THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES When She Was About Sixteen ?>srf^sL :i-i . ^ ,w<, < /r< mjM^/^fy^ i ^ -- : iV ttf 1 ; rv-.i ^ ^ , - ' IP ^\ $ ;; liif ' ' -^ r 4, s\\ i , i ^ */ V >/, WHEN SHE WAS ABOUT SIXTEEN BY JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY ILLUSTRATED BY HOWARD CHANDLER CHRISTY THE BOBBS MERRILL COMPANY PUBLISHERS JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY JAP MILLER 1257974 When She Was About Sixteen ALL 'at I ever want to be Is ist to be a man like Pa When he wuz young an' married Ma! Uncle he telled us yisterdy Ist all about it then 'cause they, My Pa an' Ma, wuz bofe away To 'tend P'tracted Meetin', where My Pa an' Ma is allus there When all the big "Revivals" is, An' "Love-Feasts," too, an' "Class," "Prayer," An' when's "Comoonian Servicis." An', yes, an' Uncle said to not To never tell the m ner let on Like we knowed now ist how they got First married. So while they wuz gone- Uncle he telled us ever'thing an 'Bout how my Pa wuz ist a pore Farm-boy. 'Bout how my Pa wuz 1st a pore Farm-boy. He says, I tell you what, Your Pa wuz pore! But neighbers they All liked him all but one old man An' his old wife that folks all say Nobody liked, ner never can! Yes, sir! an' Uncle purt'-nigh swore About the mean old man an' way He treat' my Pa! 'cause he's a pore Farm-hand but prouder 'an a king An' ist work' on, he did, an' wore His old patched clo'es, ist anyway, So he saved up his wages then He ist worked on an' saved some more, An' ist worked on, ist night an' day Till, sir, he save' up nine er ten Er hunnerd dollars! But he keep All still about it, Uncle say- But he ist thinks an' thinks a heap! m k-, f .\*&* m. \ Theywuzist sweethearts, course you know Though what he wuz a-thinkin', Pa He never tell' a soul but Ma (Then, course, you know, he wuzn't Pa, An', course, you know, she wuzn't Ma They wuz 1st sweethearts, course you know) 'Cause Ma wuz ist a girl, about Sixteen; an' when my Pa he go A-courtin' her, her Pa an' Ma The very first they find it out Wuz maddest folks you ever saw! 'Cause it wuz her old Ma an' Pa 'At hate' my Pa, an' toss their head, An' ist raise Ned! An' her Pa said He'd ruther see his daughter dead! An' said she's ist a child! an' so Wuz Pa! An' ef he wuz man-grown An' only man on earth below, His daughter shouldn't marry him Ef he's a king an' on his throne! daughter shouldn't marry a king an' on his throne! Pa's chances then looked mighty slim Fer certain, Uncle said. But he He never told a soul but her What he wuz keepin' quiet fer. Her folks ist lived a mile from where He lived at an' they drove past there To git to town. An' ever' one An' all the neighbers they liked her An' showed it! But her folks no, sir! Nobody liked her parents none! An' so when they shet down, you know, On Pa an' old man tell' him so Pa ist went back to work, an' she Ist waited. An', sir! purty soon Her folks they thought he's turned his eye Some other way 'cause by-an'-by They heard he'd rented the old place He worked on. An' one afternoon A neighber, that had bust' a trace, J*H . fit! <- 4 M An' all the neighbors they liked her He tell' the old man they wuz signs Around the old place that the young Man wuz a-fixin' up the old Log cabin some, an' he had brung New furnichur from town; an' told How th' old house 'uz whitewashed clean An' sweet wiv morning-glory vines An' hollyhawks all 'round the door An' winders an' a bran'-new floor In th' old porch an' wite-new green An'-red pump in the old sweep-well! An', Uncle said, when he hear tell O' all them things, the old man he 1st grin' an' says, he "reckon' now Some gal, er widder anyhow, That silly boy he's coaxed at last To marry him!" he says, says-ee, "An' ef he has, 'so mote it be'!" sw < : w^mK* Then went back to the house to tell His wife the news, as he went past The smokehouse, an' then w r ent on in The kitchen, where his daughter she Wuz washin', to tell her, an' grin An' try to worry her a spell ! The mean old thing! But Uncle said She ain't cry much ist pull her old Sunbonnet forrerds on her head So's old man he can't see her face At all! An' when he s'pose he scold An' jaw enough, he ist clear' out An' think he's boss of all the place! Then Uncle say, the first you know They's go' to be a Circus-show In