The Columbia evening Missourian., 1921-08-10
For the Memory Book
JUST TRY!

JUST TRY!
Perciual Jones youth OF renoon,
His praises ,oere chanted all ouer the toyn.
At Vork or at play he 'oas prompt and precise,
His bearing earnest, his manners 1oere nice.
lind other boys parents would point ash passed
His air upright, his merits uast-
And say to their boys you're poor lot Of drones:
Why don't you all emulate Perciual Jones2'
His hair, it ipaS neuer all ruffled and oild,
His lips roere beautiful bon rohen he smiled;
His finger nails glowed like lady's, they did;
His hat Oas mdrpeLous unabused lid;
His hdnds-sohy, his hands Uonder to see:
No girls could more dainty exquisite be.
His clothes were a a0onder-so clean and refined;
His shoes, softly squeaking ,uere brilliantly shned
His conduct our Perciuafs conduct-bm there,
Perfection like his really makes me despair,
He neper absent he neper iods late
At school; and his lessons as certain as fate
He kneio like book; and he sat or he stood,
Politely, as epery Perciual should
In truth, his fond parents declared that their boy
Vas ea'ths purea gold, aOthom dross or alloy
NoW, little Jim Smith Was a regular gly
Whose hair grew in tangles clear donuu to his eye,
His lips had tvich aohch ,Uas naughty, fear,
He could crack all his JOINTS he could wiggle his ear
he oore one suSpender-a homemade at thai
and the birds could build better than little Jins hat
HIS knuckles and naits-they oere really fright,
From many a stunt and adventure and fght
And sometimes at school he aas late, confess,
Whue gypsy had nothing Jim as to dress.
ne sometimes forgot to say Sir and said .What?"
nus I. manners too often poor Jim quite forgot
His lessons often no more than half learned:
ana often his path into ,oild regions turned,
OhH aA the nelghborS, in speaking of Jim
Decared There no future North counting for himr'
But Jim had one merh-I beg you to heed it,
Because its quite likely that of US need it.
he kneto that his progress auta it should be,
Ihdt sometimes tlods almost bad as it could be-
And aten he iUas tdrdy, and ,0hen he said "What?"
He cenched his small fists and he flushed and grev hot
And said 'Flt do better and though should die, s
fH let them all see I'm determined to trY.'
And try he did stomly; and though not a saint
Or little pink image in plaster and paint,
He did gain little, until people said
Hes rough, but it he's got brains in his head'
And time rolled along, and Jim greto like tree
Till StHdier chap you aoould scarce n0ish to see
And-according to natures obscure and wise plan
He learned to stand up in a cro,Ud like man.
Now, he still has his fauLs-there is no use denying
But right to this minute Jim still keeps on trying
And lately big task required a man
Who hnew how to fight and to struggle and plan.
They called upon Perciual Jones, and he said,
Il don't think could, and he wggled his head.
They called upon Jim, ohom they found standing near
'.fA try, replied Jim-and he wiggled his ear
Now Perciual Jones has a place on the shelf
Because he salts -qmte-Uhh himself.
ind lin at his Job for n man didn't muf III
Because in his youth he had learned how rough it.
And Jim wil go on, suspect to his goal,
Il man Nth mind and a heart and soul,
4 royal big chap ,uho uM win the worlds eye
For Hfe's pretty good TO us all-if oe'H try!
Louis Dodge.
The Missourian pM glad.
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