Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-07-12
THE CHRONICLE.
Over the Inn to the Poor House.
VIII n. cIRLEros.

I
Over the I'm to the Poor House.
BY VIII n. CARLETON. -
over The hin 70 the pOOr-house I'm trudsin'
la woman Of seventy. and only trias
I, vhSsm Emarta an clipper. for all the year,
As many another woman that's only hall
/ as old.
/ Over the hill 70 the ncor-house-I can't quite
make It clearf
Over the hill to the poOr-house-it seems SC
Many q step fve taken a-toIlin' to and fro.
But this is q sort Of journey never thought
to go.
What is the use of heaPln' on me pauPers
Am lazy or crazy am blind or lAmef
True, I'm not so supple, nor yet SO awful
But charity ain't no favor. II one can live
without.
lam willin' and anxious an ready any day
To work for decent livin', an pay my hon.
For can earn my vietuals. an more too.
Ifany body OILY Is wIIlIn' 10 have me round.
once was young an han'sOme--I was,
once my cheeks was roCes. my eyes as black
And / can't remember. in them days, OF
For any kind Of reason, that was In their
way.
rTaiptnouse Of boastin'. or taIkin' over free.
But many house an home was open then
Many hSn'some offer I had nom likely
And NOBODY ever hlnted that 1 was bur
den then.
And when to John was married; sure ne
Rnt Nv va aBg spSIIi an % the neighbors would own
For ne was SIf before ma. an was young
And " worked Gs The best that could in tryin'
10 get slong.
And so we worked together; and life was
win now now an and then baby for to cheer US
TIN We had hall 9, dozen an all growsd clean
An Vent We ITO to school like others. an had
enough to eat.
So We worked for the shildr'n. and raised
worrs5 Tor seia summer and winter, Just "a
we ought TO We done; - -.
Only perhaps we humored EN-, which some
good folks condemn, -. -,
But every couple's childr'ns heap the best
20 them.
Strange how much We think Of our biased
Pds have died for my daughters, Pds have
died for my sons; -.
And God he made that rule Of love; but
oisaS When SeTs t so@etmes 31e hS Somehow fails 20
work the other way.
Strange, another thing; when our boys an
And when 5a S1 eTcsptin' Charley. they'd LEFT Us
When John he nearer an nearer come, an
dearer seemed 20 be,
The Lord OF hosts he come one day an tooA
him away from me-
stIIl was bound TO struggle, an never to
stm worked for Charley, for Charley was
And Charley was pretty good to me. with
TIN AZ last he went S-co1rtih'. and brought
q wife nom town.
She was somewhat dressy an hadn't a
She was quite conceity. and carried heap
But II ever tried to be friends. I did with
But she was hard and proud. an couldn't
make IL go.
She had an education, an that was good for
But when she tWitted me on mine, twas
esrryin' things TOO iars
An told her once, Tore company Vah II
almost made her Eick).
That never swallowed 2 grammer, or 'et Q
irithmetick-
So twas only Q few days before the thing
They was a family Of themselves. and an
Ana 4 very little cottage one family will do,
But never have seen = house that was Dig
enough for two.
An never could speak to suit her. never
An it made me independent. and then
But I was was terribly staggered. an felt it like
When Charley turned Rg'in me. an told me
could go.
went to live with Susan, but susan's house
And sac was always a-hintln' how snug II
was for us all;
| And what with her husbands sisters, ano
Twas easy to discover that there WASH
room for me.
An then 1 went to Thomas, the oldest son
For Thomss buildings ID cover the half o.
an acre lot;
But All the childirn was on mel couldn't
stand their sauce
| And Thomas said needn't think wa
coming there to boss
An then I wrote to Rebecca. my girl who
lives out West.
And to Isaac, not far from her-sOme TWEEN
| ty miles at best:
And one OF 'em said twas too warm ther'
| for any one so old,
And t'other had an opinion the climate wa
too cold.
SO they have shirked and slighted me, an
| shifted me about
So they have well-nigh soured me. an Wort
| my old heart out;
But stifi I've bore up pretty well, an wasn1
much put down.
TIN Charley went to the poor-mAster, an
| put me on thetoWn-
] dear, good by
Many a night I've watched you when only
God was nigh; =,
| And God'n judge between us but VII
! alhys pray. -, 4,
/ today ,,-us