town ; an' old man think he'll take His wife an' go. An' when she say To take their daughter, too, she shake Her head like she don't 'want to go; ' , pull her old bunbonnet forrerds on her head m An' when he sees she wants to stay, The old man takes her, anyway! An' so she went! But Uncle he Said she looked mighty sweet that day, Though she wuz pale as she .could be, A-speshully a-drivin' by Wite where her beau lived at, you know; But out the corner of his eye The old man watch' her; but she throw Her pairsol 'round so she can't see The house at all! An' then she hear Her Pa an' Ma a-talkin' low An' kindo' laughin'-like; but she 1st set there in the seat behind, P'tendin' like she didn't mind. An' when he sees she wants to stay, The old man takes her, anyway! An', Uncle say, when they got past The young man's place, an' 'pearantly He wuzn't home, but off an' gone To town, the old man turned at last An' talked back to. his daughter there, All pleasant-like, from then clean on Till they got into town, an' where The Circus wuz, an' on inside O' that, an' through the crowd, on to The very top seat in the tent Wite next the band a-bangin' through A tune 'at bust his yeers in two! An' there the old man scrouged an' tried To make his wife set down, an' she A-yellin'! But ist what she meant He couldn't hear, ner couldn't see Till she turned 'round an' pinted. Then He turned an' looked an' looked again! . . Then He turned an' looked an' looked again! . . He 1st saw neighbers ever'where But, sir, his daughter wuzn't there! An', Uncle says, he even saw Her beau, you know, he hated so; An' he wuz with some other girl. An' then he heard the Clown "Haw-haw!" An' saw the horses wheel an' whirl Around the ring, an' heard the zipp O' the Ringmaster's long slim whip But that whole Circus, Uncle said, Wuz all inside the old man's head! An' Uncle said, he didn't find His daughter all that afternoon An' her Ma says she'll lose her mind Ef they don't find her purty soon! W%i -; ~-\ \ V \ An' then he heard the Clown "Haw-haw! But, though they looked all day, an' stayed There fer the night p'formance not No use at all ! they never laid Their eyes on her. An' then they got Their team out, an' the old man shook His fist at all the town, an' then Shook it up at the moon ag'in, An' said his time 'ud come, some day! An' jerked the lines an' driv away. Uncle, he said, he 'spect, that night, The old man's madder yet when they Drive past the young man's place, an' hear A fiddle there, an' see a light Inside, an' shadders light an' gay A-dancin' 'crosst the winder-blinds. An' some young chaps outside yelled, "Say! What 'pears to be the hurry hey?" But the old man ist whipped the lines An' streaked past like a runaway! \ HS An' some young chaps outside yelled What 'pears to be the hurry hey?" An' now you'll be su'prised, I bet! I hardly ain't quit laughin' yet When Uncle say, that jamboree An' dance an' all w'y, that's a sign That any old man ort to see, As plain as 8 and i makes 9, That they's a weddin wite inside That very house he's whippin' so To git apast! An', sir! the bride There's his own daughter! Yes, an' oh! She's my Ma now an' young man she Got married, he's my Pa! Whoop-ee! But Uncle say to not laugh all The laughin' yet, but please save some To kindo' spice up what's to come! -"7 , Dili-tV i't'11. i -tV lyfe^ * ^SlL** She's my Ma now an' young man she Got married, he's my Pa! Whoop-ee! mm Then Uncle say, about next day The neighbers they begin to call An' wish 'em well, an' say how glad An' proud an' tickled ever' way Their friends all is an' how they had The lovin' prayers of ever' one That had homes of their own! But none Said nothin' 'bout the home that she Had run away from! So she sighed Sometimes an' wunst she purt'-nigh cried. Well, Uncle say, her old Pa, he 1st like to died, he wuz so mad! An' her Ma, too! But by-an'-by They cool down some. An', 'bout a week, She want to see her Ma so bad, She think she'll haf to go! An' so She coax him; an' he kiss her cheek An' say, Lord bless her, course they'll go! An', Uncle say, when they're bofe come A-knockin' there at her old home W'y, first he know, the door it flew Open, all quick, an' she's jerked in, An', quicker still, the door's banged to An' locked: an' crosst the winder-sill The old man