The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley in ten volumes |
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 | The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley |  |
1852
OUR QUEER OLD WORLD
Fer them 'at's here in airliest infant stages,
It's a hard world:
Fer them 'at gits the knocks of boyhood's ages,
It's a mean world:
Fer them 'at nothin's good enough they're gittin',
It's a bad world:
Fer them 'at learns at last what's right and fittin',
It's a good world.
—The Hired Man
It's a hard world:
Fer them 'at gits the knocks of boyhood's ages,
It's a mean world:
Fer them 'at nothin's good enough they're gittin',
It's a bad world:
Fer them 'at learns at last what's right and fittin',
It's a good world.
—The Hired Man
It's a purty hard world you find, my child—
It's a purty hard world you find!
You fight, little rascal! and kick and squall,
And snort out medicine, spoon and all!
When you're here longer you'll change your mind
And simmer down sort o'half-rickonciled.
But now—Jee!—
My!-mun-nee!
It's a purty hard world, my child!
It's a purty hard world you find!
You fight, little rascal! and kick and squall,
And snort out medicine, spoon and all!
When you're here longer you'll change your mind
And simmer down sort o'half-rickonciled.
But now—Jee!—
My!-mun-nee!
It's a purty hard world, my child!
It's a purty mean world you're in, my lad—
It's a purty mean world you're in!
We know, of course, in your schoolboy-days
It's a world of too many troublesome ways
Of tryin' things over and startin' ag'in,—
Yit your chance beats what your parents had.
But now—Oh!
Fire-and-tow!
It's a purty mean world, my lad!
It's a purty mean world you're in!
We know, of course, in your schoolboy-days
It's a world of too many troublesome ways
Of tryin' things over and startin' ag'in,—
1853
But now—Oh!
Fire-and-tow!
It's a purty mean world, my lad!
It's a purty bad world you've struck, young chap—
It's a purty bad world you've struck—
But study the cards that you hold, you know,
And your hopes will sprout and your mustache grow,
And your store-clothes likely will change your luck,
And you'll rake a rich ladybird into your lap!
But now—Doubt
All things out.—
It's a purty bad world, young chap!
It's a purty bad world you've struck—
But study the cards that you hold, you know,
And your hopes will sprout and your mustache grow,
And your store-clothes likely will change your luck,
And you'll rake a rich ladybird into your lap!
But now—Doubt
All things out.—
It's a purty bad world, young chap!
It's a purty good world this is, old man—
It's a purty good world this is!
For all its follies and shows and lies—
Its rainy weather, and cheeks likewise,
And age, hard-hearin' and rheumatiz.—
We're not a-faultin' the Lord's own plan—
All things 's jest
At their best.—
It's a purty good world, old man!
It's a purty good world this is!
For all its follies and shows and lies—
Its rainy weather, and cheeks likewise,
And age, hard-hearin' and rheumatiz.—
We're not a-faultin' the Lord's own plan—
All things 's jest
At their best.—
It's a purty good world, old man!
| The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley | |