»S 3505 .L963 -7 L922 Jopy 1 Gn \J ^^::^-:^^.mmmEM jr Irginim Woodward Clou^ 4uihor of ''''Down Dudcu Lan-^', aiid ( '('j.?/' /■:•;/;.■/ I. The N'ortmin^ Memingto.^ € Class ."feM^i Book,l.?i^_.^ GopightN". tfiJk CQEmiGHT DSP0B1& From an Old Garden By Virginia Woodward Cloud The Norman, Remington Co. Baltimore = 0* Copyrighted, 1922, Jy ^he ^orman, Remington Co. "Published December, 1922 "Printed in the United States of America )C1A692578 DEC 27';:. Contents IN SPRING "One time I wake up early" Pussy- Willows DafFodils Tulips Violets . . ♦ . Dandelions Lilacs . . . . IN SUMMER Hollihocks Honeysuckle Mignonette The Holly-Tree . Heartsease Morning Glories The Hundred-Leaved Rose Sweetbrier IN AUTUMN "De garden hit's all pupple" 9 10 11 13 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 29 In Spring One time, I wake up early when dat Pecker-Bird come tappin', — 'Cause he ain' studyin' enny much 'bout leabin' folks a-nappin', — "Howdy!" he say, "Please, ma'am, look out. Day's sumpin happenin' all erbout." An', honey, hit's des lak I say, de garden done got blue en gray; — Ain' zackly made hit's mine up when ter tu'n in an' begin ergain. — Things moves whar nobuddy caint see, inside dat Weepin'-Willier tree. Things talks whar nobuddy caint heah, — a pusson dassent go too neah Den, easylike, one mo'nin bright, I opens de do'. All in er night De Spring done come! — Dem HI green haids lif up en say, — " We-all is heah ter spen' de day. Is dere enny buddy home?" Pussy-W illows Ole Win' don' tech 'em hard en rough, But ef you kin git clost enough Ter stroke 'em wid yo' finger, — so Dey nods en bows, — pleased 'cause you know Dat Pussy-Williers — an' dem — Is nufiin' 'cep' babies on er stem. 10 Daffodils Dem bright Daffydillies, wid flyin' yaller hayar, I knowed dey likeness — I ain' sayin' where. Eyes made o' April; teahs easy, too, Smilin' de nex' minit, at — I ain' sayin' who. Light gone out f 'om de Big House now. Ole Win' creak de shetters, en break de white bough . But de Daffydils is flyin', An' I'll tell you-all dis,— Dey teks de paf huh young feet took— My Lil Miss. 11 Tulips Dem Miss Tulipses sho'ly is proud! Dey mixes wid deysefs, en not wid de crowd. Dress fine in dey silks, dey wait an' dey wait In er row longs ide of de garden gate, Tel folks come erlong, an' see 'em whar dey Stan', En say "Raid Tulips! — Now, ain' dey gran'?" 12 Violets -De lil Vi'let chillun, so silump an' so shy, Dey smile up des ez pretty, no matter who come by, Dey steals up f om de medder an' huddles neaf mah tree, Lak mebby dey's a-waitin' fo' a wud f'om me. But I leab 'em hab dey haids, 'less I skeer 'em, dey so still. An' dey tiptoes up de lane, en roun' de milk-house hill, 'Tel dey gadders des ez natchul,- yas, miss, clar ter de do' I— A-lookin' lak dey know I was a'spectin' of 'em so. But whut dey got ter tell me befo' dey go so soon, Dee ain' nobuddy 'spicion, 'less hit's ole Miss Moon — An' she ain' sayin' nuffin — Den dere comes er night Brer Win' talk loud all ter hissef, 'n dey's went wid de light! 13 Dandelions Dandy Lion he done come ter town Wid 'is gol' all pack in 'is bes' hat crown. He settle hissef so steady in de grass. He ain' step aside fo' nobuddy ter pass. — Acks des lak he owned dis town, — Wid 'is gol' all pack in 'is bes' hat crown ! 