nry--headpiece]

OLD JOHN HENRY

Old John's jes' made o' the commonest stuff--
Old John Henry--
He's tough, I reckon,--but none too tough--
Too tough though's better than not enough!
Says old John Henry.
He does his best, and when his best's bad,
He don't fret none, ner he don't git sad--
He simply 'lows it's the best he had:
Old John Henry!

{137}

[Illustration: A smilin' face and hearty hand]

{139}

His doctern's jes' o' the plainest brand--
Old John Henry--
A smilin' face and a hearty hand
'S religen 'at all folks understand,
Says old John Henry.
He's stove up some with the rhumatiz,
And they hain't no shine on them shoes o' his,
And his hair hain't cut--but his eye-teeth is:
Old John Henry!

He feeds hisse'f when the stock's all fed--
Old John Henry--
And sleeps like a babe when he goes to bed--
And dreams o' Heaven and home-made bread,
Says old John Henry.
He hain't refined as he'd ort to be
To fit the statutes o' poetry,
Ner his clothes don't fit him--but _he_ fits _me_:
Old John Henry!

{140}

HER VALENTINE

Somebody's sent a funny little valentine to me.
It's a bunch of baby-roses in a vase of filigree,
And hovering above them--just as cute as he can be--
Is a fairy Cupid tangled in a scarf of poetry.

And the prankish little fellow looks so knowing in his glee,
With his golden bow and arrow, aiming most unerringly
At a pair of hearts so labeled that I may read and see
That one is meant for "One Who Loves," and one is meant for me.

But I know the lad who sent it! It's as plain as A-B-C!--
For the roses they are _blushing_, and the vase stands _awkwardly_,
And the little god above it--though as cute as he can be--
Can not breathe the lightest whisper of his burning love for me.

{141}

[Illustration: Christmas greeting--headpiece]

CHRISTMAS GREETING

A word of Godspeed and good cheer
To all on earth, or far or near,
Or friend or foe, or thine or mine--
In echo of the voice divine,
Heard when the star bloomed forth and lit
The world's face, with God's smile on it.

{142}

[Illustration: Abe Martin--headpiece]

ABE MARTIN

Abe Martin!--dad-burn his old picture!
P'tends he's a Brown County fixture--
A kind of a comical mixture
Of hoss-sense and no sense at all!
His mouth, like his pipe, '