University of Virginia Library

So that'll do—all right! all right!
Now, Missis Cain she took a delight
In Tommy—reg'lar delight it was,
The decent woman! ye see, because
She was thinkin' the nice example he'd be
To all the rest of the family.
And it wasn' only eating either,
But just his conduct altogether—
Modest—and when the work was done
Of an everin', and every one
Was gettin' sleepy, Tommy would take
His book, and keep them all awake—
Beautiful readin'—and a lovely voice,
And the gels would say it was very nice,
And listen, grand; but the boys would be laughin',
And tryin' to carry on with their chaffin':
But the gels would shame them, and then they'd be quiet;
And then some of them would take and try it;
And then the gels would laugh till they were shakin'—
The idikkilis mistakes they were makin'—
And then they'd give in; and all the while
The misthress'd be havin' a little smile—
And Tommy as happy, and explainin' there—
A good-natured craythur, never fear!
And simple; and then he'd take the book,
And a gel would look, and a boy would look,
And back into a corner, and start
A little bit of courtin'—dear heart!
What harm?—And you'd hear a kiss go pop!
And the misthress would be lookin' up,
But noways cross, just a sort of surprise;
But Tommy 'd never lift his eyes.
What was he readin'? All sorts of things—
Lives of pessons—Queens and Kings—
Travels—history, you know—
Pilgrim's Progress—Robin Crusoe.