The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-12-26
LIE AN JERRY.

gether All, how tn time dew fly, ter
be shurel 1t don't seem more n las week
sence mem Jerry went 'and N and
through TIL pine grove every mornin reg
lar ter tn little yaller schoolhouse at tn
end O. tn lane, he a-carryin my bucket.
Many's tn time, when I'd open O. it,
p'raps an hour fore eatin time, an see,
right on top, tn two pieces o. corn bread
an meat, as wuz all Aunt Maria lowed
me fer dinner.
Well, in course, arter awhile, we crowd
up, me an jerry. We got ter be too big tee
be loiterin along tn road and in and on
our ways ter school. I wuz thought ter be
a mighty fine gal in them days-leastways
all tn chaps around about seemed ter look
upon mo as sech. I wuz, know, two
inches or more taller nor Jorry, although
he sed as he know'd I wasn't.
One evenin, I remember well, me an
Jerry had had quite a rucuss, he a-sayin
wuzn't no taller than he an I a-sayin diff
ferent. While we wuz a-fussin Joe Pill
moro comes along, >an he SCI war right,
an jerry war wrong. I felt I could "a
knocked his head off fer sayin so. Joe Pill
moro was a redheaded boy, ono O. th'
greatest DULLES in our parts. How did
despiso his freckled face an great, google
eyes, ter be shure! But I madc out az
how I wuz mighty fond o. him that evenin
till managed ter let i'm know as 'ow it
war only put on, Jest ter rifle Jerry.
Jest as I'd a-been a-tcllin O. Joe what
sneak thought i'm, an 'oW I didn't care
a straw fer i'm, an he'd gone off sort a
sull5y, an 1 was a-leanin on the cato sor-
rowful, I see Jerry a-comin along.
Strengthened myself up to my full inches,
but makes believe I didn't see i'm, but
jest as wuz a-turnin ter go inter TIL house
jerry stops at the gate an begins ter lift
the latch sort O. restless an SCI, "Miss
Marg ret" q was jest turned II, an lad
given 'em all round ter understand as I
was gro'n up, an wished ter be treated Gs
such.) OF course turns as jerry SEE ter
me, Miss Marg'ret." (Altho' thought
it did sound kind of curtis a-comin from
Jerry. BIT turns an seq, did you speak,
Mr.. Jeremiah Thompson?' Then he stands
an looks quite seri US, me a-callin of Jim
by his full professional name, a circum-
stance which never happened befor'. Then
he SEE, Yes Marg ret, - an his voice sort
O. shook. felt real sorry fer i'm. So
goes close up ter tn gate. He seq again
quite low an sole1n', but soft an fond like:
maggie" he seq again. Forgive me.
didn't go ter hurt yer foelin's not fer all
tn world wouldn't. But Of you'll only
stop a-goin with that Joe Fillmore I'll let
yer be tn tallest an biggest an prcttiest
an dearest an everthinlz else, as you know
you are an allus was an allus will be ter
me-"
On that he opens tn gate an takes my
hand. Il felt relieved that it was evenin,
an he couldn't well see my face, fer
know it was as red as tn canashuns in
our garden.) Then-well we walked up
an down outside tn gate until tn moon
cum up as bright as day, an aunt she call
ed out siveril times fer mo ter cum in like
a decent gal, but Lor', we didn't hear moth
in but ourselves an each other that eyenin
me an jerry.
When 1 did feel that perhaps it was
nearly mornin an begun ter say good
night, Jerry holds my hand tight, SO as 1
jest couldn't git it away, an SEE:
Maggie, couldn't yer give me jest one,
jest one?''
I stoops down (ny heart a-thumpin, all
TIL world like tn old engine ter tn milI
an I plucks tn prittiest rose in my gar
den.
'There's jest one, jerry" I SEE, an
lands it to i'm. Its sweet, Maggie, I
know he SEE, an of course I looks up inter
his face. but Hk' flash O. nghtenin he
gave kiss, right on my lips, which near
ly tux my breath away.
After that night we wuz good friends
right along fer years, until that dreadful
time when all us wimmin folks was worn
out with anxiety an wonderin, a-lookin fer
our husbands an lovers, who d gone ter tn
war. When we parted All, that night
we parted Me an Jerry, we never thought
but tn promises we made ter each other
we'd live ter keep.
Fer months I waited. Sometimes /
heard where his regiment wuz stationed.
Once heard that fer something worfder-
full he'd done Jerry had been promoted.
All, how proud ] felt-my true, brave
jerry Then bad newS came-that he
wuz wounded. Then, again, that he wuz
shot an killed. Fer ten weary months I
mourned fer i'm, my heart a-bleedin day
by day, until felt no life left in my body,
with no more tears ter shed fer i'm. Then
tn news came that he wuz Twin, but a
prisoner, an few lines 1 had from his own
dear hand. I have the little slip O. paper
yet, although tn lines he writ have faded
years ago. But, no matter, TIL words are
writ deep on my heart that he wuz a-comin
home, but that he only lad one and ter
offer me, as t'other wuz shot away with
his arm. I writ an told i'm how didn't
keer eff he didn't have none at all, SO long
as his heart wuz safe. I'd have i'm jest
tn same. After that months an years went
by but 1 heerd nothin more O. jerry.
| They telled me he wuz dead. Years after
tn war wuz over 1 looked fer him ter cum
in any mint an say: "I've cum back ter
ye, Maggiei I've cum back!'' I've fan
cied it time an again, as I've set with my
knittin alone, what it would be fer me ter
look up an see him a-comin up tn little
strip O. garden, with his one hand stretched
out ter me. go over in my mind what
that daJd be ter we, all alone by ourselves
mo an Jerry. I've lived over an over tn
happiness. till at times feel happy in tn
thinkin.
I'm a-keepin up an a-helpin others along,
an oftentimes 1 see folks not so happy as
myself, whose lives seem empty, an
whose hearts are broken, COS they've let
all tn love go out O. 'em.
I keeps myself as bright an young as
ken in case he should cum home an find
me a-lookin not so young nor SO tall as
wuz when he left me.
But eff, after my waitin here, I die at
last, without a-hearin O. his voice s-ssyin,
maggie, I've cum back ter YER why,
III know it IS tn doin's o. the good Lor,