LIL’ FELLER

When th.’ sunshine's golden-yeller

Like th’ curls upon his head,

Then he wakes — th’ lil’ feller —

An’ he jumps up, outen bed;

An’ he scrambles fer his knickers

Flung, perhaps, upon th’ floor,

An’ he takes his hat ( my old‘ un ),

An’ he races through th’ door —

An’ I hear his voice, a-singin’,

In his odd, ole-fashioned way,

‘ Cause he's glad — th’ lil’ feller —

In th’ mornin’ o’ the day.

Kinder makes me feel, well, lazy,

So I hurry up, outside,

Where th’ mountains smile down, friendly —

And th’ earth looks sorter wide;

An’ I hear his voice a-callin’,

Sayin’, “Daddy, come an’ see!”

An’ I find him makin’ gardens

Where a rock pile uster be —

An’ I shout, “How goes it, sonny?”

An’ my heart feels light an’ gay,

Fer he's singin’ — lil’ feller —

In th’ mornin’ o’ th’ day.

Lil’ feller, an’ his gardens!

It do n't matter much ter him,

If th’ hoein's hard an’ tedgious,

An’ th’ crop he grows is slim;

Fer he loves ter be a-workin’,

An’ he loves ter see things start

Outer nothin’.... There's a garden

In th’ rock-bed o’ my heart

That he's planted, just by singin’

In his odd, ole-fashioned way —

‘ Cause he's glad, MY LIL’ FELLER,

In th’ mornin’ o’ th’ day!