The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed; The hosses in theyr stalls below-the clover overhead!O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock, When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock. Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps Is poured around the cellar-floor in red and yaller heaps; And your cider-makin's over, and your wimmern-folks is through With theyr mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and sausage too! . . . I don't know how to tell it--but ef such a thing could be As the angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me I'd want to 'commodate 'em-all the whole-indurin' flock When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock. LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE * LITTLE Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay, away, From the Biographical Edition of the Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley. Copyright, 1913. Used by special permission of the publishers, The Bobbs-Merrill Company. An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep, An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep; An' all us other children, when the supper things is done, We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun Ef you Watch Out! Onc't they was a little boy would n't say his pray'rs-- An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he was n't there at all! An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press, An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'whe1 es, I guess ; But all they ever found was thist his pants an' round about! An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you Ef you Watch Out! An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin, She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she did n't care! An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide, They was two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side, An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she 's about! An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you Ef you Watch Out! An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue, An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear, An' he'p the pore and needy ones 'at clusters all about, Er the Gobble-uns 'll git you Ef you Watch Out! Eugene Field (1850-1895) Eugene Field was a Missourian by birth and was educated in that state. He began newspaper work in St. Louis. For ten years he followed the profession of journalist in St. Joseph, Kansas City and Denver. In 1883 he went to the Chicago Daily News under Melville E. Stone, and with that paper he stayed till he died. In 1882 appeared his Denver Tribune Primer. After he came to Chicago he began more serious efforts in prose and verse. He published, Culture's Garland, 1887, A Little Book of Western Verse, 1889, A Little Book of Profitable Tales, the same year, With Trumpet and Drum, children's poems, 1892, Second Book of Verse, 1893, and so on. The complete edition of the works of Eugene Field came out in 1896. Eugene Field has been called the childrens' laureate; he was "a fellow of infinite jest,” and one of the most individual humorists this country has produced. Examples are given here both of his dialect verse and of the fanciful nonsense poetry he wrote for children. He was a finished versifier. OUR TWO OPINIONS * Us two wuz boys when we fell out,— Some small deeff'rence, I'll allow. 'Nd I havin' my opinyin uv him. *From The Poems of Eugene Field, complete edition. Copyright, 1910, by Charles Scribner's Sons. Grew up together 'nd would n't speak, 'Nd I havin' my opinyin uv him. But down in Tennessee one night Ther' wuz sound uv firin' fur away, 'Nd the sergeant allowed ther' 'd be a fight With the Johnnie Rebs some time nex' day; 'Nd as I wuz thinkin' uv Lizzie 'nd home Jim stood afore me, long 'nd slim,— He havin' his opinyin uv me, 'Nd I havin' my opinyin uv him. Seemed like we knew there wuz goin' to be Us two shuck hands, did Jim 'nd me, I havin' my opinyin uv Jim, 'Nd he havin' his opinyin uv me. Jim never come back from the war again, Made up 'nd shuck hands, afore the fight. |