University of Virginia Library


455

TO JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY

It's ho-my-Riley! kaze all thu my dreams
You er allers a-skippin' dat Jim-along-Jeems
Wid Jim-along-Joe twel it natchally seems
You er here sho 'nough, whar you oughter be,
A-bangin' aroun' an' a-loafin' wid me—
An' I wish you wuz—Yes-sir-eee!
Well, dish yer book, it b'longs ter you,
Kaze you up'd an' tol' me what to do,
An' when ter blow on my fil-a-ma-loo:
An' I went an' done it, des ez you say,
Sometimes in de night, sometimes in de day,
An' when folks pestered, I had um sont away.
Now ol' Gabe Tolliver, he was a shame,
A little too long, an' a little too tame,
An' dish yer's de book dat oughter have yo' name
Den it's ho-my-Riley! I hope you feelin' fine,
But you'd feel lots better wid me an' mine,
A watchin' dat mocker in de honeysuckle vine!
Affectionately yours, Joel Chandler Harris. Christmas, 1904.