Part 3 (1/2)

WINTER FANCIES

[Ill.u.s.tration: Winter Fancies--t.i.tle]

I

Winter without And warmth within; The winds may shout And the storm begin; The snows may pack At the window pane, And the skies grow black, And the sun remain Hidden away The livelong day-- But here--in here is the warmth of May!

[Ill.u.s.tration: Winter without and warmth within]

II

Swoop your spitefullest Up the flue, Wild Winds--do!

What in the world do I care for you?

O delightfullest Weather of all, Howl and squall, And shake the trees till the last leaves fall!

III

The joy one feels, In an easy chair, c.o.c.king his heels In the dancing air That wreathes the rim of a roaring stove Whose heat loves better than hearts can love, Will not permit The coldest day To drive away The fire in his blood, and the bliss of it!

IV

Then blow, Winds, blow!

And rave and shriek, And snarl and snow Till your breath grows weak-- While here in my room I'm as snugly shut As a glad little worm In the heart of a nut!

[Ill.u.s.tration: Here in my room I'm as snugly shut]

THE RUNAWAY BOY

Wunst I sa.s.sed my Pa, an' he Won't stand that, an' punished me,-- Nen when he was gone that day, I slipped out an' runned away.

I tooked all my copper-cents, An' clumbed over our back fence In the jimpson-weeds 'at growed Ever'where all down the road.

Nen I got out there, an' nen I runned some--an' runned again When I met a man 'at led A big cow 'at shooked her head.

I went down a long, long lane Where was little pigs a-play'n'; An' a grea'-big pig went ”Booh!”

An' jumped up, an' skeered me too.

Nen I scampered past, an' they Was somebody hollered ”Hey!”

An' I ist looked ever'where, An' they was n.o.body there.

I _Want_ to, but I'm 'fraid to try To go back.... An' by-an'-by Somepin' hurts my throat inside-- An' I want my Ma--an' cried.

Nen a grea'-big girl come through Where's a gate, an' telled me who Am I? an' ef I tell where My home's at she'll show me there.

But I couldn't ist but tell What's my _name_; an' she says well, An' she tooked me up an' says _She_ know where I live, she guess.

[Ill.u.s.tration: An' a grea'-big pig went ”Booh!”]