102




THE OLD MAN AND JIM



OLD man never had much to say —
'Ceptin' to Jim —
And Jim was the wildest boy he had —

And the old man jes' wrapped up in him !
Never heerd him speak but once
Er twice in my life, — and first time was
When the army broke out, and Jim he went,
The old man backin' him, fer three months ;
And all 'at I heerd the old man say
Was, jes' as we turned to start away, —

"Well, good-by, Jim:

Take keer of yourse'f !"



THE OLD MAN AND JIM

'Peared-like, he was more satisfied

Jes' lookin at Jim
And likin' him all to hisse'f-like, see? —

'Cause he was jes' wrapped up in him!
And over and over I mind the day
The old man come and stood round in the way
While we was drillin', a-watchin' Jim —
And down at the deepo a-heerin' him say,

"Well, good-by, Jim :

Take keer of yourse'f !"

Never was nothin' about the farm

Disting'ished Jim ;
Neighbors all ust to wonder why

The old man 'peared wrapped up in him :
But when Cap. Biggler he writ back
'At Jim was the bravest boy we had
In the whole dern rigiment, white er black,
And his fightin' good as his farmin' bad —
'At he had led, with a bullet clean
Bored through his thigh, and carried the flag
Through the bloodiest battle you ever seen, —
The old man wound up a letter to him
'At Cap. read to us, 'at said : "Tell Jim

Good-by,

And take keer of hisse'f."

106



THE OLD MAN AND JIM



Jim come home jes' long enough

To take the whim
'At he'd like to go back in the calvery —

And the old man jes' wrapped up in him!
Jim 'lowed 'at he'd had sich luck afore,
Guessed he'd tackle her three years more.
