‘Twas a Funny Little Fellow Of the very purest type, For he had a heart as mellow As an apple over ripe; And the brightest little twinkle

I find an old deserted nest, Half-hidden in the underbrush: A withered leaf, in phantom jest, Has nestled in it like a thrush With weary, palpitating breast.

W’y, one time wuz a little-weenty… An’ she wuz named Red Riding Hoo… Her _Ma_ she maked a little red c… 'At turnt up over her head—An’ it… Ist one piece o’ red cardinal ‘at…

Sometimes I think 'at Parents doe… Things ist about as bad as _us_— Wite 'fore our vurry eyes, at that… Fer one time Pa he scold’ my Ma 'Cause he can’t find his hat;

The greeting of the company throug… Was like a jubilee,—the children’s… And fusillading hand-claps, with g… And detonations of the older ones, Raged to such tumult of tempestuou…

Oh luxury! Beyond the heat And dust of town, with dangling fe… Astride the rock below the dam, In the cool shadows where the calm Rests on the stream again, and all

A barefoot boy! I mark him at his… For May is here once more, and so… His dusty trousers, rolled half to… And his bare ankles grimy, too, as… Cross-hatchings of the nettle, in…

The winds have talked with him con… The trees have whispered to him; a… Hath held him gently as a mother m… And taught him all sad tones of me… The mountains have bowed to him; a…

Awf’lest boy in this-here town Er anywheres is Elmer Brown! He’ll mock you—yes, an’ strangers,… An’ make a face an’ yell at you,— '_Here’s_ the way _you_ look!'

Such a dear little street it is, n… From the noise of the city and hea… In cool shady coverts of whisperin… With their leaves lifted up to sha… Which in all its wide wanderings n…

Wunst, 'way West in Illinoise, Wuz two Bears an’ their two boys: An’ the two boys’ names, you know, Wuz—like _ours_ is,—Jim an’ Jo; An’ their _parunts’_ names wuz sam…

Donn Piatt—of Mac-o-chee,— Not the one of History, Who, with flaming tongue and pen, Scathes the vanities of men; Not the one whose biting wit

Ah, friend of mine, how goes it, Since you’ve taken you a mate?— Your smile, though, plainly shows… Is a very happy state! Dan Cupid’s necromancy!

'Twas the height of the fete when… And quietly stole to the terrace a… Where, pale as the lovers that eve… The moon it … The sight of the stars and the moo…

There is a princess in the South About whose beauty rumors hum Like honey-bees about the mouth Of roses dewdrops falter from; And O her hair is like the fine