EPHRUM KEPT THREE DOGS
Ephrum Eels he had to scratch durned hard to
keep ahead,
—But he always kept three dogs.
He couldn’t keep a dollar bill to save his life,
they said,
—But he always kept three dogs.
He said he might have been some one if he’d
had half a chance,
But getting grub from day to day giv’ Ephrum
such a dance,
He never got where he could shed the patches
off his pants;
—But he always kept three dogs.
Ephrum’s young ones never looked as though
they was half-fed,
—But he always kept three dogs.
The house would be so cold his folks would
have to go to bed;
—But Ephrum kept three dogs.
One was sort of setter dog and two of ’em was
houn’s,
Their skins was full of Satan; they was always
on their roun’s,
Till people durned their pictures in half a dozen
towns,
—But Ephrum kept his dogs.
They ’bated Ephrum’s poll-tax’cause he was too
poor to pay,
—But Ephrum kept his dogs.
How he scraped up cash to license ’em it ain’t
in me to say,
—But I know he kept his dogs.
And when a suff’rin’ neighbor ambuscaded ’em,
Eph swore—
Then in a kind of homesick way he hustled
round for more;
He struck a lucky bargain and, by thunder, he
bought four!
—Jest kept on a-keepin’ dogs.