude King, II, 345-349

Underwood, Francis H., I, 250-254

Underwood, Oscar W., II, 150-155

Verhoeff, Miss Mary, I, 241

Vest, George G., I, 285-287

Visscher, William L., I, 342-344

Walling, W. E., II, 353-355

Waltz, Mrs. Elizabeth Cherry, II, 205-209

Walworth, Miss Reubena H., II, 209-211.

Warfield, Mrs. Catherine A., I, 197-200

Warfield, Ethelbert D., II, 116-118

Watterson, Henry, I, 325-331

Watts, William C., I, 279-282

Webber, Charles W., I, 211-215

Weir, James, Senior, I, 234-237

Welby, Mrs. Amelia B., I, 207-211

Whitsitt, William H., I, 240

Willson, Forceythe, I, 313-319

Wilson, Richard H., II, 244-247

Wilson, Robert Burns, II, 29-35

Winchester, Boyd, I, 307-310

Wood, Henry Cleveland, II, 60-63

Woods, William Hervey, II, 47-49

Young, Bennett H., I, 344-348

Transcriber's Notes

Obvious punctuation and spelling errors fixed throughout.

The oe ligature in this etext has been replaced with oe.

Inconsistent hyphenation is as in the original.

Page 106: The title and italicization has been changed from (... little story, _With A Good Samaritan_ ...) to this (... little story, with _A Good Samaritan_ ...) to match the title in the rest of the text.

Page 392: In the Index Mulligan, Murphy and Musgrove are entered out of alphabetic order as in the original.