 | Songs of two centuries |  |
24
EXCEPTIN' TOM.
'Twas on a cloudy winter day,
An' snow was gently fallin',
When Tom an' I upon the sleigh
A heavy load was haulin';
We was committee—him an' me—
To find the annual Christmas-tree
(With thanks for all our toil an' search),
To deck the Presbyterian church.
An' snow was gently fallin',
When Tom an' I upon the sleigh
A heavy load was haulin';
We was committee—him an' me—
To find the annual Christmas-tree
(With thanks for all our toil an' search),
To deck the Presbyterian church.
It wasn't any little shrub
With which we two was dealin'—
We knowed the top would almos' rub
The meetin'-house's ceilin';
Two yoke of oxen drawed in line,
An' one was Tom's an' one was mine;
An' trudgin' 'long, we fell, we two,
A-gossipin' like women do.
With which we two was dealin'—
We knowed the top would almos' rub
The meetin'-house's ceilin';
Two yoke of oxen drawed in line,
An' one was Tom's an' one was mine;
An' trudgin' 'long, we fell, we two,
A-gossipin' like women do.
We done our own longcomin's brown,
An' other people's knavery;
We talked of all the girls in town,
Not countin' Gretchen Avery.
We wasn't on speakin' terms that day
Regardin' her, as one might say;
She had two would-be beaux, you see,
An' one was Tom an' one was me.
An' other people's knavery;
We talked of all the girls in town,
Not countin' Gretchen Avery.
We wasn't on speakin' terms that day
Regardin' her, as one might say;
She had two would-be beaux, you see,
An' one was Tom an' one was me.
25
But Tom he acted over-bright
For one with even chances;
An' hinted of the past delight
Of parin'-bees an' dances;
And how some one a gift would get
To drive 'em farther into debt;
An' other little hints, in jerks,
That started up my thinkin'-works.
For one with even chances;
An' hinted of the past delight
Of parin'-bees an' dances;
And how some one a gift would get
To drive 'em farther into debt;
An' other little hints, in jerks,
That started up my thinkin'-works.
The tree was taller still that night,
As if't had been a-growin',
With presents on it fair an' bright
An' candles near 'em glowin',
And all the folks for miles aroun'
Had brought their presents into town:
The tree bore all things, sweet an' sour,
From candy-sticks to bags of flour.
As if't had been a-growin',
With presents on it fair an' bright
An' candles near 'em glowin',
And all the folks for miles aroun'
Had brought their presents into town:
The tree bore all things, sweet an' sour,
From candy-sticks to bags of flour.
An' Tom an' I each other sought,
Bein' fellow-men in slavery;
But he, the sly, a gift had brought,
To hang for Gretchen Avery.
'Twas somethin' in the jewel line—
I watched him peek, and saw it shine;
He gave a switchin' look at me
An' went an' put it on the tree.
Bein' fellow-men in slavery;
But he, the sly, a gift had brought,
To hang for Gretchen Avery.
'Twas somethin' in the jewel line—
I watched him peek, and saw it shine;
He gave a switchin' look at me
An' went an' put it on the tree.
An' then I says: “I won't be beat
In cunnin' or in bravery!”
An' so I went an' sought a seat
Adjoinin' Gretchen Avery.
An' she was rather kind, for her—
More like a sister, as it were;
An' fluttered some'at from her perch,
There in the Presbyterian church.
In cunnin' or in bravery!”
An' so I went an' sought a seat
Adjoinin' Gretchen Avery.
An' she was rather kind, for her—
More like a sister, as it were;
An' fluttered some'at from her perch,
There in the Presbyterian church.
She asked me all about the tree,
An' where I found it growin';
An' whispered, thanks was due to me,
For such a boon bestowin';
But I was minded to be fair,
An' spoke her honest, then an' there:
“Tom is the man for you to see:
He worked four times as hard as me.”
An' where I found it growin';
An' whispered, thanks was due to me,
For such a boon bestowin';
26
An' spoke her honest, then an' there:
“Tom is the man for you to see:
He worked four times as hard as me.”
An' then she glanced at Thomas, near,
An' smiled unduly pleasant;
An' then I spoke up: “Say, see here:
Suppose one gets a present
On yonder tree, as well they may—
Then shouldn't they take it, anyway?”
An' quick at me the words she thrust:
“How can you ask? Of course they must!”
An' smiled unduly pleasant;
An' then I spoke up: “Say, see here:
Suppose one gets a present
On yonder tree, as well they may—
Then shouldn't they take it, anyway?”
An' quick at me the words she thrust:
“How can you ask? Of course they must!”
So when they all marched round, you see,
Their gifts to be a-fetchin',
I gave a jump into the tree,
Right there in front of Gretchen:
An' words was nowhere near my tongue,
But on my arm a motto hung:
“This is a present, all can see,
To Gretchen Avery—made by me.”
Their gifts to be a-fetchin',
I gave a jump into the tree,
Right there in front of Gretchen:
An' words was nowhere near my tongue,
But on my arm a motto hung:
“This is a present, all can see,
To Gretchen Avery—made by me.”
Now wasn't she a han'some show,
To all the people gazin'?
An' now she looked like drifted snow,
An' then like sunsets blazin';
Then like a queen she stood up there,
An' never flinched or flecked a hair;
But sweetly said to Elder Brown:
“Please kindly hand my present down?”
To all the people gazin'?
An' now she looked like drifted snow,
An' then like sunsets blazin';
Then like a queen she stood up there,
An' never flinched or flecked a hair;
But sweetly said to Elder Brown:
“Please kindly hand my present down?”
An' goin' home, she says to me,
In tones that still is haunted:
“I think tonight that all I see
Got just the gift they wanted.”
And I didn't say much in our walk,
Not bein' strong upon the talk;
But couldn't sift my feelings from
The pityin' words: “Exceptin' Tom!”
In tones that still is haunted:
“I think tonight that all I see
Got just the gift they wanted.”
And I didn't say much in our walk,
Not bein' strong upon the talk;
But couldn't sift my feelings from
The pityin' words: “Exceptin' Tom!”
| Songs of two centuries | |