PS 3545 .A8 S75 1907 i.*ui;,i*''., ■.m\i:\ ^ '::' 1' !';, ■:./i;ii: i^': i^.ii):' LIBRARY OF CONGRESS D0DDEfiH4a3 lllliiii Y"^&^ Il{%^ ■•^' • VpVJ :m|...i s'; . ': .^^^'V. •^v.-^^^ '-^o' ^^ Or. -Ao^ 1^ . t • v,.** -i^W/ii^ **..** /^ife\ v..'** -'A^id-. %A a SONNETS OF ^ BUDDING BARD i BOOKS BY NIXON WATERMAN V A BOOK. OK VERSES IN MERRY MOOD BOY WANTED FORBES & COMPANY CHICAGO Sometimes I get to wishin I might be A little lamb lil^e Mary's, fond and true, With Susan Sanderson as Mary, see ? We 'd play amidst the clover sweet with dew. And everywhere that she wast there 'd be me. And if she wasn 't, I 'dst be elsewhere, too. SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD BY NIXON WATERMAN WITH DRAWINGS BY JOHN A. WILLIAMS CHICAGO rORBES & COMPANY 1907 LlBRAilY of CONGRESS Two Ceoy R^Rived NOV 13 1907 Copyrl^nt Entry OUSS A KXc. No, I COPY B. fa II I ■' I ■! M il r i^d? Copyright, igoy, by The Century Co. Copyright, tgoy, by Forbes and Company Primed by COLONIAL PRESS: C. H. Simonds &• Co., Boston, U. S. A. CONTENTS SONNET PAGE I. Lines Wrote in School Whilst I Shouldst Have Been Studyin' My Lesson . . . . . . . . 1 1 IL Thoughts Thought Whilst Thinkin' about Mary and Her Pet Lamb , . . . . . . • ^3 in. Lines Wrote Whilst Thinkin' about How Pa Acts When Dressin' Up . . . . . . . ■ ' 5 IV. Lines Wrote Whilst Realizin' We Oughtst to Be Kind to Dumb Brutes . . . , . . . • 1 7 V. Sonnet Wrote Whilst Thinkin' of Our Parents in the Garden of Eden , . . . . . • ^9 VI. Lines Wrote Whilst Smartin' from Punishment Received for Lyin' . . . . , . , . .21 VII. Thoughts Thought about Ma's Notions Regardin' Love and House-keepin' . . . . . . . -23 VIII. Thoughts Thought Whilst Thinkin' of Peary on a Hot Sum- mer Day , . . . . . . -25 IX. Thoughts Thought Whilst Thinkin' of a Thanksgivin' Day Turkey . . . . . . . . • 27 X, Sonnet Wrote Whilst Thinkin* of My Sister Maymie's Homely Beau ........ 29 CONTENTS SONNET PAGE XI. Lines Wrote Whilst Recovering from an Accident Caused by a Hornet . . , . . . . • 3 • XII. Lines Wrote on a Summer Dav Whilst Thinkin' of a Soda Fountain . . . . . . . . -33 XIII. Lines Wrote After Bein' Scolded for Not Doin' as Chil- dren Used To . . . . . . . -35 XIV. Lines Wrote On Readin' How Cleopatra Made Men Act Very Foolish . . . . . . . -37 XV. Sonnet Wrote Whilst Thinkin' What I Wouldst Do with Carnegie's Gold . . . . . . -39 XVI. Some Thoughts Thought Whilst Havin' to Bathe in a Bath-tub . . . . . . . -41 XVII. Lines Wrote in School Whilst Throwin' Glances at Susan Sanderson ........ 43 XVIII. Thoughts Thought Whilst Mowin' the Lawn on a Satur- day Afternoon ........ 45 XIX. Sonnet Wrote on the Fly-leaf of My Grammar Durin' School Hours ........ 47 XX. Thoughts Thought on Hearin' Folks Find Fault with the Weather ......... 49 XXI. Lines Wrote After Seein' Shakespeare's Hamlet from an Upper Gallery . . . . . . • 5 ^ XXII. Sonnet Wrote Whilst Retrospectively Contemplatin' My First Cigar 53 XXIII. Sonnet Wrote Whilst Thinkin' About a Vacation Spent on a Farm 55 XXIV. Lines Composed After Seein' a Book Full of Byron's Love Letters . . . . . . . . -57 XXV. Sonnet Wrote After Hearin' a Youth Oratin' about "Casa- blanca" ......... 59 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD <4^ 4 ^^ LINES WROTE IN SCHOOL WHILST I SHOULDST HAVE BEEN STUDYIN' MY LESSON I 'VE just about madest up my mind to be A poet such as Shakespeare and the rest Of them big literary gents, and dressed In velvet clothes, write up the things I see In some grand style to show that Browning he Hast been done up! And when plain folks request II SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD My autograph, then, throwin' out my chest, I 'list make them wish that they wast great like me! I 'm tired dwellin' midst surroundin's where Cheap things art always waitin' to be done: I 'dst rather loaf and dream and have long hair Like all great poets dost: and, oh! what fun, To dash off lays and sell them, then and there, Whenever I 'list be needin' any " mon." 12 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD THOUGHTS THOUGHT WHILST THINKIN' ABOUT MARY AND HER PET LAMB Full oft I 've read how Mary's lamb didst go Where'er his kind and lovin' mistress went, As if the little creature wast content If it couldst only be where she wast. Oh, I realize what madest it hanker so To be in school thr.t day: it surely meant 13 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD It loved her! Yet, that mean old teacher bent On bossin' things — he didst not seem to know. Sometimes I get to wishin' I might be A little lamb like Mary's, fond and true, With Susan Sanderson as Mary, see? We 'd play