And then we went to the picture man. He's nice enough, I s'pose,
But what do you think he said to me? "You seem to be mostly clothes!"
So pa and the man made me undress, till all that I had on me
Was my shirtwaist slip—my arms and neck was bare as they both could be!
It made me feel umbarrassed! And then I guess that I nearly cried,
But pa just patted me on the head and said he was satisfied.
And now the pictures are finished up, and one is already framed;
But ma'll be mad, I am pretty sure—I know that I feel ashamed;
For all that you see is my head and neck—and not a bit of my dress—
She'll think I was funny to go down-town with so little on, I guess!
Yet pa says, "Never you mind, my dear—blame it on me or the man;
But mother will like it, you see if she don't—she wanted you, 'Lizabeth Ann."
THE SMALL BOY EXPLAINS
Some people say the sky is blue
Acause it's warshed by rains up there;
I dunno if 'at's so, do you?
And I don't care—and I don't care!
I ain't no sky, an' I don't like
To have my face warshed, anyhow;
My nurse says I'm a "naughty tike
To run away" or raise a row.
But ef she daubed mud on like this
A-purpose, so's the boys would play
With her—and not call her a "sis,"
She'd hate to warsh it all away!
That's why the blue sky'll never mean
A in-spi-ra-tion er a "joy";
A-course it can be nice an' clean—
It won't be called a "sissy-boy."
THE BOLD LOVER
He held her hand, and joy shone in his eyes;
The world and all therein to him was fair;
What mattered now the gloomy, lowering skies?
For what the future held he did not care!
He only knew he loved her and that she
Was everything a real sweetheart should be.
He held her hand.... The car was crowded, too;
The passengers could not suppress their smiles.
The love he felt, perhaps, obscured his view,
So wrapt was he in all her pretty wiles.
And when he kissed her rosy lips, a hush
Fell on them as they saw her slowly blush!