Classic Poem

Folks in town, I reckon, thinks
They git all the fun they air
Runnin' loose 'round! — but, 'y jinks!
We' got fun, and fun to spare,
Right out here amongst the ash
And oak timber ever'where!
Some folks else kin cut a dash
'Sides town-people, don't fergit! —
'Specially in winter -time,
When they's snow, and roads is fit.
In them circumstances I'm
Resig-nated to my lot —
Which putts me in mind o' what
'S called " The Literary. "

Us folks in the country sees
Lots o' fun! — Take spellin'-school;
Er ole hoe-down jamborees;
Er revivals; er ef you'll
Tackle taffy-pullin's you
Kin git fun, and quite a few! —
Same with huskin's. But all these
Kind o' frolics they hain't new
By a hunderd year' er two
Cipher on it as you please!
But I'll tell you what I jest
Think walks over all the rest —
Anyway it suits me best, —
That's " The Literary. "

First they started it — " 'y gee! "
Thinks-says-I, " this settle-ment
'S gittin' too high toned fer me! "
But when all begin to jine,
And I heerd Izory went,
I jest kind o' drapped in line,
Like you've seen some sandy, thin,
Scrawny shoat putt fer the crick
Down some pig-trail through the thick
Spice-bresh, where the whole drove's been
'Bout six weeks 'fore he gits in! —
" Can't tell nothin', " I-says-ee,
" 'Bout it tel you go and see
Their blame " Literary"! "

Very first night I was there
I was 'p'inted to be what
They call " Critic " — so's a fair
And square jedgment could be got
On the pieces 'at was read,
And on the debate, — " Which air
Most destructive element,
Fire er worter? " Then they hed
Compositions on " Content, "
" Death, " and " Botany " ; and Tomps
He read one on " Dreenin' Swamps "
I p'nounced the boss, and said,
" So fur, 'at's the best thing read
In yer " Literary"! "

Then they sung some — tel I called
Order, and got back ag'in
In the critic's cheer, and hauled
All o' the p'formers in: —
Mandy Brizendine read one
I fergit; and Doc's was " Thought " ;
And Sarepty's, hern was " None
Air Denied 'at Knocks " ; and Daut —
Fayette Strawnse's little niece —
She got up and spoke a piece:
Then Izory she read hern —
" Best thing in the whole concern, "
I-says-ee; " now le' 's adjourn
This-here " Literary"! "

They was some contendin' — yit
We broke up in harmony.
Road outside as white as grit,
And as slick as slick could be! —
I'd fetched 'Zory in my sleigh, —
And I had a heap to say,
Drivin' back — in fact, I driv
'Way around the old north way,
Where the Daubenspeckses live.
'Zory allus — 'fore that night —
Never 'peared to feel jest right
In my company. — You see,
On'y thing on earth saved me
Was that " Literary " !