[Illustration]

[Illustration]

A SCRAWL

I want to sing something—­but this is all—­
  I try and I try, but the rhymes are dull
As though they were damp, and the echoes fall
  Limp and unlovable.

Words will not say what I yearn to say—­
  They will not walk as I want them to,
But they stumble and fall in the path of the way
  Of my telling my love for you.

Simply take what the scrawl is worth—­
  Knowing I love you as sun the sod
On the ripening side of the great round earth
  That swings in the smile of God.

WRITIN’ BACK TO THE HOME-FOLKS

My dear old friends—­It jes beats all,
  The way you write a letter
So’s ever’ last line beats the first,
  And ever’ next-un’s better!—­
W’y, ever’ fool-thing you putt down
  You make so inte_rest_in’,
A feller, readin’ of ’em all,
  Can’t tell which is the best-un.

It’s all so comfortin’ and good,
  ’Pears-like I almost hear ye
And git more sociabler, you know,
  And hitch my cheer up near ye
And jes smile on ye like the sun
  Acrosst the whole per-rairies
In Aprile when the thaw’s begun
  And country couples marries.

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It’s all so good-old-fashioned like
  To talk jes like we’re thinkin’,
Without no hidin’ back o’ fans
  And giggle-un and winkin’,
Ner sizin’ how each-other’s dressed—­
  Like some is allus doin’,—­
“Is Marthy Ellen’s basque ben turned
  Er shore-enough a new-un!”—­

Er “ef Steve’s city-friend haint jes
  ‘A leetle kindo’-sorto’”—­
Er “wears them-air blame eye-glasses
  Jes ’cause he hadn’t ort to?”
And so straight on, dad-libitum,
  Tel all of us feels, someway,
Jes like our “comp’ny” wuz the best
  When we git up to come ’way!

That’s why I like old friends like you,—­
  Jes ’cause you’re so abidin’.—­
Ef I was built to live “fer keeps,”
  My principul residin’
Would be amongst the folks ‘at kep’
  Me allus thinkin’ of ’em,
And sorto’ eechin’ all the time
  To tell ’em how I love ’em.—­

Sich folks, you know, I jes love so
  I wouldn’t live without ’em,
Er couldn’t even drap asleep
  But what I dreamp’ about ’em,—­
And ef we minded God, I guess
  We’d all love one-another
Jes like one fam’bly,—­me and Pap
  And Madaline and Mother.

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[Illustration]

LAUGHTER HOLDING BOTH HIS SIDES

Ay, thou varlet!—­Laugh away! 
All the world’s a holiday! 
Laugh away, and roar and shout
Till thy hoarse tongue lolleth out! 
Bloat thy cheeks, and bulge thine eyes
Unto bursting; pelt thy thighs
With thy swollen palms, and roar
As thou never hast before! 
Lustier! wilt thou! peal on peal! 
Stiflest?  Squat and grind thy heel—­
Wrestle with thy loins, and then
Wheeze thee whiles, and whoop again!