The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-12-04
BETSY AND ARE OUT.

h"b ~ nv
What is the matter" says you? | swan
it's hard to tell.
Most Of the year behind us we've passed
by very well;
| have no other ~woman-She has no other
man;
Only we've lived together us long as ever
we can.
SO l have talked with Betsy, and Betsy
has talked with me;
And we've agreed together that we can
never agree;
Not that we've catched each other in any
terrible crime;
We've been a-gatherin' this for years, II
little ut Il time.
There wasa stock of temper we both had
for Il start;
Although we nc'cr suspected 'twOuld take
us two apart;
| had my various lailings bred in the flesh
and bone,
And Betsy, like all good women, had n
temper OF her own.
The first ching, | remember, whercon we
disagreed,
Was something concerning hcayeu-a
difference in our creed;
We arg'ed the ching aC break ast-we
arr Ell the thlnE al led
And the more we arS'cd the question, the
more We couldn't agree.
And the next that | remember was when
we lost n cow;
She had kicked the bucket, tor c~crtain-the
question was o~nly-llow
| held my opinion, and Betsy another had {;
And when we We're done a-tAlkin', we
both OF us were mad.
And the neGt that | remember, it started
in a joke;
But for lull II week it lasted and neither OF
us spoke.
And the next was when | fretted because
she broke Il bowl;
And she said | was mean and stingy and
hadn't any soul.
And so the thing kept working, and Ill the
Always something to arG'c and something
sharp to say
And down on US came the ~nci9hbOrS, a
couple o dozen strong,
And lent their kindcst service to help the
thing along.
And there have been days to.cthcr-aud
many Il weary week
When both of Us were cross and spunky,
'ilN bNN'i W ll'N'' w SpN'h
And ! have been thinkin' and thinhin',
the whole OF the summer and tall,
If | can't live Kind with Il woman, why,
then | won't at all.
And so have talked with Betsy, and Bet
sy has talked with me,
And we have agreed together that we can
never agree.
And what is hers shall be hers, and what
is mine shall be mine,
And III put it in The agreement and take
it to her to sign.
Writeon the paper, lawycr-the very first
paragraph
OF all the farm and live stock, she shall
have her half;
70? She has helped to earn it through
many Il weary day,
And It's notIlin' more than Justice that
Betsy has her pay.
Give her the house and homestead a man
can thrive and roam.
But women are wretcICd critters, unless
they have Il home.
And | have always determined, and never
failed to say,
That Betsy never should want u home, i'll
was taken away.
There's a little hard money besides, that's
drawing tol'rable pay
4 couple Of hundred dollars laid by for Il
rainy day.
Safe in the hands of good men, and easy
to get at;
Put in another clause there, and give her
all ottAat.
l sec that you are smiling, sir, at my giyin'
her 50 much;
Yes, divorce is cheap, sir, but | take no
stock in such;
True and fair | married her, when she was
blitho and young,
And Betsy was always good to me eN-
ceptin' with her tongue.
When | was young as you, sir, and not so
smart perhaps,
For me she mittencd a lawyer and several
other chaps;
And all of 'em was hustcred and fairly
taken down,
And tor a time ! was counted the luckiest
man in town.
Once, when had l fcver-I won't forget
it Sool--
| was net as a bastcd turkey aud crazy as
aloOn-
Never an hour went by me when she was
out of sight;
DIV u Z NV ~ Nv attiAN lNll'ANls IN NV
to me day and night.
And if ever 4 house was tidy, and ever a
kitchen clean.
Her house and kitchen was tidy as any !
even seen,
And ] don't complain of Betsy or any Of
her acts,
Exccptin' when we've quarreled, and told
each other facts.
So draw up the paper, lawyer; and I'll go
hoAIe 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 ira
DIM man | know
And kiss the child that was left to us, and
out in the world III go.
And one thing put in the paper, that first
to NE didn't occur;
| That when | am dead at last she will bring
me back to her,
And lay me under the maple we planted
years ago,
When she and | was happy, before we
quarrcled 50.
And when she dies, | wish that she would
be laid by me;
And liyin' together in silence, perhaps
well then agree;
I And il ever we meet in heaven, | WOuldn1
think it queer
IT we loved each other the better because
we've uIiarrcleu here