{
 "id": "ambrose-bierce/tidings-of-good",
 "title": "Tidings of Good",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Ambrose Bierce",
 "poet_slug": "ambrose-bierce",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Black Beetles in Amber",
 "book_slug": "black-beetles-in-amber",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 80,
 "container": "Black Beetles in Amber",
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1892,
  "venue": "Black Beetles in Amber (1892)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/blackbeetlesinam00bier"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
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  "repo": "standardebooks/ambrose-bierce_poetry",
  "file": "black-beetles-in-amber.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
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   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12658",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12977",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15599",
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof04bierrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof05bierrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/collectedworksof08bierrich",
   "https://archive.org/details/shapesofclay00bier",
   "https://archive.org/details/blackbeetlesinam00bier",
   "https://archive.org/details/literarycalifor05mighgoog",
   "https://archive.org/details/cali07webb"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 40,
  "n_stanzas": 10,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 46,
  "max_indent": 1
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 "site_ready": true,
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 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "Old Nick from his place of last resort",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Came up and looked the world over.",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "He saw how the grass of the good was short",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And the wicked lived in clover.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And he gravely said: “This is all, all wrong,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And never by me intended.",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "If to me the power ever belong",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I shall have this thing amended.”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "He looked so solemn and good and wise",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "As he made this observation",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "That the men who heard him believed their eyes",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Instead of his reputation.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "So they bruited the matter about, and each",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Reported the words as nearly",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "As memory served⁠—with additional speech",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To bring out the meaning clearly.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The consequence was that none understood,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And the wildest rumors started",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Of something intended to help the good",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And injure the evil-hearted.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Then Robert Morrow was seen to smile",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With a bright and lively joyance.",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "“A man,” said he, “that is free from guile",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Will now be free from annoyance.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“The Featherstones doubtless will now increase",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And multiply like the rabbits,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "While jailers, deputy sheriffs, police,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And writers will form good habits.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“The widows more easily robbed will be,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And no juror will ever heed ’em,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "But open his purse to my eloquent plea",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For security, gain, or freedom.”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "When Benson heard of the luck of the good",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "(He was eating his dinner) he muttered:",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "“It cannot help me, for ’tis understood",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "My bread is already buttered.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "“My plats of surveys are all false, they say,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But that cannot greatly matter",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "To me, for I’ll tell the jurors that they",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "May lick, if they please, my platter.”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ]
 ]
}