II
All aboard for the Land o’ Dreams!
(One for the money and two for the show!)
All aboard for the Land o’ Dreams!
(Three to make ready and four to go!)
The whistles sound,
And the wheels go ’round,
And the bright green fields slip past;
The passenger’s here and the track is clear
To the Land o’ Dreams at last!
THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
SOMETIMES at night I get awake
And all’s so dark and still—
Why I’m ’bout scared even to take
A deep-down breath, until
I peer ’round first and try to see
If ev’rything’s all right!
For the terriblest things can be,—
The Middle of the Night.
I want so much to cry right out—
But I am awful ’fraid!
’Cause, if those black things were about,
They’d hear the noise I made.
And mother sleeps so very sound,
She mightn’t hear, you see,
And then they’d make a great big bound
And run away with me.
So I lie just still as I can—
My heart a-thumping so!
Wishing I were a great big man,
So I’d not scare, you know.
When oh!—the covers pull away
And just as I begin
To scream—why, I hear mother say
It’s her tucking them in!
WHEN OUR FATHERS WERE LITTLE BOYS
WHEN our fathers were little boys,
Before they grew to men,
I wonder did they make a noise
Or have a good time then?
I wonder did they ever fight
And punch each other’s nose?
Or if they always did just right
And never spoiled their clothes.
I wonder did their mothers scold
Sometimes and make them cry?
I wonder if they ever told
A teeny-weeny lie?
I wonder if they ever had
Such dirty hands and face?
I wonder were they ever mad
And banged things ’round the place?
I wonder did they ever run
To fires hard as they could?
Or if they called it better fun
To sit still and be good?
I wonder were they ever small
And kept back in the shade?
Or didn’t they have to grow at all,
But just come ready made?
SLUMBER LAND
TO all: “Good-night!”
Two eyes shut tight
And baby’s bound for Slumber,
The land where all tired children go,
The land where white dream-flowers grow
Beyond my art to number:
Winks
And blinks
And nods all past—
Mother’s arms are sure and fast,
Off to Slumber Land at last,
The moonlit Land of Slumber!
THE NEW BROTHER
WE’ve got a new kid in our house;
And it ’bout gives me a fit,
The fuss that ev’rybody is
A-making over it.
All ’long I’ve been the pet, you see,
’Twas me they tried to please
But now, this other fellow has
Them all upon their knees!
He’s just about the ugliest!
And really doesn’t seem
Able to do another thing
But double up and scream.
He’s got no teeth, he’s got no hair,—
Worst curiosity!
I’d like some one to tell me why
He counts for more than me!