A Sure ‘Nough Santa Claus

I seen ol’ Santy Claus las’ night,

     An’, gosh! Warn’t I a-skeered;

I jes’ pulled in my head an’ lay

     There nervous-like an’ feared

Tur death, an’ warn’t it dark an’ still,

     My sakes I dassent wink;

Wuz ‘fraid I’d sneeze, an’ helt my breath,

     An' did durst ter wink.

‘Nen by an’ by it growed so clost.

     I thought I’d kin’er peek

An’ see what he wuz doin’, tho’

     I’d died ef he should speak.

An’ jes’ ez I wuz gonter look

     He stubbed ag’inst a chair;

An' ‘en I knowed I wuz a dunce,

     ‘Cuz father cus’t an’ swear’.

Nov. 26, 1896

Pub. in N.Y. Sunday Herald,

    Dec. 20, ‘96