Riley Child-Rhymes | Page 5

Farm--Title]
The boy lives on our Farm, he's not?Afeard o' horses none!?An' he can make 'em lope, er trot,?Er rack, er pace, er run.?Sometimes he drives two horses, when?He comes to town an' brings?A wagon-full o' 'taters nen,?An' roastin'-ears an' things.
Two horses is "a team," he says,?An' when you drive er hitch,?The right-un's a "near-horse," I guess?Er "off"--I don't know which--?The Boy lives on our Farm, he told?Me, too, 'at he can see,?By lookin' at their teeth, how old?A horse is, to a T!
I'd be the gladdest boy alive?Ef I knowed much as that,?An' could stand up like him an' drive,?An' ist push back my hat,?Like he comes skallyhootin' through?Our alley, with one arm?A-wavin' Fare-ye-well! to you--?The Boy lives on our Farm!
[Illustration: Stand up like him an' drive]
THE SQUIRTGUN UNCLE MAKED ME
[Illustration: The Squirtgun Uncle Maked Me--Title]
Uncle Sidney, when he wuz here,?Maked me a squirtgun out o' some?Elder-bushes 'at growed out near?Where wuz the brickyard--'way out clear
To where the toll-gate come!
So when we walked back home again,?He maked it, out in our woodhouse where?Wuz the old workbench, an' the old jack-plane,?An' the old 'pokeshave, an' the tools all lay'n'
Ist like he wants 'em there.
He sawed it first with the old hand-saw;?An' nen he peeled off the bark, an' got?Some glass an' scraped it; an' told 'bout Pa,?When he wuz a boy an' fooled his Ma,
An' the whippin' 'at he caught.
Nen Uncle Sidney, he took an' filed?A' old arn ramrod; an' one o' the ends?He screwed fast into the vise; an' smiled,?Thinkin', he said, o' when he wuz a child,
'Fore him an' Pa wuz mens.
He punched out the peth, an' nen he put?A plug in the end with a hole notched through;?Nen took the old drawey-knife an' cut?An' maked a handle 'at shoved clean shut
But ist where yer hand held to.
An' he wropt th'uther end with some string an' white?Piece o' the sleeve of a' old tored shirt;?An' nen he showed me to hold it tight,?An' suck in the water an' work it right
An' it 'ud ist squirt an' squirt!
[Illustration: The Squirtgun--Tailpiece]
[Illustration: An' nen he peeled off the bark]
THE OLD TRAMP
[Illustration: The Old Tramp.]
A Old Tramp slep' in our stable wunst,?An' The Raggedy Man he caught?An' roust him up, an' chased him off?Clean out through our back lot!
An' th' Old Tramp hollered back an' said,--?"You're a purty_ man!--_You air!--?With a pair o' eyes like two fried eggs,?An' a nose like a Bartlutt pear!"
OLD AUNT MARY'S
Wasn't it pleasant, O brother mine,?In those old days of the lost sunshine?Of youth--when the Saturday's chores were through,?And the "Sunday's wood" in the kitchen, too,?And we went visiting, "me and you,"
Out to Old Aunt Mary's?
It all comes back so clear to-day!?Though I am as bald as you are gray--?Out by the barn-lot, and down the lane,?We patter along in the dust again,?As light as the tips of the drops of the rain,
Out to Old Aunt Mary's!
We cross the pasture, and through the wood?Where the old gray snag of the poplar stood,?Where the hammering "red-heads" hopped awry,?And the buzzard "raised" in the "clearing" sky?And lolled and circled, as we went by
Out to Old Aunt Mary's.
And then in the dust of the road again;?And the teams we met, and the countrymen;?And the long highway, with sunshine spread?As thick as butter on country bread,?Our cares behind, and our hearts ahead
Out to Old Aunt Mary's.
[Illustration: We patter along in the dust again]
Why, I see her now in the open door,?Where the little gourds grew up the sides and o'er?The clapboard roof!--And her face--ah, me!?Wasn't it good for a boy to see--?And wasn't it good for a boy to be
Out to Old Aunt Mary's?
And O my brother, so far away,?This is to tell you she waits to-day?To welcome us:--Aunt Mary fell?Asleep this morning, whispering, "Tell?The boys to come!" And all is well
Out to Old Aunt Mary's.
[Illustration: Old Aunt Mary's--Tailpiece]
WINTER FANCIES
[Illustration: Winter Fancies--Title]
I
Winter without?And warmth within;?The winds may shout?And the storm begin;?The snows may pack?At the window pane,?And the skies grow black,?And the sun remain?Hidden away?The livelong day--?But here--in here is the warmth of May!
[Illustration: Winter without and warmth within]
II
Swoop your spitefullest
Up the flue,?Wild Winds--do!?What in the world do I care for you??O delightfullest
Weather of all,?Howl and squall,?And shake the trees till the last leaves fall!
III
The joy one feels,
In an easy chair,?Cocking his heels
In the dancing air?That wreathes the rim of a roaring stove?Whose heat loves better than hearts can love,?Will not permit
The coldest day
To drive away?The fire in his blood, and the bliss of it!
IV
Then blow, Winds, blow!?And rave and shriek,?And snarl and snow?Till your breath grows weak--?While here in my room?I'm as snugly shut?As a glad little worm?In the heart of a nut!
[Illustration: Here in my room I'm as snugly shut]
THE RUNAWAY BOY
Wunst I sassed my Pa, an' he?Won't stand that, an' punished me,--?Nen when he was gone that day,?I slipped