The Book of Joyous Children | Page 6

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THE LITTLE LADY
O The Little Lady's dainty?As the picture in a book,?And her hands are creamy-whiter?Than the water-lilies look;?Her laugh's the undrown'd music?Of the maddest meadow-brook.--?Yet all in vain I praise The Little Lady!
Her eyes are blue and dewy?As the glimmering Summer-dawn,--?Her face is like the eglantine?Before the dew is gone;?And were that honied mouth of hers?A bee's to feast upon,?He'd be a bee bewildered, Little Lady!
Her brow makes light look sallow;?And the sunshine, I declare,?Is but a yellow jealousy?Awakened by her hair--?For O the dazzling glint of it?Nor sight nor soul can bear,--?So Love goes groping for The Little Lady.

[Illustration: "SHE'S BUT A RACING SCHOOL-GIRL."]

And yet she's neither Nymph nor Fay,?Nor yet of Angelkind:--?She's but a racing school-girl, with?Her hair blown out behind?And tremblingly unbraided by?The fingers of the Wind,?As it wildly swoops upon The Little Lady.

"COMPANY MANNERS"
When Bess gave her Dollies a Tea, said she,--?"It's unpolite, when they's Company,?To say you've drinked two cups, you see,--?But say you've drinked a couple of tea."
[Illustration]

IN FERVENT PRAISE OF PICNICS
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
Picnics is fun 'at's purty hard to beat.?I purt'-nigh ruther go to them than eat.?I purt'-nigh ruther go to them than go?With our Charlotty to the Trick-Dog Show.

THE GOOD, OLD-FASHIONED PEOPLE
When we hear Uncle Sidney tell?About the long-ago?An' old, old friends he loved so well?When he was young--My-oh!--?Us childern all wish we'd 'a' bin?A-livin' then with Uncle,--so?We could a-kindo' happened in?On them old friends he used to know!--?The good, old-fashioned people--?The hale, hard-working people--?The kindly country people?'At Uncle used to know!
They was God's people, Uncle says,?An' gloried in His name,?An' worked, without no selfishness,?An' loved their neighbers same?As they was kin: An' when they biled?Their tree-molasses, in the Spring,?Er butchered in the Fall, they smiled?An' sheered with all jist ever'thing!--

[Illustration: "THEY WAS GOD'S PEOPLE."]

The good, old-fashioned people--?The hale, hard-working people--?The kindly country people?'At Uncle used to know!
He tells about 'em, lots o' times,?Till we'd all ruther hear?About 'em than the Nurs'ry Rhymes?Er Fairies--mighty near!--?Only sometimes he stops so long?An' then talks on so low an' slow,?It's purt'-nigh sad as any song?To listen to him talkin' so?Of the good, old-fashioned people--?The hale, hard-working people--?The kindly country people?'At Uncle used to know!

THE BEST TIMES
[Illustration]
When Old Folks they wuz young like us?An' little as you an' me,--
[Illustration]
Them wuz the best times ever wuz?Er ever goin' to be!

[Illustration: "THEM WUZ THE BEST TIMES EVER WUZ."]

"HIK-TEE-DIK!"
THE WAR-CRY OF BILLY AND BUDDY
[Illustration]
When two little boys--renowned but for noise--?Hik-tee-dik! Billy and Buddy!--?May hurt a whole school, and the head it employs,?Hik-tee-dik! Billy and Buddy!?Such loud and hilarious pupils indeed?Need learning--and yet something further they need,?Though fond hearts that love them may sorrow and bleed.?Hik-tee-dik! Billy and Buddy!
O the schoolmarm was cool, and in no wise a fool;?Hik-tee-dik! Billy and Buddy!?And in ruling her ranks it was her_ rule to _rule;?Hik-tee-dik! Billy and Buddy!?So when these two pupils conspired, every day,?Some mad piece of mischief, with whoop and hoo-ray,?That hurt yet defied her,--how happy were they!--?Hik-tee-dik! Billy and Buddy!
At the ring of the bell they 'd rush in with a yell--?Hik-tee-dik! Billy and Buddy!?And they'd bang the school-door till the plastering fell, Hik-tee-dik! Billy and Buddy!?They'd clinch as they came, and pretend not to see?As they knocked her desk over--then, My!_ and _O-me!?How awfully sorry they'd both seem to be!?Hik-tee-dik! Billy and Buddy!
[Illustration]
This trick seemed so neat and so safe a conceit,--?Hik-tee-dik! Billy and Buddy!--?They played it three times--though the third they were beat; Hik-tee-dik! Billy and Buddy!?For the teacher, she righted her desk--raised the lid?And folded and packed away each little kid--?Closed the incident so--yes, and locked it, she did--?Hik-tee-dik! Billy and Buddy!
[Illustration]

A CHRISTMAS MEMORY
Pa he bringed me here to stay?'Til my Ma she's well.--An' nen?He's go' hitch up, Chris'mus-day,?An' come take me back again?Wher' my Ma's at! Won't I be?Tickled when he comes fer me!
My Ma an' my A'nty they?'Uz each-uvver's sisters. Pa--?A'nty telled me, th' other day,--?He comed here an' married Ma....?A'nty said nen, "Go run play,?I must work now!" ... An' I saw,?When she turn' her face away,?She 'uz cryin'.--An' nen I?'Tend-like I "run play"--an' cry.
This-here house o' A'nty's wher'?They 'uz borned--my Ma an' her!--?An' her Ma 'uz my Ma's Ma,?An' her Pa 'uz my Ma's Pa--

[Illustration: "HE'S GO' HITCH UP, CHRIS'MUS-DAY, AN' COME TAKE ME BACK AGAIN."]

Ain't that funny?--An' they're dead:?An' this-here's "th' ole Homestead."--?An' my A'nty said, an' cried,?It's mine, too, ef my Ma died--?Don't know what she mean--'cause my?Ma she's nuvver go' to die!
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
When Pa bringed me here 't 'uz night--?'Way dark night! An' A'nty spread?Me a piece--an' light the light?An' say I must go to bed.--?I cry not to---but Pa said,?"Be good boy now, like you telled?Mommy 'at you're go' to be!"?An', when he 'uz kissin' me?My good night, his cheeks' all wet?An' taste salty.--An' he held?Wite close to me an' rocked some?An' langhed-like--'til A'nty come?Git me while he's rockin' yet.
A'nty he'p