*-!« '4.1- < . Of . R2* s B«_/» * \*» ft* ••™* ,/\ -IK-" ♦♦** :j^fe: V,** 'Wa* ** .** /.fife'- ♦* J »W^ *«„ .^ .vate*. ^ « o °o J ^V W »!riJ*, O- * v .. *bV >o\? ^ \-isMsi-. \/ .-flfe V /^fifc v* /aft:-, v> «v * & ■ -*Y It \ ^ t: IO ' 4 WHEN SHE WAS ABOUT SIXTEEN BY JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY ILLUSTRATED BY HOWARD CHANDLER CHRISTY THE BOBBS -MERRILL COMPANY PUBLISHERS \<\\\ V CCI.A2H7154 ^w> ALL 'at I ever want to be Is ist to be a man like Pa When he wuz young an' married Ma! Uncle he telled us yisterdy Ist all about it then — 'cause they, My Pa an' Ma, wuz bofe away To 'tend P'tracted Meetin', where My Pa an' Ma is alius there When all the big "Revivals" is, An' "Love-Feasts," too, an' "Class," an' "Prayer," An' when's "Comoonian Servicis." An', yes, an' Uncle said to not To never tell them ner let on Like we knowed now ist how they got First married. So — while they wuz gone — Uncle he telled us ever'thing — V,' :o ; 'Bout how my Pa wuz ist a pore Farm-boy. — He says, I tell you what, Your Pa wuz pore! But neighbers they All liked him — all but one old man An' his old wife that folks all say Nobody liked, ner never can! Yes, sir! an' Uncle purt'-nigh swore About the mean old man an' way He treat' my Pa!— 'cause he's a pore Farm-hand — but prouder 'an a king — An' ist work' on, he did, an' wore His old patched clo'es, ist anyway, So he saved up his wages — then He ist worked on an' saved some more, An' ist worked on, ist night an' day — Till, sir, he save' up nine er ten Er hunnerd dollars! But he keep All still about it, Uncle say — But he ist thinks — an' thinks a heap! j^JU«d«u*s»M«« { Though what he wuz a-thinkin', Pa He never tell' a soul but Ma — (Then, course, you know, he wuzn't Pa, An', course, you know, she wuzn't Ma — They wuz ist sweethearts, course you know) 'Cause Ma wuz ist a girl, about Sixteen; an' when my Pa he go A-courtin 1 her, her Pa an' Ma — The very first they find it out — Wuz maddest folks you ever saw! 'Cause it wuz her old Ma an' Pa 'At hate' my Pa, an' toss their head, An' ist raise Ned! An' her Pa said He'd ruther see his daughter dead! An' said she's ist a child! — an' so Wuz Pa! — An' ef he wuz man-grown An' only man on earth below, His daughter shouldn't marry him Ef he's a king an' on his throne! , *^S5 Pa's chances then looked mighty slim Fer certain, Uncle said. But he — He never told a soul but her What he wuz keepin' quiet fer. Her folks ist lived a mile from where He lived at — an' they drove past there To git to town. An' ever' one An' all the neighbers they liked her An' showed it! But her folks — no, sir! — ■ Nobody liked her parents none! An' so when they shet down, you know, On Pa — an' old man tell' him so — Pa ist went back to work, an' she Ist waited. An', sir! purty soon Her folks they thought he's turned his eye Some other way — 'cause by-an'-by They heard he'd rented the old place He worked on. An' one afternoon A neighber, that had bust' a trace, T He tell' the old man they wuz signs Around the old place that the young Man wuz a-fixin' up the old Log cabin some, an' he had brung New furnichur from town; an' told How th' old house 'uz whitewashed clean An' sweet — wiv morning-glory vines An' hollyhawks all 'round the door An' winders — an' a bran'-new floor In th' old porch — an' wite-new green An'-red pump in the old sweep-well! An', Uncle said, when he hear tell O' all them things, the old man he 1st grin' an' says, he "reckon' now Some gal, er widder anyhow, That silly boy he's coaxed at last To marry him!" he says, says-ee, "An' ef he has, 'so mote it be'!" •' S*%s I !U\ I • i m T \k ■ ,,, Then went back to the house to tell His wife the news, as he went past The smokehouse, an' then went on in The kitchen, where his daughter she Wuz washin', to tell her, an' grin An' try to worry her a spell! The mean old thing! But Uncle said She ain't cry much — ist pull her old Sunbonnet forrerds on her head — So's old man he can't see her face At all! An' when he s'pose he scold An' jaw enough, he ist clear' out An' think he's boss of all the place! Then Uncle say, the first you know They's go' to be a Circus-show In town; an' old man think he'll take His wife an' go. An' when she say To take their daughter, too, she shake Her head like she don't want to go; An' when he sees she wants to stay, The old man takes her, anyway! An' so