Charles Follen Adams

“ Then waist the precious time no more, But let the parson tie us Sew firmly that the marriage-knot Shall never be cut bias. In peaceful quietude we'll float On life's unruffled tide, Nor let the bustle of the world " Pull-back" as on we glide. ”

“ I Haf von funny leedle poy, Vot gomes schust to mine knee; Der queerest schap, der Greatest rogue, As efer you dit see. He runs, und schumps, and schmashes dings In all barts off der house: But vot off dot? he vas mine son, Mine leedle Yawcob Strauss. ”

“ I cannot liver 'nother day without you. Your bright smile lights up my heart, Whisper yes, beefore we part, And the tenderlines of love I'll cast about you!" Then the rascal, growing bolder, Drew her head upon his shoulder, While the ribbones on her bonnet fluttered free, And fore-quarter of an hour They reclined within the bower, And she promised him she ever true would be. ”

“ Haggard and pale is the father's face, Where lingering sickness has left its trace; While the careworn look on the mother's brow Tells of the sorrow upon her now. Hungry and faint from the lack of food, With scanty clothing, no coal nor wood ”

“ For game was plenty, furs in demand, And plenty of hunting and trapping to do. "I had no fear of the danger that lurked In the region through which my journey lay, Till Bet of a sudden pricked up her ears, And sniffed the air in a curious way. "I knew at once what the danger was As Bet struck out at a 'forty gait: 'Twas life or death for the mare and me, And all I could do was to trust to fate. "Wolves on our track, ten miles from home! ”

“ Well! boys will be boys, and we men, after all, Would gladly be freed from Time's pitiless thrall, And live those days over, when, single and free— Zounds! wife's looking over my shoulder to see What I have been writing. ”

“ No sweeter girl ewe ever gnu Than Betty Marten's daughter Sue. With sable hare, small tapir waist, And lips you'd gopher miles to taste; Bright, lambent eyes, like the gazelle, Sheep pertly brought to bear so well ”

“ Johnny looked upon the Deutscher With a bland and childlike smile; Then upon the crowd before him, Who enjoyed the sport meanwhile. "Gentlemen," says Johnny Judkins, "As I said in the beginnin', This 'ere patent liquid polish Will not soil the finest linen. "As for that," says Johnny Judkins,— Pointing where the spot of crock Showed upon Von Puffer's bosom Like a black sheep in a flock,— "As for that," repeated Johnny, "If you call that linen fine, I would merely say, my hearers, Your opinion is not mine." Johnny Judkins still continues Selling blacking by the ton. ”

“ I knew him passing well,— A shoemaker in Natick, Which is oftentimes called — well- Of course you've heard the story; So I will not stop to tell. He was the hardest drinker For many miles around; Though, as a waggish chap remarked, "Hard drinker! I'll be bound He drinks about as easy As any man I've found!" ”

“ Poor Bill was taken among the rest, And became at once a cannibal's guest; (No pleasant position, it must be confessed, To wake up some morning already " dressed" For a native's " fancy roast.") For want of rations Bill had grown thin,- Nothing, in fact, but bones and skin; And his heathen master (as ugly as sin, To find he'd so badly been " taken in") Devised a horrible plan. To wit: a bamboo cage he'd make, And put in Bill, with a monstrous snake Called the anaconda, that could easily " take" Most any "reasonable" man. ”

“ I want 'ou now"— Down goes the book with needless force, And, with expression far from mild, With sullen air and clouded brow, I seat myself beside the child. Her little trusting eyes of blue With mute surprise gaze in my face, As if in its expression stern Reproof and censure she could trace. Anon her little bosom heaves, Her rosy lips begin to curl; And with a quiv'ring chin she sobs, "Papa don't 'uv' his 'ittle dirl!" King, palace, book—all are forgot; My arms are 'round my darling thrown- The thunder-cloud has burst, and lo! Tears fall and mingle with her own. ”

“ I'll take your fine young lover, Gray, And beat him till he's blue." Then Olive Brown to crimson turned, And said, "Do as you say: The country long has wished to see 'The Blue combined with Gray.'" Ben Green to purple turned with rage, And black his brow as night; While on the cheek of Olive Brown The crimson changed to white. "O cruel Olive Brown!" says Ben, " I've been dun-brown by you : Let this ' Grayback' his steps retrace, And take Greenback, — oh, do!" Poor Olive Brown, what could she say, To sea-Green look so sad ? And so she rose, and said to him, " I'll go and ask my dad." ”

