University of Virginia Library

Search this document 

expand section1. 
expand section2. 
expand section3. 
expand section4. 
expand section5. 
expand section6. 
expand section7. 
collapse section8. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
expand section 
  
  
  
expand section 
  
  
  
  
  
expand section 
  
  
  
  
THE LISPER
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
expand section 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
expand section9. 


2111

THE LISPER

Elsie mingus lisps, she does!
She lives wite acrosst from us
In Miz. Ayers'uz house 'at she
Rents part to the Mingusuz.—
Yes, an' Elsie plays wiv me.
Elsie lisps so, she can't say
Her own name, ist anyway!—
She say “Elthy”—like they wuz
Feathers on her words, an' they
Ist stick on her tongue like fuzz.
My! she's purty, though!—An' when
She lisps, w'y, she's purty nen!
When she telled me, wunst, her doll
Wuz so “thweet,” an' I p'ten'
I lisp too,—she laugh'—'at's all!—
She don't never git mad none—
'Cause she know I'm ist in fun.—
Elsie she ain't one bit sp'iled.—
Of all childerns—ever' one—
She's the ladylikest child!—

2112

My Ma say she is! One time
Elsie start to say the rhyme
“Thing a thong o' thixpenth”—Whee!
I ist yell! An' Ma say I'm
Unpolite as I can be!
Wunst I went wiv Ma to call
On Elsie's Ma, an' eat an' all;
An' nen Elsie, when we've et,
An' we're playin' in the hall,
Elsie say: It's etikett
Fer young gentlemens, like me,
Eatin' when they's company,
Not to never ever crowd
Down their food, ner “thip their tea
Ner thup thoop so awful loud!”