The Same Ol’ Row

Yeou know Jim? Once he runned away;

The ol’ man couldn’t make ‘im stay

Roun’ on th’ farm another day.

“They didn’ hev no trouble?” no;

But jes the same he hed ter go;

“He couldn’ hoe the same ol’ row.”

He said he wuzz’n uv the kin’

Ter keep dull farmin’ on his min’,

So let his hoen’ git behin’.

An’ w’en the ol’ man wanted him

Ter fix his fence or tree ter trim,

He’d fin’ him readin’, – “lazy Jim”.

He’d allus hed high strung idees,

Thet towered high above the trees,

An’ said he’d dew jes ez he please,

Thet is, w’en he got twenty one;

“He’d show the ol’ man what his son

Could dew;” an’ inter town he spun.

Wall, now, he tramped an' tramped, an' few

Ast him p’int blank w’at he could dew;

An’ Jim said farmin’s all he knew.

‘N’en he got tired, an sorter sick,

An’ his appearunce wuzzen’t slick;

‘Sides, bunches in his thrut got thick.

An' w’en his las’ shinplaster went

Fer ticket back ter ware he spent

His boyish days, he grew content.

An’ w’en he says, “father, hullo!

I guess I’ll hoe the same ol’ row,”

Yeou’d orter heerd them fellers crow!

Nov. 23, ‘93

  Pub. in Boston

Courier, Apr. 1, ‘94