Part 1 (2/2)
An' nen he laughed at 'Lizabuth Ann, An' I says ”'M go' to be a Raggedy Man!-- I'm ist go' to be a nice Raggedy Man!”
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!
CURLY LOCKS
[Ill.u.s.tration: Curly Locks--t.i.tle]
_Curly Locks! Curly Locks! wilt thou be mine?
Thou shalt not wash the dishes, nor yet feed the swine,-- But sit on a cus.h.i.+on and sew a fine seam, And feast upon strawberries, sugar and cream._
Curly Locks! Curly Locks! wilt thou be mine?
The throb of my heart is in every line, And the pulse of a pa.s.sion as airy and glad In its musical beat as the little Prince had!
[Ill.u.s.tration: Sit on a cus.h.i.+on and sew a fine seam]
Thou shalt not wash the dishes, nor yet feed the swine!-- O I'll dapple thy hands with these kisses of mine Till the pink of the nail of each finger shall be As a little pet blush in full blossom for me.
But sit on a cus.h.i.+on and sew a fine seam, And thou shalt have fabric as fair as a dream,-- The red of my veins, and the white of my love, And the gold of my joy for the braiding thereof.
And feast upon strawberries, sugar and cream From a service of silver, with jewels agleam,-- At thy feet will I bide, at thy beck will I rise, And twinkle my soul in the night of thine eyes!
_Curly Locks! Curly Locks! wilt thou be mine?
Thou shalt not wash the dishes, nor yet feed the swine.-- But sit on a cus.h.i.+on and sew a fine seam, And feast upon strawberries, sugar and cream._
THE FUNNY LITTLE FELLOW
[Ill.u.s.tration: The Funny Little Fellow--t.i.tle]
'Twas a Funny Little Fellow Of the very purest type, For he had a heart as mellow As an apple over-ripe; And the brightest little twinkle When a funny thing occurred, And the lightest little tinkle Of a laugh you ever heard!
His smile was like the glitter Of the sun in tropic lands, And his talk a sweeter twitter Than the swallow understands; Hear him sing--and tell a story-- Snap a joke--ignite a pun,-- 'Twas a capture--rapture--glory, And explosion--all in one!
Though he hadn't any money-- That condiment which tends To make a fellow ”honey”
For the palate of his friends;-- Sweet simples he compounded-- Sovereign antidotes for sin Or taint,--a faith unbounded That his friends were genuine.
He wasn't honored, may be-- For his songs of praise were slim,-- Yet I never knew a baby That wouldn't crow for him; I never knew a mother But urged a kindly claim Upon him as a brother, At the mention of his name.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Never knew a baby that wouldn't crow for him]
The sick have ceased their sighing And have even found the grace Of a smile when they were dying As they looked upon his face; And I've seen his eyes of laughter Melt in tears that only ran As though, swift dancing after, Came the Funny Little Man.
He laughed away the sorrow, And he laughed away the gloom We are all so p.r.o.ne to borrow From the darkness of the tomb; And he laughed across the ocean Of a happy life, and pa.s.sed, With a laugh of glad emotion, Into Paradise at last.
And I think the Angels knew him, And had gathered to await His coming, and run to him Through the widely-opened Gate-- With their faces gleaming sunny For his laughter-loving sake, And thinking, ”What a funny Little Angel he will make!”
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