Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-07-04
SERIES SaR Vol. %, NO. Is.
OVER THE HILL TO THE POOR
HOUSE.
ny WILL NJ CARLETON.

Over the hill to the poor house I'm trudgin' my
weary way
], woman OF seventy, and only trae gray
4 VINO am smart an clipper for all the years I've
As many another woman that's only half as old
Over the hill to the poor heuse-I can't quite make
u clear,
over the hnI to the poor house-it seems 50 horrid
Many step I We taken toilin' to aud fro,
But this IA sort Of journey never thought to go,
What is the Of heapln' on me a paupors shames
Am lazy crazy am blind or lame
True, am not SO supple, nor yet 30 awful stout;
Bnt charity lint no favor, II one can live without
] am willln' and anxious and ready any day
To work for decent Twin, and pay my honest way
For / can earn my viotuals an more, too, I'll BE-
bound
Ifany body only is willin' to have nae round
Once was young aud han'some-I was, upon my
Once my choeks we're roses my eyes as black as coal
Aud l can't remember, in them days, Of hearin
people say,
For any kind Of a reason, that 1 was in their way
faint no use Of boastin' or talkin over free,
But many a house and home open then 10 me-
Nany handsome offer had from likely men,
Aud nobody ever limited that was a burden then
And when John and was married, sure he was
good and smart,
But he and all tho neghbors would own done my
For ifo was ali before me- an was young an strong
An worked the best couldin tryin to get along
And so we worked together and life was hard but gay
With now and then baby 10 che way
Ti had half dozen, an all growed clean an neat
An went to school like Others an had enough to eat
So we worked for the children and raised EN- evry one
Worked ior en- summer an winter, just as we ought
tO've dOne
Only perhaps we humored en- which some good
folks condemn,
But eyry couples chidren's heap the best to them
IA have died for my daughters I'd have died for my
sous;
And God he made that rule Of love; but when we're
old ana gray,
I've noticed it sometimes somehow fails to work the
other way.
Strange, another thing when our boys an girls
An when exceptin Charley they'd left MS there alone
When John he nearer an desrer come, an deArer
seemed TO be-
The Lord Of Hosts he come one day an, took him
away from me.
sdll bound to struggle, an never to crnge or
SIN l worked for Charley, for Charley now
myal,
And Charley was pretty goodto me, with scarce a
Till At last he woat courtn', an brought wife
from town.
She was somewhat dressy, an hadn't pleasant smile
She was quite coHceity, an carried heap stylei
But II tried be friends did with her know
She had an edicatisn. an that was good for her,
But when she twitted me on miae twas caryin'
thiRgs too fur;
An / told her once, fore company, IAN it almost
made her sick)
That never swallowed a grammar or ct rithmetlc,
So twas only few days before the thing done
They was family OF themselves. and another one
And very little cottage one family will do,
But I've never seen the house that was big enough
for two.
An could speak to suit her, never could please
her eye,
An II made me independent an then didn't try
But was terribly staggered, an felt IL like blow,
when Charley ned agin me, an told me could go.
went to live with susan but susans house ssmall,
An she always hintin how snug il WAS for us all
Aud what with her husbands sisters, and what With
children three,
iva, easy to discover there wasn't room for me.
An then went to Thomas, the Oldest boy I've got
For Thomass buildings cover the half OF an acre lot
But all the children was on mel couldn't stand
Ana Thomas said needn't think was comm there
to boss,
An then W.T. ote to Rebeca my girl who lives outwss
And to Isaac not far from her, some twenty m's at
best;
Aud Of em said twas too warm there Tor any one
And tothor had the opinion the climate was cold
So they have shrked and sighted me, an shifted me
SO they have VOL nigh soursd me- an wore my old
But still I've borne up pretty well, and want much
Till Charley went to the poor master, an put me on
th0 town
over the hill to the poor hOuso-Iny children dear
NAM 4 NOM I'VE wArc HLD rou WIEN oNsf asD WAS
And God IN Judge between US but will arsyS pray
That you shall never suffer the hslfI do to day
- Hdrpc"S Weekly.