[Illustration: "He's a hero born and bred, but it hasn't swelled his head."] Cape Cod Ballads and Other Verse By Joseph C. Lincoln _With Drawings by Edward W. Kemble_ 1902 To My Wife This book is affectionately dedicated Preface A friend has objected to the title of this book on the ground that, as many of the characters and scenes described are to be found in almost any coast village of the United States, the title might, with equal fitness, be "New Jersey Ballads," or "Long Island Ballads," or something similar. The answer to this is, simply, that while "School-committee Men" and "Village Oracles" are, doubtless, pretty much alike throughout Yankeedom, the particular specimens here dealt with were individuals whom the author knew in his boyhood "down on the Cape." So, "Cape Cod Ballads" it is. The verses in this collection originally appeared in _Harper's Weekly, The Youth's Companion, The Saturday Evening Post, Puck, Types, The League of American Wheelmen Bulletin_, and the publications of the American Press Association. Thanks are due to the editors of these periodicals for their courteous permission to reprint. J.C.L. CONTENTS PREFACE LIST OF DRAWINGS THE COD-FISHER THE SONG OF THE SEA THE WIND'S SONG THE LIFE-SAVER "THE EVENIN' HYMN" THE MEADOW ROAD THE BULLFROG SERENADE SUNDAY AFTERNOONS THE OLD DAGUERREOTYPES THE BEST SPARE ROOM THE OLD CARRYALL OUR FIRST FIRE-CRACKERS WHEN NATHAN LED THE CHOIR HEZEKIAH'S ART THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL PICNIC "AUNT 'MANDY" THE STORY-BOOK BOY THE SCHOOL-COMMITTEE MAN WASTED ENERGY WHEN THE MINISTER COMES TO TEA "YAP" THE MINISTER'S WIFE THE VILLAGE ORACLE THE TIN PEDDLER "SARY EMMA'S PHOTYGRAPHS" WHEN PAPA's SICK THE BALLAD OF MCCARTY'S TROMBONE SUSAN VAN DOOZEN SISTER SIMMONS "THE FIFT' WARD J'INT DEBATE" HIS NEW BROTHER CIRCLE DAY SERMON TIME "TAKIN' BOARDERS" A COLLEGE TRAINING A CRUSHED HERO A THANKSGIVING DREAM O'REILLY'S BILLY-GOAT THE CUCKOO CLOCK THE POPULAR SONG MATILDY'S BEAU "SISTER'S BEST FELLER" "THE WIDDER CLARK" FRIDAY EVENING MEETINGS THE PARSON'S DAUGHTER MY OLD GRAY NAG THROUGH THE FOG THE BALLADE OF THE DREAM-SHIP LIFE'S PATHS THE MAYFLOWER MAY MEMORIES BIRDS'-NESTING TIME THE OLD SWORD ON THE WALL NINETY-EIGHT IN THE SHADE SUMMER NIGHTS AT GRANDPA'S GRANDFATHER'S "SUMMER SWEETS" MIDSUMMER "SEPTEMBER MORNIN'S" NOVEMBER'S COME THE WINTER NIGHTS AT HOME "THE LITTLE FELLER'S STOCKIN'" THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER THE CROAKER THE OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN THE LIGHT-KEEPER THE LITTLE OLD HOUSE BY THE SHORE WHEN THE TIDE GOES OUT THE WATCHERS "THE REG'LAR ARMY MAN" FIREMAN O'RAFFERTY LITTLE BARE FEET A RAINY DAY THE HAND-ORGAN BALL "JIM" IN MOTHER'S ROOM SUNSET-LAND THE SURF ALONG THE SHORE AT EVENTIDE INDEX OF FIRST LINES LIST OF DRAWINGS THE LIFE-SAVER, "He's a hero born and bred, but it hasn't swelled his head." THE BULLFROG SERENADE, "With the big green-coated leader's double-bass."