"--
I'd never been West, anyhow--a most too wild fer _me_
I'd allus had a notion; but a lawyer here in town
Said I'd find myself mistakened when I come to look around.
So I bids good-bye to Mother, and I jumps aboard the train,
A-thinkin' what I'd bring her when I come back home again--
And ef she'd had an idy what the present was to be,
I think it's more'n likely she'd a-went along with me!
Cars is awful tejus ridin', fer all they go so fast!
But finally they called out my stoppin'-place at last;
And that night, at the tavern, I dreamp' _I_ was a train
O' cars, and _skeered_ at sompin', runnin' down a country lane!
Well, in the mornin' airly--after huntin' up the man--
The lawyer who was wantin' to swap the piece o' land--
We started fer the country; and I ast the history
Of the farm--its former owner--and so-forth, etcetery!
And--well--it was inte_rest_in'--I su'prised him, I suppose,
By the loud and frequent manner in which I blowed my nose!--
But his surprise was greater, and it made him wonder more,
When I kissed and hugged the widder when she met us at the door!--
_It was Mary:_ They's a feelin' a-hidin' down in here--
Of course I can't explain it, ner ever make it clear.--
It was with us in that meetin', I don't want you to fergit!
And it makes me kind o' nervous when I think about it yit!
I _bought_ that farm, and _deeded_ it, afore I left the town,
With "title clear to mansions in the skies," to Mary Brown!
And fu'thermore, I took her and _the childern_--fer, you see,
They'd never seed their Grandma--and I fetched 'em home with me.
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