amidst the clover sweet with dew, And everywhere that she wast there 'd be me. And if she wasn't, I 'dst be elsewhere, too. 14 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD LINES WROTE WHILST THINKIN' ABOUT HOW PA ACTS WHEN DRESSIN' UP Whilst pa and ma art dressin' up to go To church or somewhere^ so I 've heard ma tell The neighbor women, pa tears 'round pell-mell And turns things upside down, and wants to know Who hid his clothes! and makes ma stop and show Him where to find them. Ma she know'st full well 15 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD They 're where he 's kept them since he earnest to dwell In our house: that 's been twenty years or so. And when ma 's donest her level best to try To help pa so he wilt not fuss and fret, And found his clothes, shoes, collar, cuffs and tie. And there ain't nothin' more for her to get, Pa looks at her and with an awful sigh Says: " Thunderation! Ain't you ready yet?" i6 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD <^w) LINES WROTE WHILST REALIZIN' WE OUGHTST TO BE KIND TO DUMB BRUTES Wise William Goat, familiarly addressed As " Billy! " Thou art an amusin' brute, For thou hast some traits that are truly cute And others, still, so it must be confessed. That I hast learned in sorrow to detest. 'Tis fun to see thee, in thy manner mute, 17 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD When boys dost tease thee, give some one a " beaut, Yet, he who 's " it '' deems thee a sorry jest. Yestreen I met some other boys, and we. At thy expense, wert havin' much delight Till thou got'st 'round to where I didst not see That thou wast headed my way. Sorry plight! That's why I write this standin' — woe is me! — And slept'st upon my bosom all last night. ^u SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD SONNET WROTE WHILST THINKIN' OF OUR PARENTS IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN O Adam and O Eve! How very nice It must have been to live where you wast at. No neighbors anywhere with whom to spat, Nor any one to give you free advice. Ma says she M gladly pay 'most any price For such a lay-out. And she 's certain that 19 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD Because there wert no servants in your flat Is how you earnest to call it " Paradise." And pa says that if Eve hadst dressed the way Our women do we shouldst have missed the fate Of goin' forth into the world to stray, For she 'd be somewhere, still, inside the gate Delayin' things, as women dost to-day, A-tryin' for to pin her hat on straight. 20 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD m m LINES WROTE WHILST SMARTIN' FROM PUN- ISHMENT RECEIVED FOR LYIN' O Washington! (O Reader, hast thou not In readin' high-toned poems wrote for show, Observed how many of them start with " O? " Well, anyhow, there is an awful lot.) The noble deeds thou wrought'st are not forgot But serve to make thy name, where'er we go, 21 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD A household word. If all they say is so Thou didst some mighty clever stunts. That's what And yet, thy fame belongest to thy dad; Thou shinest by reflected light, forsooth, For thou 'rt the only boy that ever had A pa who, when his son dared tell the truth About some kiddish prank didst not get mad And lamm him! O thou heaven-protected youth! 22 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD THOUGHTS THOUGHT ABOUT MA'S NOTIONS REGARDIN' LOVE AND HOUSE - KEEPIN' When sister Maymie saidst she 'd like to learn To sweep the keys of a piano-forte, Ma she spoke up and cut her right ofif short And saidst she 'd rather that a girl of her 'n Shouldst know just how to sweep a room, nor spurn A poor but honest man, for that 's the sort 23 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD Pa wast. And ma insists no woman ort To spend more money than a man canst earn. A kid-gloved dandy with a stove-pipe hat Wed ma's proud cousin. Say, but he wast sly! " Our home shalt be next thing to Heaven! " That Wast what he vowed. Ma says that that 's no lie For they art packed into a stingy flat Four stairways up, and plumb against the sky! 24 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD THOUGHTS THOUGHT WHILST THINKIN' OF PEARY ON A HOT SUMMER DAY O Peary! With the scorchin' summer here And everybody payin' double price For little weeny, teeny bits of ice, It dost no longer seem so very queer That thou shouldst have the bravery to steer Thy ship up North where it is cool and nice. 25 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD I '11 bet you smile whilst thinkin' thou hast twice The fun we 're havin' at this time of year. And, say! old