[Illustration]

  This trick seemed so neat and so safe a conceit,—­
    Hik-tee-dik!  Billy and Buddy!—­
  They played it three times—­though the third they were beat;
    Hik-tee-dik!  Billy and Buddy! 
  For the teacher, she righted her desk—­raised the lid
  And folded and packed away each little kid—­
  Closed the incident so—­yes, and locked it, she did—­
    Hik-tee-dik!  Billy and Buddy!

[Illustration]

* * * * *

A CHRISTMAS MEMORY

  Pa he bringed me here to stay
    ’Til my Ma she’s well.—­An’ nen
  He’s go’ hitch up, Chris’mus-day,
    An’ come take me back again
  Wher’ my Ma’s at!  Won’t I be
  Tickled when he comes fer me!

  My Ma an’ my A’nty they
    ’Uz each-uvver’s sisters.  Pa—­
  A’nty telled me, th’ other day,—­
    He comed here an’ married Ma.... 
  A’nty said nen, “Go run play,
    I must work now!” ...  An’ I saw,
  When she turn’ her face away,
    She ‘uz cryin’.—­An’ nen I
    ‘Tend-like I “run play”—­an’ cry.

  This-here house o’ A’nty’s wher’
  They ‘uz borned—­my Ma an’ her!—­
  An’ her Ma ’uz my Ma’s Ma,
  An’ her Pa ’uz my Ma’s Pa—­

* * * * *

[Illustration:  “HE’S GO’ HITCH UP, CHRIS’MUS-DAY, AN’ COME TAKE ME BACK AGAIN.”]

* * * * *

  Ain’t that funny?—­An’ they’re dead: 
  An’ this-here’s “th’ ole Homestead.”—­
  An’ my A’nty said, an’ cried,
  It’s mine, too, ef my Ma died—­
  Don’t know what she mean—­’cause my
  Ma she’s nuvver go’ to die!

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

  When Pa bringed me here ’t ’uz night—­
    ‘Way dark night!  An’ A’nty spread
  Me a piece—­an’ light the light
    An’ say I must go to bed.—­
    I cry not to—–­but Pa said,
  “Be good boy now, like you telled
    Mommy ‘at you’re go’ to be!”
    An’, when he ‘uz kissin’ me
      My good night, his cheeks’ all wet
  An’ taste salty.—­An’ he held
    Wite close to me an’ rocked some
    An’ langhed-like—­’til A’nty come
      Git me while he’s rockin’ yet.

  A’nty he’p me, ’til I be
  Purt’-nigh strip-pud—­nen hug me
  In bofe arms an’ lif’ me ’way
  Up in her high bed—­an’ pray
    Wiv me,—­’bout my Ma—­an’ Pa—­
  An’ ole Santy Claus—­an’ Sleigh—­
    An’ Reindeers an’ little Drum—­
    Yes, an’ Picture-books, “Tom Thumb,”
  An’ “Three Bears,” an’ ole “Fee-Faw”—­

      Yes, an’ “Tweedle-Dee” an’ “Dum,”
      An’ “White Knight” an’ “Squidjicum,”
  An’ most things you ever saw!—­
      An’ when A’nty kissed me, she
      ‘Uz all cryin’ over me!

  Don’t want Santy Claus—­ner things
  Any kind he ever brings!—­
  Don’t want A’nty!—­Don’t want Pa!—­
  I ist only want my Ma!