Classic Poem

Little Mandy and her Ma
'S porest folks you ever saw! —
Lived in porest house in town,
Where the fence 'uz all tore down.

And no front-door steps at all —
Ist a' old box 'g'inst the wall;
And no door-knob on the door
Outside. — My! but they 'uz pore!

Wuz no winder-shutters on,
And some of the winders gone,
And where they 'uz broke they'd pas'e
Ist brown paper 'crost the place.

Tell you! when it's winter there ,
And the snow ist ever'where,
Little Mandy's Ma she say
'Spec' they'll freeze to death some day.

Wunst my Ma and me — when we
Be'n to church, and's goin' to be
Chris'mus purty soon, — we went
There — like the Committee sent.

And-sir! when we're in the door,
Wuz no carpet on the floor,
And no fire — and heels-and-head
Little Mandy's tucked in bed!

And her Ma telled my Ma she
Got no coffee but ist tea,
And fried mush — and's all they had
Sence her health broke down so bad.

Nen Ma hug and hold me where
Little Mandy's layin' there;
And she kiss her, too, and nen
Mandy kiss my Ma again.

And my Ma she telled her we
Goin' to have a Chris'mus-Tree,
At the Sund'y-School, 'at's fer
All the childern, and fer her .

Little Mandy think — nen she
Say, " What is a Chris'mus-Tree? "
Nen my Ma she give her Ma
Somepin' 'at I never saw.

And say she must take it, — and
She ist maked her keep her hand
Wite close shut, — and nen she kiss
Her hand — shut ist like it is.

Nen we comed away. . . . And nen
When it's Chris'mus Eve again,
And all of us childerns be
At the Church and Chris'mus-Tree —

And all git toys and things
'At old Santy Claus he brings
And puts on the Tree; — wite where
The big Tree 'uz standin' there,

And the things 'uz all tooked down,
And the childerns, all in town,
Got their presents — nen we see
They's a little Chris'mus-Tree

Wite behind the big Tree — so
We can't see till nen , you know, —
And it's all ist loaded down
With the purtiest things in town!

And the teacher smile and say:
" This-here Tree 'at's hid away
It's marked " Little Mandy's Tree ." —
Little Mandy! Where is she? "

Nen nobody say a word. —
Stillest place you ever heard! —
Till a man tiptoe up where
Teacher's still a-waitin' there.

Nen the man he whispers, so
Ist the Teacher hears, you know.
Nen he tiptoe back and go
Out the big door — ist so slow!

...

Little Mandy , though, she don't
Answer — and Ma say " she won't
Never , though each year they'll be
" Little Mandy's Chris'mus-Tree"

Fer pore childern " — my Ma says —
And Committee say they guess
" Little Mandy's Tree " 'ull be
Bigger than the other Tree!