boy, since thou dost understand The pole is an imaginary spot, Why not " imagine " thou hast found it and Of time and trouble save an awful lot? Couldst others track thee to that frozen land And prove thou didst not find it? I guess not! 26 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD THOUGHTS THOUGHT WHILST THINKIN' OF A THANKSGIVIN' DAY TURKEY O Eagle! emblem of my country, thou, Who art the boss of every other bird, My muse, to find the highfalutin word With which to name thee, dost not know just how. Yet 'tis not thee who hast, I must allow, My patriotic breast the deepest stirred, 27 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD And they who planned our country's banner erred; In makin' thee the sign to which we bow. For whilst, O Eagle, thou dost dare to climb The highest mountain peak and greet the sun, It is the turkey that dost nearest rhyme With all the lofty thrills that through us run; He beats thee to a standstill every time, For, stuffed and roasted — say! he takes the bun! 28 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD SONNET WROTE WHILST THINKIN' OF MY SISTER MAYMIE'S HOMELY BEAU O Love! 'Tis saidst that thou art blind. Alas! I didst not think that it wast truly so Until I saw my sister Maymie's beau Who's awful stingy and as green as grass! How love canst make such guys as he is pass For something beautiful, I dost not know. 29 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD Hadst I my way, you bet! he 'd stand no show Of settin' in our parlor wastin' gas. He steals things, too! Last night whilst in a nook Of our dark hall I heardst him say: " Alack! I must steal one! " This morn I went'st to look And found'st all our umbrellas in the rack, And so I guess whatever 'twast he took, My sister Maymie madest him give it back. 30 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD LINES WROTE WHILST RECOVERIN' FROM AN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY A HORNET O Hornet! When I think'st what thou canst do To make strong men just hump themselves and run, Men who wouldst boldly face a ten-inch gun But lack the " sand " to halt whilst you pursue, And deem'st thy stinger something they wouldst rue, I 've wondered if, when things that weigh a ton 31 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD Flee from thy wrath, thou dost not deem it fun To chase folks that are so much bigger 'n you. Didst I accordin' to my size possess The means for gettin' even thou dost own, 'Twouldst be great sport to tackle — well, 1 guess 1- A boy 'most any size, and hear him moan As I didst when thou gavest me that caress From something hotter than the torrid zone! ^^^ 32 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD ■'} m II' w ii LINES WROTE ON A SUMMER DAY WHILST THINKIN' OF A SODA-FOUNTAIN When I 'm a man I shalt not care to be The President of these United States: I 'dst rather be the drug-store clerk who waits On people at the soda-fountain. He Hast lots more first-class fun, it seems to me, For whilst the public dost not get rebates 33 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD On soda, he canst get it at cut rates, And lots of times, I '11 bet, he gets it free! Of course, I know it must be pretty fine To hear the brass bands and the big bass drums Come marchin' by the White House all in line And playin': "See, the Conquerin' Hero Comes!" And, yet, no presidential job in mine: The soda clerk's the one that gets the plums! 34 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD LINES WROTE AFTER BEIN' SCOLDED FOR NOT DOIN' AS CHILDREN USED TO I YEARN'ST to live to be ten times as old As wast Mathusalem, the patriarch: Then when some older person durst remark: "When I wast young the children were n't so bold And always loved to do as they wert told, And went to bed soon after it wast dark; " 35 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD I 'list say to him: My errin' friend, now hark To one who wilt no longer hear thee scold : I knew thy great-great-great-grand-parents when They wert sly youngsters vexin' their poor nurse, And children now art good as they wert then! They always have been stubborn, mean, perverse, And always wilt be, since, alas! like men. They're just as heaven makes them — only worse ^ &^ it \ SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD LINES WROTE ON READIN' HOW CLEOPATRA MADE MEN ACT VERY FOOLISH To-DAY I readst in an old history book How Cleopatra used to make men do Just any fool thing that she wanted to By givin' them a " lovey-dovey " look. Time wast, long, long ago, when I 'dst have shook My head and saidst the story wast not true, 37 