We got up a Christmas-doin's
Last Christmas Eve--
Kindo' dimonstration
'At I railly believe
Give more satisfaction--
Take it up and down--
Than ary intertainment
Ever come to town!
Railly was a _theater_--
That's what it was,--
But, bein' in the church, you know,
We had a "_Santy Clause_"--
So 's to git the _old folks_
To patternize, you see,
And _back_ the institootion up
Kindo' _morally_.
Schoolteacher writ the thing--
(Was a friend o' mine),
Got it out o' Longfeller's
Pome "Evangeline"--
Er some'rs--'bout the _Purituns_--.
_Anyway_, the part
"_John Alden_" fell to _me_--
And learnt it all by heart!
Claircy was "_Percilly_"--
(Schoolteacher 'lowed
Me and her could act them two
Best of all the crowd)--
Then--blame ef he didn't
Git her Pap, i jing!--
To take the part o' "_Santy Clause_,"
To wind up the thing.
Law! the fun o' practisun!--
Was a week er two
Me and Claircy didn't have
Nothin' else to do!--
Kep' us jes a-meetin' round,
Kindo' here and there,
Ever' night rehearsin'-like,
And gaddin' ever'where!
Game was wo'th the candle, though!--
Christmas Eve at last
Rolled around.--And 'tendance jes
Couldn't been surpa**ed!--
Neighbors from the country
Come from Clay and Rush--
Yes, and 'crost the county-line
Clean from Puckerbrush!
Meetin'-house jes trimbled
As "Old Santy" went
Round amongst the childern,
With their pepperment
And sa**afrac and wintergreen
Candy, and "a ball
O' popcorn," the preacher 'nounced,
"Free fer each and all!"
Schoolteacher suddently
Whispered in my ear,--
"Guess I got you:--_Christmas-gift_!--
_Christmas is here_!"
I give _him_ a gold pen,
And case to hold the thing,--
And _Claircy_ whispered "_Christmas-gift_!"
And I give her a _ring_.
"And now," says I, "jes watch _me_--
Christmas-gift," says I,
"_I'm_ a-goin' to git one--
'_Santy's_' comin' by!"--
Then I rech and grabbed him:
And, as you'll infer,
'Course I got the old man's,
And _he_ gimme _her_!