Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-05-18
Betsy and 1 are Ont.
4 FARM BALLAD.

man ana WIG
Must pull in single harness the rest OF
our nat raj life.
{. What is the matter?' say you. Iswan!
it's hard to tell;
Most of the years behind us we've passed
by very we'll;
I have no other woman-she has no other
man,
Only we've lived together as long as we
ever can.
SO I've talked with Betscy, and Betsey
has talked with me;
So we've agreed together that we can't
never agree;
Not that we've catched each other in any
terrible crime;
We've been gatherin' this for years, a
little at time.
There was stock of temper we both had,
for start;
Although we ne'er suspected 'twould
take us two apart;
1 had my various failings, bred in the
flesh and bone,
And Betsey, like all good women, had q
temper of her own.
The first thing remember whereon we
disagreed.
Was somethin' concerning hcaven-a diff
ference i'll our creed,
We arg'ed the thing at breakfast-we
arg'ed the thing at tea
And the more we arg'eo the question,
the more we didn't agree.
And the next that / remember was when
we lost cow;
She had kicked the bucket, certain-the
question was only-How?
held my own opinion, and Betsey an
other had;
And when we were done talkin', we
both Of US was mad.
And the next that I remember, it started
in u joke;
But full for week it lasted, and neither
of us spoke.
And the next was when Iscolded because
she broke bowl;
And she said Twas mean and stingy, and
hadn't any soul.
And so that bowl kept pourin' dissen-
sions in our cup;
And so that blamed cow-critter was al
ways comm up;
Anu 50 liidl Hc@if SA. W Y al , GU uO iiOni "a
to us got;
But it give us taste of somethln' a thou
sand times as hot.
And so the thing kept workin', and all
the self-samc way;
Always somethin' to arg'e, and somethin'
sharp to say,
And down on us come the neighbors, a
cOuDle dozen strong
And lent their kindest service for to help
the thing along.
And there has been days together-and
many weary week
We was both of us cross and spunly,
and both too proud to speak,
And I have been thinkin' and thinkin'
the whole of the winter and fall,
If can't live kind with woman, why,
then won't at all.
And so have talked with Betsey, and
Betsey has talked with me,
And we have agreed together that we
can't never agree;
And what is hers shall be hers, and what
is mine shall be mine;
And I'll put it in the agreement, and
take it to her to sign.
Write on the paper, lawyer-the very
first paragraph
Of all the farm and live stock, that she
shall have her half,
For she has helped to earn it, through
many weary day,
And it's nothin' more than justice that
Betsey has her pay.
Give her the house and homestead; a
man can thrive d roam,
But women are skeery critters, unless
they have home,
And have always determined, and never
failed to say,
That Betsey never should want home,
if was taken away.
There is a little hard money that S drawin'
tol'rable pay:
A couple Of hundred dollars laid by for
rainy day;
Safe in the hands of good men, and easy
to get at;
Fut in another clause, there, and give her
half of that.
Yes, see you smile, sir, at my givin'
her so much;
Yes, divorce is cheap, sir, but take no
stock in such,
True and fair married her, when she
was blithe and young;
And Betsev was a'ays good to Inc, except
with her tongue.
Once, when was young as You, and not
so smart, perhaps,
For me she mittened lawyer, and sew
eral other chaps;
And all Of 'em was fiustercd and fairly
taken down,
And I for time was counted the luckiest
man in town.
Once when had fever-I won't forget
it soon
1 was hot as a basted turkey and crazy as
loon
Never an hour went by when she was out
of sight;
to me day and night.
And if ever a house was tidy, and eyer
kitchen clean,
Her house and kitchen was tidy as any
And don't complain of Betscy or any
Of her acts,
Exccptin when we've Guarrelled and
told each other facts.
So draw up the paper, lawyer; and I'll
go home to night,
And read the agreement to her and see if
it's all right.
And then in the mornin' I'll sell to a
tradin' man know
And kiss the child that was left to us,
and out in the world I'll go.
And one thing put in the paper, that first
to me didn't occur
That when I am dead at last she shall
bring me back to her;
And lay me under the naples I planted
years ago,
When she and I was happy, before We
quarrelled so.
And when she dies, Iwish that she would
be laid by me;
And lyin' together in silence, perhaps we
will agree;
think it queer,
II we loved each other the better because
we have quarrelled here.
TRUE Hosp1rAL1rY.-Many a wife
might read the following paragraph
from Emerson, and be wiser. there
for:
30 excellent wife cucumber not
yourself and me to get curiously
rich dinner for this man or woman
who has alighted at our gate, nor a