Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-07-11
1)oetifal.
BETsEY AND I ARE OUT.

Draw up the papers, lawyer, ana make CHI
good and stout,
For things at home are crossways, and Betsey
and are out.
We who have worked together SO long as man
and wife
Must pull in single harness for the rest of our
nat'ral life.
"What is the matter ~ say you. swan it's
hard to tell
Most of the years behind US we've passed by
very well )
| have no other woman, she has no other man.
Only we've lived together as long as ever we
can.
So have talked with Betsey, and Betsey has
talked with me,
And so we've agreed together that We can't
never agree
Not that we've catched each other in any ter
ribe crime
We've been gathering this for years, little at
time.
There was stock of temper we both had for a
start,
Although we never suspected 'twould take US
two apart;
had my various failings, bred in the flesh and
bone;
And Betsey, like all good women, had .em-
per of her own.
greed
| Was something concerning heaven--a differ
ence in our creed
We arg ed the thing at breakfast, VIC arg'ed
the thing at tea,
And the more we arg'ed the question the more
we didn't agree.
The next thing that | remember was when we
lost COW;
She had kicked the bucket for certain, the
question was only-how2
held my own opinion, and Betsey another
had
And when we were done a-talking, we both
of US was mad.
And the next that remember, it started in a
joke
But full for week it lasted, and neither of Us
spoke;
And the next was when | scoldcd because she
broke BOWL
| And she said | was mean and stingy, and
hadn't any soul.
And SO that bowl kept pouring discussions in
our cup;
And SO that blamed cow-critter was always u
comm up;
And so the heaven we arg ed no nearer to US
got,
But it gave US a taste of somethin' thousand
times as hot.
And so the thing kept wukin', aud all in the
selt-same way;
Always somethin TO arg'e, and somethn'
sharp 10 say.
And down on us came the neighbors, couple
dozen strong,
And lent their kindest service to help The thing
along.
And there has been days together and many a
weary week
We was both of us cross and spunky and both
too proud to speak
And have been thiDkin' and thiukin', the
whole of the winter and fall,
| If can't live kind with a woman, why then |
won't at all.
And SO have talked with Betsey, aud 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 minc
And i II put it in the agreement and take it to
her to sign
Write on the paper, lawyer--the very first par
agraph-
OF all the farm and live stock that she shall
have her half
For she has helped TO earn it through many a
weary day,
And it's nothing more than justice that Betsey
has her pay.
Give her the house and homestead--a man can
thrive and roam;
But women are skeery critters, unless they
have home;
And always have determined, and never
failed to say,
That Betsey should never want home if /
was taken away.
There is little hard money that's drawin'
toFrable pay;
A couple of hundred dollars laid by for a rainy
day
Safe in the hands of good men, and easy TO
get at;
Put in another clause there, and give her hall
of that.
Yes, see you smile, sir, at my giving 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 Betsey was always kind to me, exceptin'
with her tongue,
Once when was young as you and not SO
| smart, perhaps,
For me she mittened lawyer, and several
And al! of them was fustered and fairly taken
down,
And for time was counted the luckiest man
in town.
And once when had fever-I won't forget
i: soon
was hot as a busted turkey and crazy as a
loon;
Never an hour went by me when she was out
Of sight
She nursed me true and tender, and stuck to
me day and night.
And if ever house was tidy, and ever a
kitchen clean,
The house and kitchen were tidy as any ever
And don complain of Betsey, or any of her
acts,
Exceptin when we vc quarreled and told each
other facts.
So draw up the paper, lawyer, and III go
home tonight,
And read the agreement to her, and see if it's
/ all right;
And then, in the mornin', III sell to a tradin'
man know,
And kiss the child that was left to u.s. and out
| in the world I'll go.
And one thing put in the paper, that first to
| Inc did not occur,
| That when am dead at last, she'll bring me
| back to her;
And lay me under the naples planted years
| ago,
When she and was happy before we quar-
relied SO.
And when she dies wish that she would be
laid by me-
| And lying together in silence, perhaps we will
agree;
And, if ever we meet in heaven, wouldnt
think it queer,
/ If we loved each other the better because we
quarreled here.