Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-04-27
Miscellaneous Reading.
BETSEY AND I ARE OUT-A FARM
BALLAD
nv WILL II. CARLTON


III BALLAD.
BIZ WILL Il. CARLTON.
Draw mp the papers. lawyer, and make 'em good
Things at home are cross-ways, and Betsey and /
We who have worked together SO long as man
Must pull in single harness the rest of our natral
"wha. !. the natter" ssy you' I swami its hard
Most Of the years behind ms, we've passed by very
Ihave no ether woman-she has no other man,
Only we've lived together as long as we ever rex
can.
So have talked with Betsey, and Betsey has talked
So we've agreed together that We can't never
Not that we've catched each other in any terrible
We've been gatherh' this for years. little at :
time.
There was stock 81 temper; We both had, for
Although we ne'sr suspected twould take no two
had my various failiugs, bred in the flesh and
bone,
And Betsey, Ike all good women, had temper Of
First thing I remember whereon We disa.
Was somethin' concerning Heavens difference in
We .rg'ed the thing At bre.kfa.t--we arg'ed the
And the more Re We aris,ed the question, the more
we didn't agree. tf ~
And the nen that remember was when We lost .
She had kicked the bucket, for certain-the ques-
held my own opinion, and Betsey another
And when we, we're done atalkin', We both of us
was mad w. ! -,.' -
And the next that 1 remember, it started in a
But full fok week II lasted, and neither Of rs
And the next was when scolded because she
And she said was mean and stingy, and hadn't
any soul.
And 30 that bowl kept pourin' discussions in our
And 50 that blamed COW critter was Away. comm
And 50 Ot that Heaven we arg'ed no nearer to us
Blu. it ga gave u. taste of somsthin' Thousand
And SO the thing kept workin and all the self
Always somethin' to arg'e. and somethin' sharp to
And down on us come the neighbors, couple
And lent their kindest sarvice for to help the
thing along. VA T,fhA3 ts&h
And there has been days together-and many
We was both Of US cross and spunky, and both toe
And 1Ss"s eesn dhi,idtt and th,nhn', the ~hol.
Of the winter and fall, 50 A'RA
II can't live kind with q woman, why, then
And so have talked with Betsey, and Betsey has
And we have agreed together that we can't neve
And what Is hers shall be hers, and what is mine
And I'll put It In the agreement, and take it to he
to sign rs.
Write on the paper, lawyer-the very first para
OF all The farm and live stock, that she shal have
For she has Helped to earn it, through many
weary day,
And is no o. more than justice that Betsey ha
Give her the house and homestead; man car
But women are skeery critters. unless they have
And have always determined, and never failed t.
That Betsey never should wsnta home, If wa
taken away.
There little hard money, that's DRAWN tolrabl'
Couple q hundred dou.n, laids by for rain,
Safe in the hands of good men, and easy to ge
Put in another clause there, and give her half o.
that.
Yes, see You smile, sir. at my givin' her &c
much; i,t,& Z t.@ -.t+ II
Yes, divorces Is cheap, sir, but take no stock IL
True and fair married beg. when she was biitbs
And Betsey was slsyaa coca to.mssscsp tn,~itl
her tongue.
Once when was young as yen, and nots smart
For me she mittened lawyer, and several lotbel
And ali Of EN- was clustered, and fairly taker
And for time was counted the luckiest man In
Once, when had sevsr- ~out forget t soon
4; !: i:;ss VI s';i
She nursed me true and tender, and, stuck TOM
day and night. asNSexS- s-AuS'
And if ever house was tidy, and ever kitchen
Her house, sssss' and k,spen W.. tidy, |. iny sv,
And | Te DOM conpisin Ssys.ey. orsany 81 Il il,
Exceptin' when we've quareled and told eacl
other laos. SIS - u - =
30 draw up the paper, lawyer, and I'll go hons
To HI g.
And read the agreement to her. and see II it's ali
And then In the nornih, I'll ssll, to atradn' mani
know,
And kiss the child that Yves left 10 ,us and ont u
the world I'll go.
And one thing put IL the paper, that first to me
didn't occur:
Then when 4. N .dssd q last shs shah e'tng ne
And lay me under the naples planted years
ago,
When she and Was happy, before we quaTslsd
And when shsldies, wish that she would be laid
by me;
anu agree ~ go " ~ g.
And II ever we meet heaven, wouldn't think !,
queer
I've loved ssSh othest better bscanse vs hsve
FT#E -3okeao Bsad<.
- i 20
The Peasant and the Lawyer.
1870 ~ G.E1. . s.