she went! But Uncle he Said she looked mighty sweet that day, Though she wuz pale as she could be, A-speshully a-drivin' by Wife where her beau lived at, you know; But out the corner of his eye The old man watch' her; but she throw Her pairsol 'round so she can't see The house at all! An' then she hear Her Pa an' Ma a-talkin' low An' kindo' laughin'-like; but she 1st set there in the seat behind, P'tendin' like she didn't mind. T An' when he sees she wants to stay, The old man takes her, anyway! *.. An', Uncle say, when they got past The young man's place, an' 'pearantly He wuzn't home, but off an' gone To town, the old man turned at last An' talked back to his daughter there, All pleasant-like, from then clean on Till they got into town, an' where The Circus wuz, an' on inside O' that, an' through the crowd, on to The very top seat in the tent Wite next the band — a-bangin' through A tune 'at bust his yeers in two! An' there the old man scrouged an' tried To make his wife set down, an' she A-yellin'! But ist what she meant He couldn't hear, ner couldn't see Till she turned 'round an' pinted. Then He turned an' looked — an' looked again! . aWliWwlWs^ «- c_c^ .iin Then He turned an' looked— an' looked again! r He ist saw neighbers ever'where — But, sir, his daughter wuzn't there! An', Uncle says, he even saw Her beau, you know, he hated so; An' he wuz with some other girl. An' then he heard the Clown "Haw-haw!" An' saw the horses wheel an' whirl Around the ring, an' heard the zipp O' the Ringmaster's long slim whip — But that whole Circus, Uncle said, Wuz all inside the old man's head! An' Uncle said, he didn't find His daughter all that afternoon — An' her Ma says she'll lose her mind Ef they don't find her purty soon! r J But, though they looked all day, an' stayed There fer the night p'formance — not No use at all! — they never laid Their eyes on her. An' then they got Their team out, an' the old man shook His fist at all the town, an' then Shook it up at the moon ag'in, An' said his time 'ud come, some day! An' jerked the lines an' driv away. Uncle, he said, he 'spect, that night, The old man's madder yet when they Drive past the young man's place, an' hear A fiddle there, an' see a light Inside, an' shadders light an' gay A-dancin' 'crosst the winder-blinds. An' some young chaps outside yelled, "Say! What 'pears to be the hurry — hey?" But the old man ist whipped the lines An' streaked past like a runaway! - \S .-. ■ - I - .4 .An' some young chaps outside yelled, "Say! What 'pe&rs to be the hurry — hey?" r J » *■ 11 An' now you'll be su'prised, I bet! — I hardly ain't quit laughin' yet When Uncle say, that jamboree An' dance an' all — w'y, that's a sign That any old man ort to see, As plain as 8 and i makes 9, That they's a weddiri wite inside That very house he's whippin' so To git apast! — An', sir! the bride There's his own daughter! Yes, an' oh! She's my Ma now — an' young man she Got married, he's my Pa! Whoop-ee! But Uncle say to not laugh all The laughin' yet, but please save some To kindo' spice up what's to come! j"*Yn. ^ifrl ["hmHai Du =fcV ifn I {. Then Uncle say, about next day The neighbers they begin to call An' wish 'em well, an' say how glad An' proud an' tickled ever' way Their friends all is — an' how they had The lovin' prayers of ever' one That had homes of their own! But none Said nothin' 'bout the home that she Had run away from! So she sighed Sometimes — an' wunst she purt'-nigh cried. Well, Uncle say, her old Pa, he 1st like to died, he wuz so mad! An' her Ma, too! But by-an'-by They cool down some. An', 'bout a week, She want to see her Ma so bad, She think she'll haf to go! An' so She coax him; an' he kiss her cheek An' say, Lord bless her, course they'll go! T f <: 4 An', Uncle say, when they're bofe come A-knockin' there at her old home — W'y, first he know, the door it flew Open, all quick, an' she's jerked in, An', quicker still, the door's banged to An' locked: an' crosst the winder-sill The old man pokes a shotgun through An' says to git! "You stold my child," He says: "An', now she's back, w'y, you Clear out, this minute, er I'll kill You! Yes, an' I 'ull kill her, too, Ef you don't go!" An' then, all wild, His young wife begs him please to gol An' so he turn' an' walk' — all slow An' pale as death, but awful still An' ca'm — back to the gate, an' on Into the road, where he had gone So many times alone, you know! rV^MlHi^H^ r 1 r-- An', Uncle say, a whipperwill Holler so lonesome, as he go On back to'rds home, he say he 'spec' He ist 'ud like to wring its neck! An' I ain't think he's goin' back All by hisse'f — but Uncle say That's what he does, an' it's a fac'! An' 'pears-like he's gone back to stay — 'Cause there he stick', ist thataway, An' don't go nowheres any more, Ner don't nobody ever see Him set his foot outside the door — Till 'bout five days, a boy loped down The road, a-comin' past from town, T * ABB V .;. l8} ^>uk 1 ^ - : |l C iflSi '.*» V 1^ An' he called to him from the gate, An' sent the old man word: He's thought Things over now; an', while he hate To lose his wife, he think she ought To mind her Pa an' Ma an' do Whatever they advise her to. An' sends word, too, to come an' git Her new things an' the furnichur That he had special' bought fer her — 'Cause, now that they wuz goin' to quit, She's free to ist have all of it; — • So, fer his love fer her, he say To come an' git it, wite away. ; &J: I '■? *.Y. I'tll & -i t *-' r '•A 1 I Shet on her, an' she hears the click Of a' old rusty padlock ! fflpWP \, r J An' there she stayed! An' she can cry 1st all she want! an' yell an' kick To ist her heart's content! an' try To pry out wiv a quiltin'-stick! But Uncle say he guess at last She 'bout give up, an' holler' through The door-crack fer to please to be So kind an' good as send an' tell The old man, like she want him to, To come, 'fore night, an' set her free, Er — they wuz rats down there! An' yell She did, till, Uncle say, it soured The morning's milk in the back yard I But all the answer reached her, where She's skeerd so in the dark down there, Wuz ist a mutterin' that she heard, — "I've sent him word! — I've sent him word!' An' shore enough, as Uncle say, He has "sent word!" vASVi.-, . — !Jo* SWM.'lin; r, !« r J Well, it's plum night An' all the house is shet up tight — Only one winder 'bout half-way Raised up, you know; an' ain't no light Inside the whole house, Uncle say. Then, first you know, there where the team Stands hitched yet, there the old man stands — A' old tin lantern in his hands An' monkey-wrench; an' he don't seem To make things out, a-standin' there. He comes on to the gate an' feels An' fumbles fer the latch — then hears A voice that chills him to the heels — "You halt! an' stand right where you air!" Then, sir! my — my — his son-in-law, There at the winder wiv his gun, He tell the old man what he's done: nilifltfjtviJOi^s a "You hold my wife a prisoner — An' your wife, drat ye! I've got her! An' now, sir," Uncle say he say, "You ist turn round an' climb wite in That wagon, an' drive home ag'in An' bring my wife back wite away, An' we'll trade then — an' not before Will I unlock my cellar-door — Not fer your wife's sake ner your own, But my wife's sake — an' hers alone!" An', Uncle say, it don't sound like It's so, but yet it is! — He say, From wite then, somepin' seem' to strike The old man's funny-bone some way; An', minute more, that team o' his Went tearin' down the road k'whiz! An' in the same two-forty style Come whizzin' back! An' oh, that-air Sweet girl a-cryin' all the while, Thinkin' about her Ma there, shet In her own daughter's cellar, where — 1st week or so she's kep' house there — She hadn't time to clean it yet! So when her Pa an' her they git There — an' the young man grab' an' kiss An' hug her, till she make him quit An' ask him where her mother is. An' then he smile' an' try to not; Then slow-like find th' old padlock key, An' blow a' oat-hull out of it, An' then stoop down there where he's got Her Ma locked up so keerfully — An' where, wite there, he say he thought It ort to been the old man — though Uncle, he say, he reckon not — K V \ £ -4 ■fa When out she bounced, all tickled so To taste fresh air ag'in an' find Her folks wunst more, an' grab' her child An' cry an' laugh, an' even go An' hug the old man; an' he wind Her in his arms, an' laugh, an' pat Her back, an' say he's riconciled, In such a happy scene as that, To swop his daughter for her Ma, An' have so smart a son-in-law As they had! "Yes, an' he's my Pa!" I laugh' an' yell', "Hooray-hooraw!" wio 9.Q •A V '«• W #H". %-/-*^& X A&J >*.^->o AigfcV 6»*.i^i'*«o >*..^fe.% . . < ,*\.< % .V 1 • • . 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