Father-man he leadee[5] book, Maly talkee with the cook: Good olo[6] father talkee Josh,[7] But China-woman talkee bosh. Bym'by Maly gettee so She only Pidgin-English know,[8] And father-man he solly[9] see She thinkee leason[10] like Chinee. One day some flin[11] flom[12] Boston come And askee, "Mister Coe at home?" He servant go to opee door, But Maly lun[13] chop-chop[14] before. An' stlanger[15] say when in he come, "Is Mister Coe, my dear, at home?" And Maly answer velly tlue, "My thinkee this tim no can do."[16] He olo father, still as mouse, Chin-chin Joss topsidey house:[17] Allo tim he make Joss-pidgin,[18] What you Fan-kwai[19] callee 'ligion. He gentleum much stare galow[20] To hearee girley talkee so; And say, "Dear child, may I inquire Which form of faith you most admire?" And Maly answer he request: "My like Chinee Joss-pidgin best: My love Kwan-wán[21] with chilo neat, And Joss-stick[22] smellee velly sweet." "Afóng, our olo cook down stairs, Make teachee Maly Chinee players:[23] Say, if my chin-chin Fô[24]--oh joy!-- Nex time my born, my bornee boy!"[25] "An' then my gettee nicey-new A ittle dacket[26]--towsers too--And And lun about with allo[27] boys, In bu'ful boots that makee noise." Tear come in he gentleum eyes, And then he anger 'gin to lise:[28] He wailo[29] scoldee Mister Coe For 'glectin' little Maly so. An' Mister Coe feel velly sore, So go an' scoldy comprador; An' comprador, with hollor[30] shook, Lun[31] downy stairs and beatee cook. And worsey állo-állo pain, Maly go Boston homo 'gain: No filee-clackers[32] any more, Nor talk with cook and comprador. MORAL PIDGIN. If Boston girley be let go, She sartin sure to b'lieve in Fô, And the next piecee of her plan Is to lun lound[33] and act like man. So, little chilos,[34] mind you look, And nevee talkee with the cook: You make so-fashion, first you know You catchee sclape,[35] like Maly Coe. CHARLES G. LELAND. [Footnote 1: "The Ballad of Mary Coe."] [Footnote 2: _Joss-pidgin-man_, clergyman.] [Footnote 3: Missionary.] [Footnote 4: Had a female child.] [Footnote 5: _Leadee_ or _leedee_, read.] [Footnote 6: _Olo_, old.] [Footnote 7: _Talkee Josh_ (or Joss), converses on religion.] [Footnote 8: _Pidgin-English_, the patois spoken in China, meaning business-English, _pigeon_ being the ordinary Chinese pronunciation of English.] [Footnote 9: _Solly_, sorry.] [Footnote 10: _Leason_, reason.] [Footnote 11: _Flin_, friend.] [Footnote 12: _Flom_, from.] [Footnote 13: _Lun_, run.] [Footnote 14: _Chop-chop_, fast.] [Footnote 15: _Stlanger_, stranger.] [Footnote 16: "I think it can't be done"--i.e., "You cannot see him."] [Footnote 17: _Chin-chin Joss top-sidey house_, he is praying up stairs.] [Footnote 18: Devotion.] [Footnote 19: _Fan-kwai_, foreigner; lit. "foreign devil."]