pokes a shotgun through An' says to git! "You stold my child," He says: "An', now she's back, w'y, you Clear out, this minute, er I'll kill You! Yes, an' I 'ull kill her, too, Ef you don't go!" An' then, all wild, His young wife begs him please to gol An' so he turn' an' walk' all slow An' pale as death, but awful still An' ca'm back to the gate, an' on Into the road, where he had gone So many times alone, you know! s 'Cause there he stick', ist thataway, An' don't go nowheres any more. An', Uncle say, a whipperwill Holler so lonesome, as he go On back to'rds home, he say he 'spec* He ist 'ud like to wring its neck! An' I ain't think he's goin' back All by hisse'f but Uncle say That's what he does, an' it's a f ac' 1 An' 'pears-like he's gone back to stay 'Cause there he stick', ist thataway, An' don't go nowheres any more, Ner don't nobody ever see Him set his foot outside the door Till 'bout five days, a boy loped down The road, a-comin' past from town, -vv An' then, all wild His young wife begs him please to go ! An' he called to him from the gate, An' sent the old man word: He's thought Things over now; an', while he hate To lose his wife, he think she ought To mind her Pa an' Ma an' do Whatever they advise her to. An' sends word, too, to come an' git Her new things an' the furnichur That he had special' bought fer her 'Cause, now that they wuz goin' to quit, She's free to ist have all of it; So, fer his love fer her, he say To come an' git it, wite away. * .?,' V> \ A An' spang/ that very afternoon, Here come her Ma 1st 'bout as soon As old man could hitch up an' tell Her "hurry back!" An' 'bout as quick As she's drove there to where my Pa I mean to where her son-in-law- Lives at, he meets her at the door All smilin', though he's awful pale An' trimbly like he's ist been sick; He take her in the house An', 'fore She knows it, they's a cellar-door Shet on her, an' she hears the click Of a' old rusty padlock! Then, Uncle, he say, she kindo' stands An' thinks an' thinks an' thinks ag'in An' mayby thinks of her own child Locked up like her! An' Uncle smiled, An' I ist laughed an' clapped my hands! Shet on her, an' she hears the click Of a' old rusty padlock! An' there she stayed! An' she can cry 1st all she want! an' yell an' kick To 1st her heart's content! an' try To pry out wiv a quiltin'-stick! But Uncle say he guess at last She 'bout give up, an' holler' through The door-crack fer to please to be So kind an' good as send an' tell The old man, like she want him to, To come, 'fore night, an' set her free, Er they wuz rats down there! An' yell She did, till, Uncle say, it soured The morning's milk in the back yard! But all the answer reached her, where She's skeerd so in the dark down there, Wuz ist a mutterin' that she heard, "I've sent him word! I've sent him 'word!" An' shore enough, as Uncle say, He has "sent word!" She's skeered so in the dark down there Well, it's plum night An* all the house is shet up tight- Only one winder 'bout half-way Raised up, you know; an' ain't no light Inside the whole house, Uncle say. Then, first you know, there where the team Stands hitched yet, there the old man stands A' old tin lantern in his hands An' monkey-wrench; an' he don't seem To make things out, a-standin' there. He comes on to the gate an' feels An' fumbles fer the latch then hears A voice that chills him to the heels "You halt! an' stand right where you air!" Then, sir! my my his son-in-law, There at the winder wiv his gun, He tell the old man what he's done: There at the winder wiv He tell the old man what he "You hold my wife a prisoner An' your wife, drat ye! I've got her! An' now, sir," Uncle say he say, "You ist turn round an' climb wite in That wagon, an' drive home ag'in An' bring my wife back wite away, An' we'll trade then an' not before Will I unlock my cellar-door Not fer your wife's sake ner your own, But my wife's sake an' hers alone!" An', Uncle say, it don't sound like It's so, but yet it is! He say, From wite then, somepin' seem' to strike The old man's funny-bone some way; An', minute more, that team o' his Went tearin' down the road k'll|lt)ll'?;ittll['h>' II lijilyliiliilliluiillHl iii! . ; I i ::,..;;:;;.-.,: 1 !!!!!; S ! i Hill! ! ! . : : : ; i in m III Hi fiKiiijii! iiii I iiii ! iSf i i hi ; ; ; : ; ;.