"
Did I break that charm?--oh, well,
There's some things I mustn't tell.
I remember, afterwhile,
Her a-sayin' with a smile:
"Oh, you quit,--you sassy dunce,
You jest caught me whistlin' once."
FOOTNOTE:
[64] By permission of Dodd, Mead & Co.
CANDLE-LIGHTIN' TIME[65]
PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR
When I come in f'om de co'n-fiel' aftah wukin' ha'd all day,
It's amazin' nice to fin' my suppah all erpon de way;
An' it's nice to smell de coffee bubblin' ovah in de pot,
An' it's fine to see de meat a-sizzlin' teasin'-lak an' hot.
But when suppah time is ovah an' de things is cl'ared away,
Den de happy hours dat foller are de sweetes' ob de day.
When my co'n-cob pipe is sta'ted, an' de smoke is drawin' prime,
My ole 'ooman says, "I reckon, Ike, it's candle-lightin' time."
Den de chillun snuggle up to me and all commence to call,
"Oh, say, daddy, now it's time to make de shadders on de wall."
So I puts my han's togethah--evah daddy knows de way--
An' de chillun snuggle closer roun' es I begin to say,
"Fus thing, hyeah come mistah Rabbit, don' you see him wuk his
eahs?
Huh uh! dis mus' be a donky; look how innercent he 'pears!
Dah's de ole black swan a-swimmin', ain't she got a' awfu' neck?
Who's dis feller dat's a-comin'? why, dat's ole dog Tray I 'spec!"
Dat's de way I run on, tryin' fer to please 'em all I can;
Den I hollahs, "Now be keerful, dis hyeah las' 's de buga-man!"
An' dey runs an' hides dey faces; dey ain't skeered--dey's lettin'
on,
But de play ain't raaly ovah twell dat buga-man is gone.
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