So w’en Chrismus come an’ mastah gin a frolic on de lawn,
  Did n’t ‘sprise me not de littlest seein’ Lucy lookin’ on. 
  An’ I seed a wa’nin’ lightnin’ go a-flashin’ f’om huh eye
  Jest ez ‘Lishy an’ his new gal went a-gallivantin’ by.

  An’ dat Tildy, umph! she giggled, an’ she gin huh dress a flirt
  Lak de people she was passin’ was ez common ez de dirt;
  An’ de minit she was dancin’, w’y dat gal put on mo’ aihs
  Dan a cat a-tekin’ kittens up a paih o’ windin’ staihs.

  She could ‘fo’d to show huh sma’tness, fu’ she could n’t he’p but know
  Dat wid jes’ de present dancahs she was ownah of de flo’;
  But I t’ink she ‘d kin’ o’ cooled down ef she happened on de sly
  Fu’ to noticed dat ‘ere lightnin’ dat I seed in Lucy’s eye.

  An’ she would n’t been so ’stonished w’en de people gin a shout,
  An’ Lucy th’owed huh mantle back an’ come a-glidin’ out. 
  Some ahms was dah to tek huh an’ she fluttahed down de flo’
  Lak a feddah f’om a bedtick w’en de win’ commence to blow.

  Soon ez Tildy see de trouble, she jes’ tu’n an’ toss huh haid,
  But seem lak she los’ huh sperrit, all huh darin’ness was daid. 
  Did n’t cut anothah capah nary time de blessid night;
  But de othah one, hit looked lak could n’t git enough delight.

  W’en you keeps a colt a-stan’nin’ in de stable all along,
  W’en he do git out hit ’s nachul he ‘ll be pullin’ mighty strong. 
  Ef you will tie up yo’ feelin’s, hyeah ‘s de bes’ advice to tek,
  Look out fu’ an awful loosin’ w’en de string dat hol’s ’em brek.

  Lucy’s mammy groaned to see huh, an’ huh pappy sto’med an’ to’,
  But she kep’ right on a-hol’in’ to de centah of de flo’. 
  So dey went an’ ast de pastoh ef he could n’t mek huh quit,
  But de tellin’ of de sto’y th’owed de preachah in a fit.

  Tildy Taylor chewed huh hank’cher twell she ’d chewed it in a hole,—­
  All de sinnahs was rejoicin’ ‘cause a lamb had lef de fol’,
  An’ de las’ I seed o’ Lucy, she an’ ‘Lish was side an’ side: 
  I don’t blame de gal fu’ dancin’, an’ I could n’t ef I tried.

  Fu’ de men dat wants to ma’y ain’t a-growin’ ‘roun’ on trees,
  An’ de gal dat wants to git one sholy has to try to please. 
  Hit’s a ha’d t’ing fu’ a ooman fu ‘to pray an’ jes’ set down,
  An’ to sacafice a husban’ so ’s to try to gain a crown.

  Now, I don’ say she was justified in follerin’ huh plan;
  But aldough she los’ huh ’ligion, yit she sholy got de man. 
  Latah on, w’en she is suttain dat de preachah ’s made ’em fas’
  She kin jes’ go back to chu’ch an’ ax fu’giveness fu’ de pas’!

LYRICS OF LOVE AND LAUGHTER

TWO LITTLE BOOTS

  Two little boots all rough an’ wo’,
      Two little boots! 
  Law, I ’s kissed ’em times befo’,
      Dese little boots! 
  Seems de toes a-peepin’ thoo
  Dis hyeah hole an’ sayin’ “Boo!”
  Evah time dey looks at you—­
      Dese little boots.