THE ANGEL'S VISIT

Do I believe in Angels? Yes.
And in their prowlings to and fro--
I entertained one long ago,
In guise of age and sore distress.

He clambered up the narrow stairs,
And by his heavenly smile I knew
He was a truant angel who
Had come to visit unawares.

"Rest thee, old man," I gayly cried,
"And share my humble couch and cheer--
Thou shalt not want for comfort here--
My home and heart are open wide."

Relieved of temporary cares,
The old man laid him down and slept;
And in my thankfulness I wept--
I'd entertained him unawares!

I never shall forget that night,
My happy dreams, my slumbers sound,
And when I woke at noon I found
My angel vanished out of sight.

Perhaps in years that are to be
That angel will return, and yet
I sometimes fear he may forget
To bring my overcoat to me.

Eugene Field (1850-95)


THE DUEL

The gingham dog and the calico cat
Side by side on the table sat;
'Twas half-past twelve, and (what do you think!)
Nor one nor t' other had slept a wink!
The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate
Appeared to know as sure as fate
There was going to be a terrible spat.

(I wasn't there; I simply state
What was told to me by the Chinese plate!)

The gingham dog went "bow-wow-wow!"
And the calico cat replied "mee-ow!"
The air was littered, an hour or so,
With bits of gingham and calico,
While the old Dutch clock in the chimney-place
Up with its hands before its face,
For it always dreaded a family row!

(Now mind: I'm only telling you What the old Dutch clock declares is true!)

The Chinese plate looked very blue,
And wailed, "Oh, dear! what shall we do!"
But the gingham dog and the calico cat
Wallowed this way and tumbled that,
Employing every tooth and claw
In the awfullest way you ever saw--
And, oh! how the gingham and calico flew!

(Don't fancy I exaggerate-- I got my news from the Chinese plate!)

Next morning, where the two had sat
They found no trace of dog or cat;
And some folks think unto this day
That burglars stole that pair away!
But the truth about the cat and pup
Is this: they ate each other up!
Now what do you really think of that!

(The old Dutch clock it told me so, And that is how I came to know.)

Eugene Field (1850-95)


SEEIN' THINGS

I AIN'T AFEARD UV SNAKES, OR TOADS, OR BUGS, OR WORMS, OR MICE,
AN' THINGS'AT GIRLS ARE SKEERED UV I THINK ARE AWFUL NICE!
I'M PRETTY BRAVE, I GUESS; AN' YET I HATE TO GO TO BED,
FOR, WHEN I'M TUCKED UP WARM AN' SNUG AN' WHEN MY PRAYERS ARE SAID,
MOTHER TELLS ME "HAPPY DREAMS!" AN' TAKES AWAY THE LIGHT
AN' LEAVES ME LYIN' ALL ALONE AN' SEEING' THINGS AT NIGHT!


SOMETIMES THEY'RE IN THE CORNER, SOMETIMES THEY'RE BY THE DOOR,
SOMETIMES THEY'RE ALL A-STANDIN' IN THE MIDDLE UV THE FLOOR;
SOMETIMES THEY ARE A-SITTING DOWN, SOMETIMES THEY'RE WALKING ROUND
SO SOFTLY AND SO CREEPYLIKE THEY NEVER MAKE A SOUND!
SOMETIMES THEY ARE AS BLACK AS INK, AN' OTHER TIMES THEY'RE WHITE----
BUT THE COLOR AIN'T NO DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU SEE THINGS AT NIGHT!


ONCE, WHEN I LICKED A FELLER 'AT HAD JUST MOVED ON OUR STREET,
AN' FATHER SENT ME UP TO BED WITHOUT A BITE TO EAT;
I WOKE UP IN THE DARK AN' SAW THINGS STANDIN' IN A ROW,
A-LOOKING' AT ME CROSS-EYED AN' P'INTIN' AT ME---SO!
OH MY! I WUZ SO SKEERED THAT TIME I NEVER SLEPT A MITE--
IT'S ALMOST ALLUZ WHEN I'M BAD I SEE THINGS AT NIGHT!


AN'SO, WHEN OTHER NAUGHTY BOYS WOULD COAX ME INTO SIN,
I TRY TO SKWUSH THE TEMPTER'S VOICE 'AT URGES ME WITHIN:
AN' WHEN THEY'S PIE FOR SUPPER, OR CAKES 'AT'S BIG AN' NICE,
I WANT TO---BUT I DO NOT PASS MY PLATE F'R THEM THINGS
TWICE!
NO, RUTHER LET STARVATION WIPE ME SLOWLY OUT OF O' SIGHT
THAN I SHOULD KEEP A-LIVIN' ON AN' SEEIN' THINGS AT NIGHT!


EUGENE FIELD (1850-1895)


JEST 'FORE CHRISTMAS

Father calls me William, sister calls me Will,
Mother calls me Willie, but the fellers call me 'Bill!
Mighty glad I ain't a girl --ruther be a boy,
Without them sashes, curls, an' things that's worn by Fauntleroy!
Love to chawnk green apples an' go swimmin' in the lake --
Hate to take the castor-ile they give for belly-ache!
'Most all the time, the whole year round, there ain't no flies on me,
But jest 'fore Christmas I'm as good as I kin be!

Got a yeller dog named Sport, sick him on the cat;
First thing she knows she doesn't know where she is at!
Got a clipper sled, an' when us kids goes out to slide,
'Long comes the grocery cart, an' we all hook a ride!
But sometimes when the grocery man is worrited an' cross,
He reaches at us wis his whip, an' larrups up his hoss,
An' then I laff an' holler, "Oh, ye never teched me!
But jest 'fore Christmas I'm as good as I kin be!

Gran'ma says she hopes that when I git to be a man,
I'll be a missionarer like her oldest brother, Dan,
as was et up by the cannibuls that lives in Ceylon's Isle,
Where every prospeck pleases, an' only man is vile!
But gran'ma she has never been to see a Wild West show,
Nor read the Life of Daniel Boone, or else I guess she'd know
That Buff'lo Bill an' cow-boys is good enough for me!
Excep' jest 'fore Christmas, when I'm good as I kin be!

And then old Sport he hangs around, so solemn-like an' still,
His eyes they seem a-sayin': "What's the matter, little Bill?"
The old cat sneaks down off her perch an' wonders what's become
Of them two enemies of hern that used to make things hum!
But I am so perlite an' 'tend so earnestly to biz,
That mother says to father: "How improved our Willie is!"
But father, havin' beeen a boy hisself, suspicions me
When, jest 'for Christmas, I'm as good as I kin be!

For Christmas, with its lot an lots of candies, cakes, an' toys,
Was made, they say, for proper kids, an' not for naughty boys;
So wash yer face an' bresh yer hair, an' mind yer p's and q's,
An' don't bust out yer pantaloons, and don't wear out yer shoes'
Say "Yessum" to the the ladies, an' "Yessur" to the men,
An' when they's company , don't pass yer plate for pie again;
But, thinkin' of the things yer'd like see upon that tree,
Jest 'fore Christmas be as good as yer kin be!

Eugene Field


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