So when, in the course of a month er so, A WIDOWER, with a farm er two, Comes to Jeff's, w'y, the folks, you know, Had to TALK--as the folks'll do: It was the talk of the neighberhood-- PATIENCE and JOHN, and THEIR affairs;-- And this old chap with a few gray hairs Had "cut John out," it was understood. And some folks reckoned "Patience, too, Knowed what SHE was a-goin' to do-- It was LIKE her--la! indeed!-- All she loved was DOLLARS and CENTS-- Like old JEFF--and they saw no need Fer JOHN to pine at HER negligence!" But others said, in a KINDER way, They missed the songs she used to sing-- They missed the smiles that used to play Over her face, and the laughin' ring Of her glad voice--that EVERYthing Of her OLD se'f seemed dead and gone, And this was the ghost that they gazed on! Tel finally it was noised about There was a WEDDIN' soon to be Down at Jeff's; and the "cat was out" Shore enough!--'Ll the JEE-MUN-NEE! It RILED me when John told me so,-- Fer _I_ WAS A FRIEND O' JOHN'S, you know; And his trimblin' voice jest broke in two-- As a feller's voice'll sometimes do.-- And I says, says I, "Ef I know my biz-- And I think I know what JESTICE is,-- I've read SOME law--and I'd advise A man like you to wipe his eyes And square his jaws and start AGIN, FER JESTICE IS A-GOIN' TO WIN!" And it wasn't long tel his eyes had cleared As blue as the skies, and the sun appeared In the shape of a good old-fashioned smile That I hadn't seen fer a long, long while. So we talked on fer a' hour er more, And sunned ourselves in the open door,-- Tel a hoss-and-buggy down the road Come a-drivin' up, that I guess John KNOWED,-- Fer he winked and says, "I'll dessappear-- THEY'D smell a mice ef they saw ME here!" And he thumbed his nose at the old gray mare, And hid hisse'f in the house somewhere. Well.--The rig drove up: and I raised my head As old Jeff hollered to me and said That "him and his old friend there had come To see ef the squire was at home." . . . I told 'em "I was; and I AIMED to be At every chance of a weddin'-fee!" And then I laughed--and they laughed, too,-- Fer that was the object they had in view. "Would I be on hands at eight that night?" They ast; and 's-I, "You're mighty right, I'LL be on hand!" And then I BU'ST Out a-laughin' my very wu'st,-- And so did they, as they wheeled away And drove to'rds town in a cloud o' dust. Then I shet the door, and me and John Laughed and LAUGHED, and jest LAUGHED on, Tel Mother drapped her specs, and BY JEEWHILLIKERS! I thought she'd DIE!-- And she couldn't 'a' told, I'll bet my hat, What on earth she was laughin' at! But all o' the fun o' the tale hain't done!-- Fer a drizzlin' rain had jest begun, And a-havin' 'bout four mile' to ride, I jest concluded I'd better light Out fer Jeff's and save my hide,-- Fer IT WAS A-GOIN' TO STORM, THAT NIGHT! So we went down to the barn, and John Saddled my beast, and I got on; And he told me somepin' to not ferget, And when I left, he was LAUGHIN' yet.