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD But that, alas! that wast before I knew Miss Susan S. who hast my fancy took. To-day I hadst an apple I 'dst have not Let any boy in school taste, but when she Asked couldst she have a bite and took a lot, I didst not mind at all, for, oh, to me, Where she hadst bit hadst somehow made the spot Taste awful sweet! Thus dost love rule us. See? 38 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD SONNET WROTE WHILST THINKIN' WHAT I WOULDST DO WITH CARNEGIE'S GOLD O Great Carnegie! With thy wealth, oh, my! I dost not know exactly what I 'd do, But seem'st to me I 'd have more fun than you Art havin' with it. Anyhow, if I Hadst money, as they say, " to burn," I 'd try To burn it here, for, oh! 'twouldst make me blue 39 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD To think I 'd have to smell it burnin' through The endless eons of the by and by! And you can bet if I hadst gold in bins As thou hast got, in quantities so vast Thou canst not spend it, I 'd buy diamond pins And soda water to the very last! And I 'd be sorry that I wast not twins So I couldst spend my fortune twice as fast. 40 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD SOME THOUGHTS THOUGHT WHILST HAVIN* I TO BATHE IN A BATH-TUB I don't like bathin' in a bath-tub. Say! It 's no more like a good old swimmin'-hole Where you can dive right in and splash and roll Or anything you please, than work 's like play! Some afternoon of a hot summer day When thou from school and poky things hast stole, 41 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD Oh, ain't it good for heart and brain and soul To plunge right in and swim your own sweet way? I pity folks who bathe where they must wear A bathin'-suit! I wouldst have none in mine. Give me a good old shady corner where Nobody 's lookin'. That 's what I call " fine! " And when I bathe in this sawed-oflf affair, The swimmin'-hole 's the thing for which I pine. •-.>r/. :«>«,#;» i/ 42 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD LINES WROTE IN SCHOOL WHILST THROWIN' GLANCES AT SUSAN SANDERSON " Oh, what is love? " the poet asks. I guess I 'dst better tell him. When a girl's cheeks seem As fascinatin' to you as ice-cream, And though snub-nosed and freckled, more or less, She 's still the phantom of pure loveliness That ever and anon athwart your dream 43 \ SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD Comes stealin', whilst you scheme and scheme ar scheme To be where she is, thou 'rt in love! Oh, yes! When you keep thinkin' how you 'dst squeeze hi hand If sometime thou couldst be her little glove, And if thou feelst that thou wouldst like to stand. With only just the frosty stars above. In some big snowdrift 'neath her window and Stay there forever, then thou art in love! 44 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD THOUGHTS THOUGHT WHILST MOWIN' THE LAWN ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON Circus Day! So very brief art thou, From early morn when first doth rise the tent Till midnight comes and all the show hath went; Thou 'rt like a swiftly passin' dream. Oh, how 1 wish the laggin' tasks that wet the brow With per-spi-ra-tion (sweat is what I meant) 45 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD Would haste as thou dost haste. How different This world wouldst be from what we find it now! Or 'twouldst be better still if time wouldst pass, Whilst laughin' at the antics of the clown, As slow as run'st the sands within the glass Whilst I, 'neath sun that almost melts me down, Must mow the lawn. O Fate, why must, alas! Thy smile be so much shorter than thy frown? 46 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD SONNET WROTE ON THE FLY-LEAF OF MY GRAMMAR DURIN' SCHOOL HOURS Education! Maybe thou art all Our teachers tell us, but just let me say That if my folks wouldst let me have my way, From early Spring till frost comes in the Fall 1 'dst be outdoors, you bet! a-playin' ball Or otherwise enjoyin' each fine day. 47 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD It seem'st a shame for boys to have to stay Like culprits shut in by a prison wall! I guess if you get rich folks wilt not care If you don'tst know your grammar to a T, For baby boys, you 'list find 'most everywhere, Art named for uncles who hast money, see? Though they hain'tst got no learnin' they canst spare Nor never spell their 'taters with a p. I 48 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD THOUGHTS THOUGHT ON HEARIN' FOLKS FIND FAULT WITH THE WEATHER I LOVE cold winter weather with the snow A-driftin' on the walks I hast to clear, And frost a-bitin' nose and cheek