PAP'S OLD SAYIN’

Pap had one old-fashioned sayin’

That I'll never quite fergit —

And they's seven growed-up childern

Of us rickollects it yit!—

Settin’ round the dinner-table,

Talkin’‘ bout our friends, perhaps,

Er abusin’ of our neghbors,

I kin hear them words o’ Pap's —

“Shet up, and eat yer vittels!”

Pap he'd never argy with us,

Ner cut any subject short

Whilse we all kep’ clear o’ gossip,

And wuz actin’ as we ort:

But ef we'd git out o’ order —

Like sometimes a fambly is,—

Faultin’ folks, er one another,

Then we'd hear that voice o’ his —

“Shet up, and eat yer vittels!”

Wuz no hand hisse'f at talkin’ —

Never had n't much to say,—

Only, as I said, pervidin’

When we'd rile him thataway:

Then he'd allus lose his temper

Spite o’ fate, and jerk his head

And slam down his caseknife vicious’

Whilse he glared around and said —

“Shet up, and eat yer vittels!”

Mind last time‘ at Pap was ailin’

With a misery in his side,

And had hobbled in the kitchen —

Jest the day before he died,—

Laury Jane she ups and tells him,

“Pap, you're pale as pale kin be —

Hai n't ye‘ feard them-air cowcumbers

Hai n't good fer ye?” And says he,

“Shet up, and eat yer vittels!”

Well! I've saw a-many a sorrow,—

Forty year’, through thick and thin;

I've got best,— and I've got wors'ted,

Time and time and time ag'in!—

But I've met a-many a trouble

That I hai n't run onto twice,

Haltin’ - like and thinkin’ over

Them-air words o’ Pap's advice:

“Shet up, and eat yer vittels!”