John Alden And Percilly.

    We got up a Christmas-doin's
        Last Christmas Eve -
    Kindo' dimonstration
        'At I railly believe
    Give more satisfaction -
        Take it up and down -
    Than ary intertainment
        Ever come to town!

    Railly was a theater -
        That's what it was, -
    But, bein' in the church, you know,
        We had a "Santy Clause" -
    So 's to git the old folks
        To patternize, you see,
    And back the institootion up
        Kindo' morally.

    Schoolteacher writ the thing -
        (Was a friend o' mine),
    Got it out o' Longfeller's
        Pome "Evangeline" -
    Er some'rs - 'bout the Purituns - .
        Anyway, the part
    "John Alden" fell to me -
        And learnt it all by heart!

    Claircy was "Percilly" -
        (Schoolteacher 'lowed
    Me and her could act them two
        Best of all the crowd) -
    Then - blame ef he didn't
        Git her Pap, i jing! -
    To take the part o' "Santy Clause,"
        To wind up the thing.

    Law! the fun o' practisun! -
        Was a week er two
    Me and Claircy didn't have
        Nothin' else to do! -
    Kep' us jes a-meetin' round,
        Kindo' here and there,
    Ever' night rehearsin'-like,
        And gaddin' ever'where!

    Game was wo'th the candle, though! -
        Christmas Eve at last
    Rolled around. - And 'tendance jes
        Couldn't been surpassed! -
    Neighbors from the country
        Come from Clay and Rush -
    Yes, and 'crost the county-line
        Clean from Puckerbrush!

    Meetin'-house jes trimbled
        As "Old Santy" went
    Round amongst the childern,
        With their pepperment
    And sassafrac and wintergreen
        Candy, and "a ball
    O' popcorn," the preacher 'nounced,
        "Free fer each and all!"

    Schoolteacher suddently
        Whispered in my ear, -
    "Guess I got you: - Christmas-gift! -
        Christmas is here!"
    I give him a gold pen,
        And case to hold the thing, -
    And Claircy whispered "Christmas-gift!"
        And I give her a ring.

    "And now," says I, "jes watch me -
    Christmas-gift," says I,
    "I'm a-goin' to git one -
    'Santy's' comin' by!" -
    Then I rech and grabbed him:
    And, as you'll infer,
    'Course I got the old man's,
    And he gimme her!

James Whitcomb Riley

James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. He was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and the "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and children's poetry respectively. Over his career, Riley authored approximately 1,000 poems, including "Little Orphant Annie" and "The Raggedy Man". His influence extended into the 20th century, and his works continued to be celebrated for their nostalgic and rural themes.

James Whitcomb Riley

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English

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Long Afore He Knowed Who Santy-Claus Wuz.

Jes' a little bit o' feller - I remember still, -
Ust to almost cry far Christmas, like a youngster will.
Fourth o' July's nothin' to it! - New-Year's ain't a smell:
Easter-Sunday - Circus-day - jes' all dead in the shell!
Lordy, though! at night, you know, to set around and hear
The old folks work the story off about the sledge and deer,
And "Santy" skootin' round the roof, all wrapped in fur and fuzz -
Long afore
            I knowed who
                            "Santy-Claus" wuz!

Ust to wait, and set up late, a week er two ahead:
Couldn't hardly keep awake, ner wouldn't go to bed:
Kittle stewin' on the fire, and Mother settin' here
Darnin' socks, and rockin' in the skreeky rockin'-cheer;
Pap gap', and wunder where it wuz the money went,
And quar'...

James Whitcomb Riley

Who Santy-Claus Wuz

Jes' a little bit o' feller - I remember still -
Ust to almost cry fer Christmas, like a youngster will.
Fourth o' July's nothin' to it! - New Year's ain't a smell!
Easter-Sunday - Circus-day - jes' all dead in the shell!
Lawzy, though! at night, you know, to set around an' hear
The old folks work the story off about the sledge an' deer,
An' "Santy" skootin' round the roof, all wrapt in fur an' fuzz -
Long afore
                I knowed who
                                "Santy-Claus" wuz!

