When Father Trimmed The Trees

We’ll ne’er forget the springtime day

     When father trimmed the trees;

How boldly did he mount the limbs

     And saw them off with ease.

The apple and the plums and peach,

     The cherry and the pear;

When father climbed to trim the trees

     He did it with an air

Of confidence and dignity –

     We all stood mutely by;

We dared not speak for there was fire

     In father’s eagle eye.

One limb was large and long and tough

     Pa sat him down to saw,

And sawed between him and the butt,

     And shut his iron jaw.

Ma hollered, but he paid no heed,

     He sawed and wouldn’t stop,

Till by and by the limb came down,

     And father fell on top.

He said it was an easy way

     To reach the ground when through –

O, yes, we recollect the day,

     And pa remembers, too.

c. May 8 - 15, 1904