When Day is Done

by Edgar A. Guest

When the laughter's gaily ringin' an' the room is filled with song,
I like, to sit an' watch 'em, all that glad an' merry throng,
For the ragtime they are playin' on the old piano there
Beats any high-toned music where the bright lights shine an' glare,
An' the racket they are makin' stirs my pulses more and more,
So I whisper in my gladness: that's what home's intended for.

Then I smile an' say to Mother, let 'em move the chairs about,
Let 'em frolic in the parlor, let 'em shove the tables out,
Jus' so long as they are near us, jus' so long as they will stay
By the fireplace we are keepin', harm will never come their way,
An' you'll never hear me grumble at the bills that keep me poor,
It's the finest part o' livin'—that's what home's intended for.

Safe at Home

Let the old fire blaze
An' the youngsters shout
An' the dog on the rug
Sprawl full length out,
An' Mother an' I
Sort o' settle down—
An' it's little we care
For the noisy town.

Oh, it's little we care
That the wind may blow,
An' the streets grow white
With the drifted snow;
We'll face the storm
With the break o' day,
But to-night we'll dream
An' we'll sing an' play.

We'll sit by the fire
Where it's snug an' warm,
An' pay no heed
To the winter storm;
With a sheltering roof
Let the blizzard roar;
We are safe at home—
Can a king say more?

That's all that counts
When the day is done:
The smiles of love
And the youngsters' fun,
The cares put down
With the evening gloam—
Here's the joy of all:
To be safe at home.

When Friends Drop In

It may be I'm old-fashioned, but the times I like the best
Are not the splendid parties with the women gaily dressed,
And the music tuned for dancing and the laughter of the throng,
With a paid comedian's antics or a hired musician's song,
But the quiet times of friendship, with the chuckles and the grin,
And the circle at the fireside when a few good friends drop in.

There's something 'round the fireplace that no club can imitate,
And no throng can ever equal just a few folks near the grate;
Though I sometimes like an opera, there's no music quite so sweet
As the singing of the neighbors that you're always glad to meet;
Oh, I know when they come calling that the fun will soon begin,
And I'm happiest those evenings when a few good friends drop in.