The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1892-01-13


goin' to grow.
The big pcrtracted meetin's, the spellin
schools. AN all
The hifalutin' fun we had at u 'kin's in the
fall
An one especial memory never kil for
get
Wen L play-acted Romeo. an Jane war
Juliet.
trup o. real play actors come to Milton in
the hack,
An fndin nary tavern talked o. hooHn' of
IL back,
Bet pap allowed eff they would come to our
house he might
Make out to feed 'em decent an to keep 'em
over night.
They fixed the school house mighty nice
with striped calico,
An everybody lowed twas goin' to be a
master show,
An jest fur hclpin' of 'em tote their bag
gage down the lane.
got permission tickets-one fur me an one
fur Jane.
Twas meo an Juliet they acted, an
swear
Some o. their strange predicamentS IL Iaise
bodys hair,
An me an Jane jest sot there sayin'
"Mercy!n an "Good Lands!n
An overtime they'd hug an kiss we'd
squeeze each others hands.
We larfed an sighed. an cuddled up, an
wiped each others tears,
An wished to gosh the play'd last fur half
wy, every nerve about me seemed Jest like
squeaky shoe,
An Jane allowed w lie walkin' hum she felt
jest that way too.
We couldn't talk o. noth,n' else the hull
mex livelong day,
But Romeo an Juliet; | swear that purity
play
Jest TUX away my appetite, an Jane she
'peared to be
suferin' with the malady as violent as
me.
Her house j'lned ours, an nam she said she
didn't see no sense
In us talkin' that fur hours acrost the
backyard fence
We didn't pay no 'tention but Jest let 'er
scold an fret
We thought o. nothin' else but Romeo an
Juliet
Ses Jane to mo mex Sunday night: "Sup-
pose we tly 10 act"-
pleasin' propersition l immeji ely
backed;
"'Twould be uncommon NICE" said, "but
/ don't hardly guess
'Twould be nigh half way material 'ithout
the pro per dress"
But Jane she said she had "a | Ian fur put
tin things TO rights,
She'd git her pap's bes' cotton drawers fur
me II wear fur tights,
An she al a shimmy Christina gift she got
from brother John,
AT looked as purity as the dress at Juliet
had on
Into the spare bod Dom / went, an Jane
she cent to her'n,
The sleepn' Of folks onawares o. what was
then occur'n,
An into them knit drawers l slid as easy
as you please,
About a mile to- big fur inc, an baggy at
the knees
twincd Il comfort 'roun my waist to rep
resent n sash.
An put han'kchief on my head at cost
a dollar cash,
An peepin' In the lookin'-glass the fg ger
that SCI,
Looked jest bout half like Romeo an
tothor half like me-
! sneaked back TO the sittin'room, an
thar stood Jane, as white
AS any ghost tn 1t ever walked the grave
yard after night
Her shimmy dress war mighty nice, 'ithout
spot or speck,
All fringed around the down stairs part,
an 'broldered round the neck.
40, R-r-r-rOmeo!n she sorter squawked, h CIR
eyes turning wrong side ont,
any ll-consumin' love for you how kin
you ever doubt?n
give nary doubt / said, an put one arm
her waist aroun'-
The tother hand was keepin' them burned
drawers from slippin' down.
We fixed three wooden kitchen chairs fur
sort o balcony,
An Jane got up like Juliet to make love
An leanin over fur about the twenty
seventh kiss,
She lest her equilibrium In thinkln OF her
b ISIS.
Thar came crash. an mashed down her
mothers rockin chair,
An Jane she stood right on her head a
kickin' in the air.
An right in the confusion came her paps
arousin' shout:
@rde like ter know wat in the blank that
noise ar all about!n
Her pap an mann came runnn' In. dressed
just about like us.
An gaze1 with eyes as big as shiny sassers
Mt the muss
An vile Jane jumped the. winder in an
effort To retreat,
/ scooted fur the t'other room, them draw
e-S aroun' my feet.
Mex day the oil man come TO me with
thunder on his brow,
An grabbed me underneath the chin an
said he guessed as how
I'd better git license and squar' the thing
up right,
An me an Jane war married the comm
Sunday night.
This happened thirty years ago. we're old
an stiddy now
I'm gray an gittin' bald, and Jane has
wrinkles on her brow,
But I've host - memories embroidered In
my brain,
An lookln' ut cm makes me wish at I was
young again.
An wen mention 'em to Jane she says,
40, fddlesticks!n
An says we ar to- old to think about our
youthful tricks.
But wen hint at one OF 'em IL starts her
laughin' yet
Bout wen I acted Romeo, an she war
Juliet
Jack Crawford, In Chicago Tribune.
Ousfinp nm OuseI.