The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-11-07
FOR LITTLE PEOPLE.
MY cHuM TEDDY.


"Tcddy o Rourke's my chum you see
An how II happened was him an me
Was down al the dock with the rest that day,
A-!ookin FUR somefhin TO come our way.
Fur shines. tell ye. was precious few.
An we thought We could pick up a dime or two
Along with some OF the other chaps
Luggin feller's yalise. perhaps.
1T was time the boat was a-gitiin. In.
AM Of NIL the crowd on the dock. who'd been
Waifin fur friends. none took our eye
Like two who was sfandin' Just close by
4 lady. II ever was one. guess
ion conld tell as much by her way an dress
With little girl who had bout the looks
Oh them kids you see In the picture boots,
With her ~ blue eyes an her hair like gold
Is'posc she was four or I'VE years old.
An. blest If she doesn't tell Ted an me
How her pa's on board an how GLAD shell lie
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 Almost TO land.
The Little girl loses her mothers hand,
When every ones crowdin' m pashin' hard
An blamed II she doesn't fall overheard
] cant czzactly tell how she does.
Cause fore knows IL. why. there II was
An then there follers great big splash
Talk abont swImmn'. now Ted kin swim!
Not oae OF the feliers knows tops him.
Stay under the longest you ever sec:
Dive about twct as high rs me:
Go on; 50 fur ud be scairt clean through:
Why. they ain { q thing at he dasscnt do
More like duck. gness you'd say
II ever Won saw him III. some day
An. though the tide is a-runnin' strong,
lie strikes right out, an IL amt SO long
Fore he's clingin' with her TO the slippery
spieS.
An shes sar-an' he jus, looks mp an smiles
.'rnen they cit the it'll. girl mp all right,
An there's nothin' TIL. matter with her 'ccp,
fright.
While Teddy unhcipcd climbs up the beams
With the water a.runnin' from him in streams
An. while he's shiverin' kind o., there.
The little girls ma don't seem to care
At all fur the people a-standin' by.
But yes him q kiss an bcgins To cry:
An the little girls pa amt noways slow
In grabbin' hts hand-an' he won't let 60:
While every body upon the pier
just whoops her up In Il Dustin cheer,
An one Of EN- yells out, after that:
Gone. chip In. m OF you. Here's the haiv
An. didn't they. 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 fills
With dimes an quarters an halls an bills,
Till ut last it's a-holdin' SO much tin
LoOkss II the crown would just bust right in;
An they takes the money ut they have riz,
An they goes to Teddy an says it's his.
WHAT says Teddy. This Amt all mine.
An you oughter have seed his black eyes shine
An feels 50 good at gives him u shove.
Fur knows just what he's a-thnkin' Of
Its about his mother, who's purity old,
An that sister OF his'n the doctors told
II she only could GO iEr u good long spell
Out in the country she m ght git we'll
An every one laughs cause he stares 81 hard,
While thu little girls pa takes out u 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 home
gu ok,
An change his clos SO he won't git sick.
That's about all-'cept Teddy u Rourke
Has got Il chance. and has gone to work
III the little girls pas big dry-goods store,
An he amt a-shnin' EN- up no more:
An now he's a-goin' TO free.school, nights,
An he's learnin 50 at he reads an writes.
While tells him 10 keep on peggln' away,
An he'll be q big duck ssclf some day.
An me? Oh. Teddy'll look out fur me
Teddy O'Rourkc S my chum you sec"'
Malcolm Douglas. in ST. Nicholas.