14 Lilacs Miss Lady Lilack, she's slim an' white, Mos' lak er hant in de dim May night, She Stan' at de gate an' she wave huh white han'. But, dee ain' nobuddy kin onderstan' Who she's a-'memberin' an' a-wavin' to Wid 'er han*s so sweet in de sof* may dew . . , I reckon mebby 'taint ter me ner ter you 15 In Summer Hollihocks Ole Sis Hollihawk Stan' in by de wall, In a pjnk party frock en a green shawl ; She Stan' en she stan', but not by enny chance Does big Brer Sunflower ax'er out ter dance. She ain' des sprightly en she ain' des sweet. But she hoi' huhsef straight, en she keep huhsef neat, En she seem to be a-sayin' to all 'at pass'er by, — "Don' you think dat nuffin kin erscape my eye!" — En it don't. 19 Honeysuckle Yo'ng Mis' Honeysuckle runnin' all erbout, Ef you stop by ter see'er you'll shorely fine huh out. Up en down de lane she go, en ober fences, too, — Pears lak Mis' Honeysuckle ain' enough ter do! But sweet ? . . . Ume . . . Ume ! Dat sweet she mek you smile Des lak you was a-watchin' de playfulles' chile. When de win' blow thoo de garden so sweet am dat air, I know 'thout a-lookin' Mis' Honeysuckle's dere. 20 Mignonette Lil Mis' Minnynette, settin' in de sun, She ain' 'complish nuffin much when de day is done; But she th'ow huh lil w'ite han's out wid sech a pretty grace, She's allers gittin' gaddered up fo' Ole Mis's vase. 21 The Holly-Tree Ole Marse Holly-Tree's a bad ole man ; Seem lak he show 'is spite Whenebber he can; Wid 'is lil red eyes, en 'is th'ee-corner hat, En 'is ebbows dey sticks out, — 'cause he nebber y it growed fat !- He got a green satin weskit clear ter 'is th'oat, En a lil sharp s'wode stuck unnerneaf 'is coat, — De onies' way ter git erlong wid Ole Marse Holly-Tree, Is e'der one ter chop 'im down or des leab 'im be! 22 Heartsease Yander Mis' Pansy, down in de bo'der, She stay right to home en keep huh house in order; She's allers please ter hab you stop en pass de time o' day, En mek you feel you's mighty glad you come along dat way. She ain' one fo' runnin' 'roun' dis-away or dat; She seem ter say, — "Now, do set down an' res' yo' hat!" 23 Morning-Glories De Mo'nin'-Glo'y ladies, dey's de 'ticulares' ob de lot, Dey nebber shows dey faces when de sun grows hot ; Dey got sech nice complexions a-washin' wid de dew, — Mis' Pink en Mis' W*ite, Mis' Pupple en Mis' Blue. Dey's pow'ful skeered o' gettin' all freckled wid de sun, En dey don't hoi' up dey haids 'tel anudder day's begun; But dey allers mines dey manners, a-cutsyin' ter you, — Mis' Pink en Mis' W'ite, Mis' Pupple en Mis' Blue. 24 The Hundred-Leaved Rose Big Mis' Hunnerd-Leaf, kine ob quiet huh way; Pink en sweet en des de same, day after day; She mek all de rose-water 'n when de petals fall, Ketch' em in a jar, en dey's sweetness fo' all. Climbin' up de Big House, f'om de sullar to de roof, — She 'minds me ob Ole Mis' Ain' dat de trufe! 25 Sweetbrier Dat Sweetbr'ar baby's de mos' onrulies' chile! Losin' huhsef along de stream, or in de dus' a mile; She's de things I disremember, but ma ole heart cain't fo'get, — Lak when Fs barefoot milkin', en do clober tops was wet. She's de ole w'ite rose dat smell so sweet * longs ide ma cabin do' En de Whip-poor-Wills, down in de woods one time befo' de woah She's de smile to de eyes, en de th'on to de bres', — But ob all ma flower chillun she's de one I lub de bes' ! 26 In Autumn -De garden hit's all pupple, 'scusin' de yaller'n raid, Mos' lak dis hank'chief I weahs on mah haid. De aster an' de gornrod's a-troopin' down de hill, An' ole Brer Win' ain' lettin' on he's feelin' mighty chill! But down in de wood's pa'f, longside de stream, Seem lak I'm a-walkin' inter somebuddy's dream. Dee ain' no birds a-fiyin' ter de raid creeper-vine; De trees all hoi' dey brefs,— Somebuddy's bu'nin' pine. . . . De dusk hit tu'ns gray early, 'n mah cannle's soon lit, But 'tain' time fo' nuffin 'cep' ter rock an' ter sit, Studyin' on de col' nights, when things ain' bloom no mo' Den I lights up de fiah, an' up'n shets de do' ; 29 An' I 'members 'bout a night when de Lord done come. An' met wid all dem in a lil small room Ole Win' he sen' de leaves down wid a sof , rockin' sweep . . . 'N I knows de garden's lak we-all hit's des goin' ter sleep ! 30