Can't calculate when we come in Can't calculate upon the weather, It always changes so; Hain't got no means of telling whether Can't calculate with no precision On naught beneath the sky; And so I've come to the decision That 't ain't worth while to try. Frances M. Whitcher. NORTHERN FARMER NEW STYLE DOSN'T thou 'ear my 'erse's legs, as they canters awaäy? Proputty, proputty, proputty-that's what I 'ears 'em saäy. Proputty, proputty, proputty-Sam, thou's an ass for thy paaïns: Theer's moor sense i' one o' 'is legs nor in all thy braaïns. Woä-theer's a craw to pluck wi' tha, Sam: yon's parson's 'ouse Dosn't thou knaw that a man mun be eäther a man or a mouse? Time to think on it, then; for thou'll be twenty to weeäk. Proputty, proputty-woä then, woä-let ma 'ear mysén speäk. Me an' thy muther, Sammy, 'as beän a-talkin' o' thee; Thou's been talkin' to muther, an' she beän a-tellin' it me. Thou'll not marry for munny-thou's sweet upo' parson's lass Noä-thou'll marry for luvv-an' we boäth of us thinks tha an ass. Northern Farmer 355 Seeä'd her to-daäy goä by-Saäint's-daäy-they was ringing the bells. She's a beauty, thou thinks-an' soä is scoors o' gells. Them as 'as munny an' all-wot's a beauty?—the flower as blaws. But proputty, proputty sticks, an' proputty, proputty graws. Do'ant be stunt: taäke time: I knaws what maäkes tha sa mad. Warn't I craäzed fur the lasses mysén when I wur a lad? But I knaw'd a Quaäker feller as often 'as towd ma this: "Do'ant thou marry for munny, but goä wheer munny is!" An' I went wheer munny war: an' thy mother coom to 'and, Wi' lots o' munny laaïd by, an' a nicetish bit o' land. Maäybe she warn't a beauty: I niver giv it a thowt But warn't she as good to cuddle an' kiss as a lass as 'ant nowt? Parson's lass 'ant nowt, an' she weänt 'a nowt when 'e's dead, 'igher; An' 'e's maäde the bed as 'e ligs on afoor 'e coom'd to the shire. An' thin 'e coom'd to the parish wi' lots o' 'Varsity debt, Stook to his taäil they did, an' 'e 'ant got shut on 'em yet. An' 'e ligs on 'is back i' the grip, wi noän to lend 'im a shove, Woorse nor a far-welter'd yowe: fur, Sammy, 'e married fur luvv. Luvv? what's luvv? thou can luvv thy lass an' 'er munny too, Maäkin' 'em goä togither, as they've good right to do. Couldn't I luvv thy muther by cause o' 'er munny laaïd by? Naäy-for I luvv'd her a vast sight moor fur it: reäson why. Ay, an' thy muther says thou wants to marry the lass, Cooms of a gentleman burn; an' we boäth on us thinks tha an ass. Woä then, proputty, wiltha?-an ass as near as mays nowtWoä then, wiltha? dangtha!-the bees is as fell as owt. Break me a bit o' the esh for his 'eäd, lad, out o' the fence! Gentleman burn! What's gentleman burn? Is it shillins an' pence? Proputty, proputty's ivrything 'ere, an', Sammy, I'm blest If it isn't the saäme oop yonder, fur them as 'as it's the best. "Tisn' them as 'as munny as breaks into 'ouses an' steäls, Them as 'as coöts to their backs an 'taäkes their regular meäls. Noä, but it's them as niver knaws wheer a meäl's to be 'ad. Taäke my word for it, Sammy, the poor in a loomp is bad. Them or thir feythers, tha sees, mun 'a beän a laäzy lot. Fur work mun 'a gone to the gittin' whiniver munny was got. Feyther 'ad ammost nowt; leästways 'is munny was 'id. did. Look thou theer wheer Wrigglesby beck cooms out by the 'ill! Feyther run oop to the farm, an' I runs oop to the mill; Thim's my noätions, Sammy, wheerby I meäns to stick; Then Ag'in FIN DE SIECLE LIFE is a gift that most of us hold dear: I never asked the spiteful gods to grant it; Thrust into life, I eat, smoke, drink, and sleep, Is my digestion. Like oyster on his rock, I sit and jest At others' dreams of love or fame or pelf, An oyster: ah! beneath the quiet sea To know no care, no change, no joy, no pain, And out again. While some in life's old roadside inns at ease Bound like Ixion on life's torture-wheel, 357 Unknown. THEN AG'IN JIM BOWKER, he said, ef he'd had a fair show, He'd filled the world full of the sound of his name, It may have been so; I dunno; Jest so, it might been, But he had tarnal luck-everythin' went ag'in him, Ef he'd had a fair show, you couldn't tell where he'd come, I dunno; Jest so, it might been, But we're all like Jim Bowker, thinks I, more or less- Ef it hadn't been for luck an' misfortune an' sich, I dunno; Jest so, it might been, Then ag'in Sam Walter Foss. THE PESSIMIST NOTHING to do but work, Nothing to eat but food, Nothing to breathe but air, Quick as a flash 't is gone; Nowhere to fall but off, Nowhere to stand but on. |