Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-01-30
p & TIC AL.
OYER THE HILL TO THE POOH HOUSE.
BY WILL NJ. CARLETON.

l. 4 woman of seventy, and only trihe
gray =,
/, who am smart an clipper, for all
the years I've told,
As many another woman, that's only
Eali as old.
Over the hill to the poor-house-l can
make it quite clear!
Over the hill TO he pOOr-house-it seems
50 horrid queer!
Many a step I've taken a-tolIin 20 anu
fro.
But this is sort Of journey l never
thought to 90.
WHAT is the use Of heapin' on me
pauper's shame:
Am lazy or crazy am blind or lamef
True, | am not so supple, nor yet 50
awful stout,
But charity amt no favor, il one can
live without.
| am willin' and anxious an ready any
day,
To WORK for a decent livin', and pay
my honest way;
For can earn my victuals, an more
too, III be bound,
If anybody only is willin' to have ME
round.
Once 1 was young an han'seme--l wal
unOn nv soul
Once my cheeks was reses, my eyes a
black as coal
And | can't remember, in them days
of hearin' people say,
For any kind Of reason, that was IL
their way.
,Taint no use of boastin', or talkin
over free,
But many house an home was oper
then to me;
MANY handsome offer | had fron'
likely men,
And nobody ever limited that | was
burden then.
And when to John l was married, sure
he was good and smart,
But he and all the neighbors would own
done my part;
For life was all before me, an l was
young and strong,
And worked the best that | could III
tryin' to get along.
And so we worked together and life
was hard but gay.
With now and then a baby, for to cheer
us Cn our way;
Till we had half dozen an all grow u
cleah an' neat,
An went to school like others, an hao
enough to eat.
So we worked for the chill r'n, and rals-
ed 'em every one;
Worked for 'em summer and winter,
lust as we ought to We done;
Only perhaps we humored 'em, which
some good folks condemns;
But every couples child'rn's heap the
best TO them.
Strange how much we think OF our
blessed little ones =
I'd have died for my daughters, Ia
have died for my sons;
And God he made that rule oflove; but
when we're old and gray,
I've noticed it sometimes somehow
fails TO work the other way.
Strange another thing when our boys
and girls were grown. -,
And when, eXceptin' Charley theyc
left us there alone
When John near and nearer come, and
dearer seemed TO be,
The Lord ol Hosts Inc come one day an
took him away from ne.
Still was bouEd to struggle, an never
to crin.sc or fall
Still | worked for Charley, for Charley
was now my all
And Charley was pretty good to me-
with scarce word Or trOwn,
Til at last hc went courtin,' ant
brought a wife from town.
She was somewhat dressy, an hadn't
pleasant smile
She was quite conceity, and carried
heap o style;
But if ever | tried to be friends, diC
with her, | know;
But she was hard and prou'l, an
couldn't make it go.
She has an eddication, an that wa
good for her
But when she twitted me on mine twas
carryin' things too fur
An told her once fore company Gar
it almost made her sick.)
That l never swallowed grammar O
'et 'rithmetic.
So twas only few days before th'
thing was done
They was a family Of themselves, and
another one;
And very little cottage for one famil.
will do,
But have never seen house that wa
big enough for two.
Anil never could speak to suit her
never could please her eye,
An it made me independent, an then
didn'ttry;
But was terribly staggered, and felt
like blow,
When Charley turned again me, an
told me could 90. d.
| went to live with Susan, but Susan
house was small,
And she was always a-hintin' how snu
it was Tor all;
And what with her husbands sisters,
and what with ch!ld'rn three,
Twas easy to discover that there WASH
room for me.
An then l went to Thomas, the oldes
son I've got,
For Thomas buildings d cover the hal
ofan acre lot;
But ali the child'rn was on me-
couldn't stand their sauce
And Thomas said needn't think l wa
comm there to boss.
An then / wrote to Rebecca-my gil
who lives out west,
And to Isaac, not far from her-som
twenty miles at best;
And one of 'em said twas too warn