Ust to wait, an' set up late, a week er two ahead;
Couldn't hardly keep awake, ner wouldn't go to bed;
Kittle stewin' on the fire, an' Mother settin' here
Darnin' socks, an' rockin' in the skreeky rockin'-cheer;
Pap gap', an' wonder where it wuz the money went,
An' quar'l ...

James Whitcomb Riley

Das Krist Kindel

I had fed the fire and stirred it, till the sparkles in delight
Snapped their saucy little fingers at the chill December night;
And in dressing-gown and slippers, I had tilted back "my throne" -
The old split-bottomed rocker - and was musing all alone.

I could hear the hungry Winter prowling round the outer door,
And the tread of muffled footsteps on the white piazza floor;
But the sounds came to me only as the murmur of a stream
That mingled with the current of a lazy-flowing dream.

Like a fragrant incense rising, curled the smoke of my cigar,
With the lamplight gleaming through it like a mist-enfolded star; -
And as I gazed, the vapor like a curtain rolled away,
With a sound of bells that tinkled, and the clatter of a sleigh.

And in a vision, painted like a pi...

James Whitcomb Riley

A Christmas Memory

Pa he bringed me here to stay
    'Til my Ma she's well. - An' nen
He's go' hitch up, Chris'mus-day,
    An' come take me back again
Wher' my Ma's at! Won't I be
Tickled when he comes fer me!

My Ma an' my A'nty they
    'Uz each-uvver's sisters. Pa -
A'nty telled me, th' other day, -
    He comed here an' married Ma....
A'nty said nen, "Go run play,
    I must work now!" ... An' I saw,
When she turn' her face away,
    She 'uz cryin'. - An' nen I
    'Tend-like I "run play" - an' cry.

This-here house o' A'nty's wher'
They 'uz borned - my Ma an' her! -
An' her Ma 'uz my Ma's Ma,
An' her Pa 'uz my Ma's Pa -


Ain't that funny? - An' they're dead:
An' this-here's "th' ole Homestead." -
An' my A'nty said, an' cried,

James Whitcomb Riley

Das Krist Kindel

I had fed the fire and stirred it, till the sparkles in delight
Snapped their saucy little fingers at the chill December night;
And in dressing-gown and slippers, I had tilted back "my throne"
The old split-bottomed rocker - and was musing all alone.

I could hear the hungry Winter prowling round the outer door,
And the tread of muffled footsteps on the white piazza floor;
But the sounds came to me only as the murmur of a stream
That mingled with the current of a lazy-flowing dream.

Like a fragrant incense rising, curled the smoke of my cigar,
With the lamplight gleaming through it like a mist-enfolded star;
And as I gazed, the vapor like a curtain rolled away,
With a sound of bells that tinkled, and the clatter of a sleigh.

And in a vision, painted like a pictur...

James Whitcomb Riley

A New Year's Time at Willards's

1
The Hired Man Talks

There's old man Willards; an' his wife;
An' Marg'et - S'repty's sister; an'
There's me - an' I'm the hired man;
An' Tomps McClure, you better yer life!

Well now, old Willards hain't so bad,
Considerin' the chance he's had.
Of course, he's rich, an' sleeps an' eats
Whenever he's a mind to: Takes
An' leans back in the Amen-seats
An' thanks the Lord fer all he makes.
That's purty much all folks has got
Ag'inst the old man, like as not!
But there's his woman - jes the turn
Of them-air two wild girls o' hern -
Marg'et an' S'repty - allus in
Fer any cuttin'-up concern -
Church festibals, and foolishin'
Round Christmas-trees, an' New Year's sprees -
Set up to watch the Old Year go
An' New Year come - sich thi...

James Whitcomb Riley