 | The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley |  |
1221
JIM
He was jes' a plain, ever'-day, all-round kind of a jour.,
Consumpted-lookin'—but la!
The jokeiest, wittiest, story-tellin', song-singin', laughin'est, jolliest
Feller you ever saw!
Worked at jes' coarse work, but you kin bet he was fine enough in his talk,
And his feelin's too!
Lordy! ef he was on'y back on his bench ag'in to-day, a-carryin' on
Like he ust to do!
Consumpted-lookin'—but la!
The jokeiest, wittiest, story-tellin', song-singin', laughin'est, jolliest
Feller you ever saw!
Worked at jes' coarse work, but you kin bet he was fine enough in his talk,
And his feelin's too!
Lordy! ef he was on'y back on his bench ag'in to-day, a-carryin' on
Like he ust to do!
Any shopmate'll tell you there never was, on top o' dirt,
A better feller'n Jim!
You want a favor, and couldn't git it anywheres else—
You could git it o' him!
Most free-heartedest man thataway in the world, I guess!
Give up ever' nickel he's worth—
And, ef you'd a-wanted it, and named it to him, and it was his,
He'd 'a' give you the earth!
A better feller'n Jim!
You want a favor, and couldn't git it anywheres else—
You could git it o' him!
Most free-heartedest man thataway in the world, I guess!
Give up ever' nickel he's worth—
And, ef you'd a-wanted it, and named it to him, and it was his,
He'd 'a' give you the earth!
1222
Allus a-reachin' out, Jim was, and a-he'ppin' some
Pore feller on to his feet—
He'd 'a' never 'a' keered how hungry he was hisse'f,
So's the feller got somepin' to eat!
Didn't make no differ'nce at all to him how he was dressed,
He ust to say to me,—
“You togg out a tramp purty comfortable in winter-time, a-huntin' a job,
And he'll git along!” says he.
Pore feller on to his feet—
He'd 'a' never 'a' keered how hungry he was hisse'f,
So's the feller got somepin' to eat!
Didn't make no differ'nce at all to him how he was dressed,
He ust to say to me,—
“You togg out a tramp purty comfortable in winter-time, a-huntin' a job,
And he'll git along!” says he.
Jim didn't have, ner never could git ahead, so overly much
O' this world's goods at a time.—
'Fore now I've saw him, more'n onc't, lend a dollar, and haf to, more'n likely,
Turn round and borry a dime!
Mebby laugh and joke about it hisse'f fer a while—then jerk his coat,
And kind o' square his chin,
Tie on his apern, and squat hisse'f on his old shoe-bench,
And go to peggin' ag'in!
O' this world's goods at a time.—
'Fore now I've saw him, more'n onc't, lend a dollar, and haf to, more'n likely,
Turn round and borry a dime!
Mebby laugh and joke about it hisse'f fer a while—then jerk his coat,
And kind o' square his chin,
Tie on his apern, and squat hisse'f on his old shoe-bench,
And go to peggin' ag'in!
Patientest feller, too, I reckon, 'at ever jes' natchurly
Coughed hisse'f to death!
Long enough after his voice was lost he'd laugh in a whisper and say
He could git ever'thing but his breath—
“You fellers,” he'd sort o' twinkle his eyes and say,
“Is a-pilin' on to me
A mighty big debt fer that-air little weak-chested ghost o' mine to pack
Through all Eternity!”
Coughed hisse'f to death!
Long enough after his voice was lost he'd laugh in a whisper and say
He could git ever'thing but his breath—
1223
“Is a-pilin' on to me
A mighty big debt fer that-air little weak-chested ghost o' mine to pack
Through all Eternity!”
Now there was a man 'at jes' 'peared-like, to me,
'At ortn't 'a' never 'a' died!
“But death hain't a-showin' no favors,” the old boss said—
“On'y to Jim!” and cried:
And Wigger, who puts up the best sewed-work in the shop—
Er the whole blame neighberhood,—
He says, “When God made Jim, I bet you He didn't do anything else that day
But jes' set around and feel good!”
'At ortn't 'a' never 'a' died!
“But death hain't a-showin' no favors,” the old boss said—
“On'y to Jim!” and cried:
And Wigger, who puts up the best sewed-work in the shop—
Er the whole blame neighberhood,—
He says, “When God made Jim, I bet you He didn't do anything else that day
But jes' set around and feel good!”
| The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley | |