Explore "A Guest" by Ambrose Bierce on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Death, are you well? I trust you have no cough / That's painful or in any way annoying -- / No kidney trouble that may carry you off, / Or heart disease to keep you from enjoying / Your meals -- and ours. 'T were very sad indeed / To have to quit the busy life you lead.
You've been quite active lately for so old / A person, and not very strong-appearing.
I'm apprehensive, somehow, that my bold, / Bad brother gave you trouble in the spearing.
And my two friends -- I fear, sir, that you ran / Quite hard for them, especially the man.
I crave your pardon: 'twas no fault of mine; / If you are overworked I'm sorry, very.
Come in, old man, and have a glass of wine.
What shall it be -- Marsala, Port or Sherry? / What! just a mug of blood? That's funny grog / To ask a friend for, eh? Well, take it, hog!