They All Hev Gone Away

          

      They yewster be’er dozen boys,

      An gals! Just once ag in

Ez many, here in Gungawamp,

      The place I’m livin’ in.

But I’m the on’y feller lef’,

      An here I’m gonter stay;

The gals hev gone, the fellers tew,

      They all hev gone away.

The gals all married; wall I s’pose

      They really hain’t to blame;

The papers says that ev’rywheres

      They’re dewin’ much the same.

But when I look the village o’er,

      An course I do each day,

I say, “by Jo, it’s lonesome here,

      Since they hev gone away.”

Yew see, some got sech big idees

      The town it got tew small;

An some, they hadn’t roomer ‘nough,

      They got so mighty tall.

An so they cleared out, one by one,

      Each goin’ his own way;

An’ now it’s mighty lonesome like,

Since they hev gone away.

The ol’ folks roun’ the fireplace set

      On dreary winter nights;

An talk erbout th’r gals an boys,

      Who shine as noted lights.

An when they come in summer time,

      Tew fish an play croquet,

They pity me, an say, “Ah Jed,”

      Yew d’orter gone away.”

Me gone away! I guess not much,

      A leetle farm I own;

I’ve gotter horse, a cow an hens,

      An mother, aller ‘lone.

I’m satisfied jest where I am,

An here I’m gonter stay;

Altho – er course – it’s lonesome like,

      Sence they hev gone away.

     

Jan. 24, 1895

Pub. in the Boston Courier

March 3, 1895