{
 "id": "james-mcintyre/book-agent-story",
 "title": "Book Agent Story",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "James McIntyre",
 "poet_slug": "james-mcintyre",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Musings on the Banks of Canadian Thames",
 "book_slug": "musings-on-the-banks-of-canadian-thames",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 62,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1884,
  "venue": "Musings on the Banks of Canadian Thames (1884)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_09542"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/james-mcintyre_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_09542",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36068",
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 62,
  "n_stanzas": 6,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 42,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "There is a man, his name is Brown,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He lives in a suburban town",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And has an office in the city,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "His misfortunes you will pity.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "His mind it was on stocks and change,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He cared not for things new or strange;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But agent managed him to hook",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And sold to him a costly book.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brown cared not for those glorious names⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Died for religion in the flames;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Now he felt agent was a Tartar",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For selling him a book of martyr.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The agent knew it would make strife,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But sold another to his wife;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "She did not know that Brown had bought,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And agent on her easy wrought.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Approaching her with winning smile",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He poor woman did beguile.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He made her believe without a doubt",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "No Christian could do without",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "This book, which would all inspire",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With spark of celestial fire,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With feelings like the first martyr",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Who had died for Christian charter.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "When Brown did home return at night",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "His wife, to add to his delight,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Resolved that she would, after tea,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Get chatting with her husband free",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And tell him of fine book she bought;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of trouble fresh she never thought,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But she noticed a gloomy frown",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "On the brow of her husband Brown,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But thought when I my purchase tell",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Those dark clouds they will dispel;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "She said, my dear, I bought martyr,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He looked as if he her could quarter.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And said the scoundrel sold me book;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Out of the window then he did look",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And saw the agent haste to train;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He tried to stop him, but in vain;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Smith then was passing in spring wagon,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And he had his trotting nag on;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He told him to stop book agent;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "His escape for to prevent,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Smith told him Brown wanted him;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But agent-nothing daunted him;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Said he: He only wants to barter",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With me for my book of Martyr.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "If thats all, said Smith, with quick dash,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Give me his book, and here’s your cash;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Book agent jumped aboard the car,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For he knew there would be war;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Smith met Brown with triumphant look,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Said he: I have got you the book;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Brown’s feelings now no one could paint,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He there did show he was no saint;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But to big own home he now returned,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And fierce rage in his bosom burned;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He was not fit for Knight of Garter",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When he brought in the third martyr.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "From roots of prose of various climes,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Each tale thus grows all clad in rhymes.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}