He’s got a mess o’ troubles on his mind,

And likes to keep ’em underneath his hat.

And p’raps because he isn’t very strong

On talkin’, why, he’s kind o’ weak on ink;

But he can work like sin the whole year long,

And, crickey, how that dad o’ mine can think!

When I set out from Homeville last July,

He didn’t bawl the way my sister did;

He just shook hands and says, “Well, boy, goodbye.”

(He’s got his feelin’s, but he keeps ’em hid.)