THOUGHTS THOUGHT ABOUT MA'S NOTIONS REGARDIN’ LOVE AND HOUSE-KEEPIN’

When sister Maymie saidst she'd like to learn

To sweep the keys of a piano-forte,

Ma she spoke up and cut her right off short

And saidst she'd rather that a girl of her‘ n

Shouldst know just how to sweep a room, nor spurn

A poor but honest man, for that's the sort

Pa wast. And ma insists no woman ort

To spend more money than a man canst earn.

A kid-gloved dandy with a stove-pipe hat

Wed ma's proud cousin. Say, but he wast sly!

“Our home shalt be next thing to Heaven!” That

Wast what he vowed. Ma says that that's no lie

For they art packed into a stingy flat

Four stairways up, and plumb against the sky!