 | The harp and plow |  |
192
THE OLD POD-AUGER DAYS.
I saw an aged man at work—
He turned an auger round;
And ever and anon he 'd pause,
And meditate profound.
Good morning, friend, quoth I to him,—
Art thinking when to raise?
O, no! said he, I'm thinking on
The old ‘pod-auger days.’
He turned an auger round;
And ever and anon he 'd pause,
And meditate profound.
Good morning, friend, quoth I to him,—
Art thinking when to raise?
O, no! said he, I'm thinking on
The old ‘pod-auger days.’
True, by the hardest then we wrought,
With little extra aid;
But honor's were the things we bought,
And honor's those we made.
But now invention stalks abroad,
Deception dogs her ways;
Things different are from what they were
In old ‘pod-auger days.’
With little extra aid;
But honor's were the things we bought,
And honor's those we made.
But now invention stalks abroad,
Deception dogs her ways;
Things different are from what they were
In old ‘pod-auger days.’
Then homely was the fare we had,
And homespun what we wore;
Then scarce a niggard pulled the string
Inside his cabin door.
Then humbugs did n't fly so thick
As half the world to haze;
That sort of bug was scarcely known
In old ‘pod-auger days.’
And homespun what we wore;
Then scarce a niggard pulled the string
Inside his cabin door.
193
As half the world to haze;
That sort of bug was scarcely known
In old ‘pod-auger days.’
Then men were strong, and woman fair
Was hearty as the doe:
Then few so dreadful ‘feeble’ were,
They could n't knit and sew;
Then girls could sing, and they could work,
And thrum gridiron lays;
That sort of music took the palm
In old ‘pod-auger days.’
Was hearty as the doe:
Then few so dreadful ‘feeble’ were,
They could n't knit and sew;
Then girls could sing, and they could work,
And thrum gridiron lays;
That sort of music took the palm
In old ‘pod-auger days.’
Then men were patriots—rare, indeed,
An Arnold or a Burr;
They loved their country, and in turn
Were loved and blessed by her.
Then Franklin, Sherman, Rittenhouse
Earned well the nation's praise;
We 've not the Congress that we had
In old ‘pod-auger days.’
An Arnold or a Burr;
They loved their country, and in turn
Were loved and blessed by her.
Then Franklin, Sherman, Rittenhouse
Earned well the nation's praise;
We 've not the Congress that we had
In old ‘pod-auger days.’
Then, ‘slow and certain’ was the word;
Now, ‘dei'l the hindmost take;’
Then buyers rattled down the tin;
Now, words must payment make;
Then, murder-doing villians soon
Were decked in hempen bays;
We did n't murder in our sleep,
In old ‘pod-auger days.’
Now, ‘dei'l the hindmost take;’
Then buyers rattled down the tin;
Now, words must payment make;
Then, murder-doing villians soon
Were decked in hempen bays;
We did n't murder in our sleep,
In old ‘pod-auger days.’
194
So wags the world;—'t is well enough,
If Wisdom went by steam;
But in my day she used to drive
A plain old-fashioned team;
And Justice with her bandage off
Can now see choice in ways;
She used to sit blind-fold and stern
In old ‘pod-auger days.’
If Wisdom went by steam;
But in my day she used to drive
A plain old-fashioned team;
And Justice with her bandage off
Can now see choice in ways;
She used to sit blind-fold and stern
In old ‘pod-auger days.’
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