and ear, With the thermometer "away below." I also love the summer when it 's so Red-hot that clothes next to you all " adhere " 49 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD And everybody 's frantic, pretty near, And sayin' things that hot folks dost, you know? I love both seasons, but I wish I could Enjoy them whilst they 're with us, for, you see, It 's winter when the summer seem'st so good. And summer when the winter pleases me. But, somehow, I have never understood Why either of them whilst it 's here 's " n. g." 50 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD LINES WROTE AFTER SEEIN' SHAKESPEARE'S HAMLET FROM AN UPPER GALLERY O Shakespeare! Thou whom'st all the world dost think Hast written some good things, I, too, wouldst pay My best respects to thee; yet, wouldst I say That whilst I like thee yet I dost not shrink From tellin' thee that thou art on the " blink" 51 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD And very sadly out of date to-day. Still, if thou 'It follow my advice thou may Still count as one of us, and get more " chink." Your plays ain't any good the way they stand: Thou ought'st to tone them up with something nice Some coon-songs, fire-engines, blood-hounds and A swingin' bridge and chunks of floatin' ice Wouldst make your old plays draw to beat the band, And folks wouldst crowd your show at any price! 52 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD SONNET WROTE WHILST RETROSPECTIVELY CONTEMPLATIN' MY FIRST CIGAR Oh, woe is me! and other things like that! Yestreen I soughtst to smoke my first cigar: It gav'st my system a tremendous jar! I didst not have the gumption of a gnat. All night I couldst not tell where I wast at. I wish I knew just what those cheap smokes are; 53 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD It seem'st to me they 're made of glue and tar. Ah, me! I 'm weaker than a half-starved cat. Oh, let them smoke henceforth, say'st I, who will, For who am I that I shouldst dare condemn Their vile tobacco? I have hadst my fill: Let others have it; I sha'n'tst envy them. For I 'list not never smoke no more until I'm ten times older than Mathusalem! 54 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD SONNET WROTE WHILST THINKIN' ABOUT A VACATION SPENT ON A FARM Farmer, independentest of all Mankind art thou! I know, because, last year I spent my whole vacation, pretty near. On Uncle Eben's farm, and though I 'm small, 1 hoed the corn and beans, and helped him haul And stack his hay. I 'dst work until I 'dst fear 55 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BARD I 'dst just drop down and end my sad career Before they 'dst give the welcome dinner call. My uncle dost not weigh his words with care, For once he told me that I wast a shirk; But I wouldst rather breathe the country air Than be a shut-in office-boy or clerk; For I found out whilst visitin' out there That I like farming but I hate farm work. 56 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD LINES COMPOSED AFTER SEEIN* A BOOK FULL OF BYRON'S LOVE LETTERS One reason why I 'm 'most afraid to get So famous like we poets always do, Is that they '11 print my spoony letters, too, As is the way with all of us who let Our fancies caper. Hadst I thought whilst yet Unknown, I 'dst be a poet, quite a few 57 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD Endearin' words with which I soughtst to woo ' More girls than one I 'dst not have wrote, you bet! If Susan Sanderson shouldst find I sent The valentine I saidst I wrote for her To Jane Jones, too, the thirty cents I 've spent For soda water's wasted, I 'dst infer: Why must we poets do things we '11 repent? And oh! why thus didst me and Byron err? 58 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD SONNET WROTE AFTER HEARIN' A YOUTH ORATIN' ABOUT "CASABIANCA" O Boy, that stood'st upon the burnin' deck And gotst thyself in our school readers and The " Whoop-'er-up " school speakers of our land Because thou wouldst not leave that sinkin' wreck, Oh, don'tst thou think if thou hadst saved thy neck And wisely cut and run to beat the band, 59 SONNETS OF A BUDDING BABD Thou couldst have later done things still more grand? Alas! too soon didst death thy valor check! Oh, didst thou stay because thou couldst not swim? Or wast it fame for which thy heart didst yearn? Of course thou gotst a name time canst not dim, But seemst to me that all I canst discern In thy foolhardy, stickin'-to-it whim Is that thou deemed the world hadst boys to burn. •^ — >jiC -j>4^^_fe-'JUM r 60 \119 ' <^^. "' y^ .. *^-^ '"" ^^ % •"• ^^^ ♦ . .0* .. ...««^.. f^^^^^* ^.^^.^^ ^^^ HwOec IS o •: ^i^l ''