“ A roguish chap he, full of mischief and blarney. This beautiful pig fairly haunted his dreams; And he swore, that, unless he was sadly mistaken, He would feast off his ribs upon St. Patrick's Day, And even the widow should not "save his bacon." ”

“ And storekeepers would say, "We're always 'out of pocket' When Snow comes round this way." 'Twas the custom of the villagers — Few of them being rich — To trade their surplus "garden-sass" For groceries and " sich." One store supplied the village With goods of every kind, Including wines and liquors For those that way inclined. ”

“ On Central Park a shmardt young man Says, "Strauss, bow vas you peen?" Und dake me kindly py der hand, Und ask off mine Katrine. He vants to shange a feefty bill, Und says hees name vas Schneider— Maype, berhaps he vas all righdt; More like he vas a shpider. Mosd efry day some shvindling chap, He dries hees leedle game; I cuts me oudt dot shpider biece, Und poot id in a frame; Righdt in mine shtore I hangs id oup, Und near id, on der shly, I geeps a glub, to send gvick oudt Dhose shpiders "on der fly." ”

“ And things filled with spice, Which may have been mice,— They looked enough like them, — dear me! To see Such food in the "land of the free." One day I'd a friend Who was coming to spend The day, and take dinner with me: So I went to Ah-Bet, And told him to get A rabbit "and fixin's;" and he Said "Oui," In a manner quite Frenchy to see. The clock had struck one: The dinner was done, And served up with steaming Bohea. "'Tis excellent fare, This rabbit, or hare,: Whichever it may be," said he,
(Mon ami:) "You've a prize in that Heathen Chinee." ”

“ No wonder that accidents happen With such things to get in one's way. "When we used to dance, my dear Scroggina, There were no such 'pullbacks' as these To mar our delight in the ' mazy,' And trip us, perchance, on our knees. "You could balance, and go down the centre, And dance the Virginia reel, Without walking half up a panier, With the bustle caught on to your heel. "Mrs. Grundy called over this morning, And said, with a smirk and grimace, That Laura, last night at the party, Was horribly banged round the face. ”

“ Come in and make yerself ter hum! We're common folks—ain't much on style; Come in and stop a little while; 'Twon't do no harm ter rest yer some. Youngster, yer pale, and don't look well! What, way frum Bosting? Naow, dew tell! Why, that's a hundred mile or so; What started yer, I'd like ter know, On sich a tramp; got goods ter sell? No home—no friends? Naow that's too bad! Wall, cheer up, boy, and don't be sad— Wife, see what yer can find ter eat, And put the coffee on ter heat— We'll fix yer up all right, my lad. Willing ter work, can't git a job, And not a penny in yer fob? ”

“ For, to add still more to his bitter cup, He found he had placed it wrong side up. "There's no great loss without some gain;" And Moses says, in a jocular vein, He arranged it so for taking snuff, As he never before could get enough. One thing, by the way, he forgets to add, Which makes the arrangement rather bad: Although he can take his snuff with ease, He has to stand on his head to sneeze! ”

“ While the squire's darkey, with cheerful grin, Food and clothing brings quickly in. "Lord bless you, ma'am! why, who'd a knowed That folks lived up in this 'ere abode? "'Tain't fit for a barn, 'n', ez I'm a sinner, I'll take you all to my house to dinner. "I'll find you work when you're strong and well, 'N' a better place than this 'ere to dwell—" And the squire paused, while a tear arose, And dropped unseen on his ruby nose, As the baby boy, with a happy look, A rosy apple from Sambo took. ”

“ And more stars she spied Than belongs to the star - spangled banner. A gentleman sprang to assist her, And picked up her muff and her wrister. "Did you fall, ma'am ?" he cried; "Do you think," she replied, "I sat down for the fun of it, Mister ?" EARLY RISING.
"... Rise with the lark, And with the lark to bed—" Why for a pattern choose the lark— Rise in the morn while yet 'tis dark, And with the early bird to bed repair? Why not take bruin for example? Of promptness, pray, what better sample? 'Tis said there's nothing s'urly as a bear. ”

