Ther Ol’ Fr’en’s

I wanter see ther ol’ fr’en’s,

     An’ hear ther ol’ fr’ens talk;

Whose hearts are warm an’ lovin’,

     Whose souls are white es chalk.

I wanter see th’r ol’ fr’en’s,

     An’ shake ‘em by th’ han’,

En talk ergen ‘ith Tom an’ Ben

     ‘Bout things we unnerestan’.

I wanter see th’r ol’ fr’en’s,

     An’ hear ‘em laff ergen;

Ther ol’ laff, loud an’ hearty,

     ‘Ithout th’r leas’ perten’.

 I wanter be ermoungst ‘em

     A little while ter stay;

An’ here erbout th’r doins

     Sence I ‘ev b’en away.

Th’r new fr’en’s, thank God for ‘em,

     Er good es ‘ey kin be;

But ter-night I want th’r ol’ fr’en’s

     Ter laff an’ tlk ‘ith me.

Ter-noght I feel ol’ fashuned,

     An’ want th’r ol’ fr’en’s aroun’;

I wanter hear th’r voices

     An’ linger on th’r soun’.

Th’r ol’ fr’en’s are th’r bes’ fr’en’s,

     Th’r trusty, tried an’ true;

Th’r ones et stood all through chil’hood

     An’ see a fellow through.

Ah yes, I want th’r ol’ fr’en’s

     Ter cheer me up ter-night;

Th’r sight uv all th’r faces

     ‘Nd fetch all thing aright.

March 31, ‘92

Conn. Valley Ad.

Apr. 23, ‘92