You're common, as I said afore-- You're common, yit oncommon _more_.-- You allus kindo' 'pear, to me, What all mankind had ort to be-- Jest _natchurl_, and the more hurraws You git, the less you know the cause-- Like as ef God Hisse'f stood by Where best on earth hain't half knee-high, And _seein'_ like, and knowin' _He_ 'S the Only Grate Man really, You're jest content to size your hight With any feller-man's in sight.-- And even then they's scrubs, like me, Feels stuck-up, in your company! Like now:--I want to go with you Plum out o' town a mile er two Clean past the Fair-ground whare's some hint O' pennyrile er peppermint, And bottom-lands, and timber thick Enugh to sorto' shade the crick! I want to _see_ you--want to set Down somers, whare the grass hain't wet, And kindo' _breathe_ you, like puore air-- And taste o' your tobacker thare, And talk and chaw! Talk o' the birds We've knocked with cross-bows.--Afterwards Drop, mayby, into some dispute 'Bout "pomgrannies," er cal'mus-root-- And how _they_ growed, and _whare_?--on tree Er vine?--Who's best boy-memory!-- And wasn't it _gingsang_, insted O' cal'mus-root, growed like you said?-- Er how to tell a coon-track from A mussrat's;--er how milksick come-- Er ef _cows_ brung it?--Er why now We never see no "muley"-cow-- Ner "frizzly"-chicken--ner no "clay- Bank" mare--ner nothin' thataway!-- And what's come o' the _yellow_-core Old wortermelons?--hain't no more.-- Tomattusus, the same--all _red_- Uns nowadays--All past joys fled-- Each and all jest gone k-whizz! Like our days o' childhood is! Dag-gone it, 'Ras! they hain't no friend, It 'pears-like, left to comperhend Sich things as these but you, and see How dratted sweet they air to me! But you, 'at's loved 'em allus, and Kin sort 'em out and understand 'Em, same as the fine books you've read, And all fine thoughts you've writ, er said, Er worked out, through long nights o' rain, And doubts and fears, and hopes, again, As bright as morning when she broke,-- You know a teardrop from a joke! And so, 'Ras Wilson, stop and shake A paw, fer old acquaintance sake! MY RUTHERS [Writ durin' State Fair at Indanoplis, whilse visitin' a Sonin-law then residin' thare, who has sence got back to the country whare he says a man that's raised thare ort to a-stayed in the first place.]