“ Shust dink off a vhite man so vicked as dot! Vhy not gife der oldt lady a show? Who vas id gets oup, vhen der nighdt id vas hot, Mit mine baby, I shnst like to know? Und dhen in der vinter, vhen Katrine vas sick, Und der mornings vas shnowy und raw, Who made righdt avay oup dot fire so qvick? Vhy, dot vas mine moder-in-law. Id vas von off dhose voman's righdts vellers, I been— Dhere vas nodings dot's mean aboudt me; Vhen der oldt lady vishes to run dot masheen, Vhy, I shust lets her run id, you see. Und vhen dot shly Yawcob vas cutting some dricks (A block off der oldt chip he vas, yaw!) ”

“ Look oudt und lock your shtable, So your own nag don'd shkydoodle! Vben der young man at der counter Vants to shpecgulate in shtocks, Und buys hees girl some timond rings, Und piles righdt oup der rocks, Look oudt for dot young feller; Id vas safe enuff to say Dot der shtable id vas empty, Und der horse vas gone avay. Dhen dake Time by der fetlock: Don'd hurry droo life's courses; Rememper vot der boet says, "Life's but a shpan"—off horses. Der poy he vas der comin' man; Be careful vhile you may; Shust keep der shtable bolted, Und der horse don'd got avay. ”

“ I dink dhere vas nopody haf sooch a treasure As dot shmall Loweeza, dot lofe me so veil. Vhen vinter vas come, mit its coldt, shtormy veddher, Katrina und I ve musd sit in der house, Und dalk off der bast by der fireside togeddher, Or blay mit dot taughter off our Yawcob Strauss. Oldt age, init its wrinkles, pegins to remind us Ve gannot shtay long mit our shildren to dvell; But soon ve shall meet mit der poys left pehind us, Und dot shveet Loweeza, dot lofe us so vell. ”

“ For ve vas vanderers, Fritz und I, Und sdrangers in der town. Some beoples gife us dings to eadt, Und some dey kicks us oudt, Und say, "You don'd got peesnis here To sdroll der schtreets aboudt!" Vot's dot you say ? — you puy mine tog To gife me pread to eadt! I vas so boor as nefer vas, But I vas no "tead peat." Vot, sell mine tog, mine leedle tog, Dot vollows me aboudt, Und vags his dail like anydings Vene'er I dakes him oudt? Schust look at him, und see him schump! He likes me pooty vell; Und dere vas somedings 'bout dot tog, Mynheer, I vouldn't sell. "Der collar?" ”

“ Und vhen I vas got oxcited, Und say he get "echwiped" und fooled, Dheri he say he haf a "pointer" Yrom soom friendts off Sage und Gould; Und dot he vas on " rock bottom;" Had der "inside track" on "Atch" Dot vas too mooch for hees fader, Und I coom oup to der scratch. Dhen in bolitics he dabbles, Und all qvesdions, great und schmall, Make no deeferent to dot Yawcob — For dot poy he knows id all. Und he say dot dhose oldt fogies Must be laid oup on der shelf, Und der governors und mayors Should pe young men — like himself. Yell! ”

“ Dimbled scheeks, mit eyes off plue, Mout' like id vas moisd mit dew, Und leedle teeth shust peekin' droo- Dot's der baby. Curly head, und full off glee, Browsers all oudt at der knee— He vas peen blaying horse, you see— Dot's leedle Yawcob. ”

“ For he gan vork so vell as blay, — Shonny Schwartz. Mine Katrina says to Shonny, "Shonny Schwartz, Helb your barents all you gan, For dis life vas bud a shban: Py und py you'll been a man, Shonny Schwartz." How I lofes to see dot Shonny — Shonny Schwartz Vhen he schgampers off to schgool, Vhere he alvays minds der rule! For he vas nopody's fool, — Shonny Schwartz. How I vish dot leedle Shonny — Shonny Schwartz Could remain von leedle poy, Alvays full off life und shoy, Und dot Time vould not annoy Shonny Schwartz! ”

“ Who dress demselves mit vine array To flirt ubon der schtreet, Und leaf deir moders at der tub To earn der bread dey eat. I don'd like men dot feel so pig Ven dey haf plenty geld, Who vas as Lucifer so broud, Und mit conceit vas schvelled. Who dinks more off deir horse und dog As off a man dot's poor, Und lets der schtarving und der sick Go hungry vrom der door. ”