The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-11-13
TOR LITTLE PEOPLE.
MY cHuM TEDDY

-. W.
''rrdav O Rourkes my chum, you see.
An now II happened was, him an me
Was down at the dock with the rest that day,
A-lcokin' iur somethin' to come our way,
Fur shines, tell ye, was precious few.
An We thought We could pick up q dime or two,
Along with some Of the other chaps,
Luggn feller's vslise, perhaps.
cit was time the boat was a-gittin' In,
An Of all the crowd on the dock. who'd been
Waitin' fur friends. none took our eye
Like two who was standin' Just close by
A lady, II ever was one, guess
You could tell as much by her way an dress
With little girl who had bout the looks
OF them kids you see in the picture-books,
With her b g blue eyes an her hair like gold
s'pose she was four or five years old.
An blest If she doesn't tell Ted an me
How her pas on board an how glad she'll b
When he is home with EN- both again,
An Teddy he sees the boat just then.
SWELL the boat swings inter the slip at last,
An. while they're busy a.makin' fast,
With the passengers ready a'most to land,
The little girl loses her mothers hand,
When every ones crowdin' an pushin' hard,
An blamed IL she doesn't fall overheard
can't exactly tell how she does,
An then there folders a great, big splash
As Teddy goes after her in flash!
'aTalk about swimmn. now, Ted kin swiml
Not one OF the fellers knows tops him,
Stay under the longest you ever see;
Dive about twict as high as me;
Go out so fur you'd be scairt clean through;
Why they amt thing at he dassent dol
More like duck, guess you say
II ever you saw him IN, some day
AN, though the tide is a-runnin strong,
He strikes right out, an 1t amt so long
Fore he's clingin with her to the slippery
spiles,
An she's sote-an' he just looks up an smiles.
'Then they git the little girl up all right,
An there's nothin' the matter with her 'cept
fright
While Teddy unheped climbs up the beams
With the water a-runnin' from him in streams
An, while he's shverin' kind o. there,
The little girls ma don't seem to care .f
At all fur the people a-standin' by,
But gives him kiss an begins to cry;
An the little girls pa amt noways slow
In grabbin his hand-an' he won't let go;
While every body upon the pier ,,.i.,.tf
Just whoops her up III Dustin cheer,
An one OF EN- yells out, after that: ta5
Come, chip In, all of you'll Here's the hatP
IAN didn't theyi Well, now, they just did!
Teddy was alters lucky kid!
An, while around with the hat they goes,
Every one reaches down in his clo'es,
An you'd laugh to see how the oil plug nils
With dimes an quarters an halls an bills,
Till at last it's a-holdin' SO much tin
Looks's il the crown would just bust right In;
An they takes the money ut they have rz,
An they goes to Teddy an says it's bis. ,
"'whatr says Teddy, This amt all miner
An YOU ougliter have seed his black eyes shine
An feels SO good at gives him shove,
Fur knows just what he's a-thinkint Of
It's about his mother, who's purity old,
An that sister of his'n the DOCTORS told Oh
II she only could go iur good long spell
Out in the country she m ght git we'll
An every one laughs cause he stares so hard
While the little girls pa takes out a card
That says where Teddy's to call next day,
And they goes in hack Of their own away,
While some one tells Teddy to scoot homt
quick, kB,
An change his clos so he won't git sick.
THAT'S about all-cept Teddy y Rourke
Has got chance. and has gone to work
In the little girls pas big dry goods store,
An he amt a-shinin' 'em up no more;
An now he's a-goin' to free-school, nights,
An he's learnin' SO at he reads an writes,
While tells him TO keep on peggin' away,
An he'll be big duck hsself some day.
An me? Oh, Teddyll look out fur me
Teddy ORourkes my chum you see!'
Malcolm Douglas, IN st. Nicholas.