James Riley - Home Again With Me

"As love of native land," the old man said,
'Er stars and stripes a-wavin' overhead,
Er nearest kith-and-kin, er daily bread,
A Hoosier's love is for the old homestead."

I'M a-feelin' ruther sad,
Fer a father proud and glad
As I am – my only child
Home, and all so rickonciléd! —
Feel so strange-like, and don't know
What the mischief ails me so! —

'Stid o' bad , I ort to be
Feelin' good pertickerly —
Yes, and extry thankful, too, —
'Cause my nearest kith-and-kin,
My Elviry's schoolin' 's through,
And I' got her home ag'in —
Home ag'in with me!

My Elviry's schoolin' 's through,
And I' got her home ag'in —
Same as ef her mother'd bin
Livin', I have done my best
By the girl, and watchfulest;
Nussed her – keerful' as I could —
From a baby, day and night, —
Drawin' on the neighberhood
And the women-folks as light
As needsessity 'u'd 'low —
'Cept in "teethin'," onc't, and fight
Through black-measles…

Same as ef her mother'd bin
Livin', I have done my best
Don't know now
How we ever saved the child!
Doc hed give her up, and said
(As I stood there by the bed
Sort o' foolin' with her hair
On the hot wet piller there)
"Wuz no use!" – And at them-air
Very words she waked and smiled —
Yes, and knowed me. And that's where
I broke down, and simply jes
Bellered like a boy – I guess! —

Women claimed I did, but I
Alius helt I didn't cry
But wuz laughin', – and I wuz , —
(Men don't cry like women does!)
Well, right then and there I felt
'T 'uz her mother's doin's, and,
Jes like to myse'f, I knelt,
Whisperin' " I understand ."…

So I've raised her, you might say,
Stric'ly in the narrer way
'At her mother walked therein —
Not so quite religiously