"Of course thar's a sequel--as story books say-- He fell dead in love, did this Jim; But hadn't the heart to ax her to have Sich a batter'd-up rooster as him. She know'd how he felt, and last New Year's day War the fust o' leap year as you know, So she jist cornered Jim an' proposed on the spot, An' you bet he didn't say no.
"He's building a house up thar on the hill, An' has laid up a snug pile o' cash, The weddin's to be on the first o' next May-- Jist a year from the day o' the smash-- The gal says he risked his dear life to save hers, An' she'll just turn the tables about, An' give him the life that he saved--thar's the bell. Good day, sir, we're goin' to pull out."
Sometimes w'en I am playin' with some fellers 'at I knows, My ma she comes to call me, 'cause she wants me, I surpose: An' then she calls in this way: "Willie! Willie, dear! Willee-e-ee!" An' you'd be surprised to notice how dretful deef I be; An' the fellers 'at are playin' they keeps mos' orful still, W'ile they tell me, jus' in whispers: "Your ma is callin', Bill." But my hearin' don't git better, so fur as I can see, W'ile my ma stan's there a-callin': "Willie! Willie, dear! Willee-e-ee!"
An' soon my ma she gives it up, an' says: "Well, I'll allow It's mighty cur'us w'ere that boy has got to, anyhow"; An' then I keep on playin' jus' the way I did before-- I know if she was wantin' much she'd call to me some more. An' purty soon she comes agin an' says: "Willie! Willee-e-ee!" But my hearin's jus' as hard as w'at it useter be. If a feller has good judgment, an' uses it that way, He can almos' allers manage to git consid'ble play.
But jus' w'ile I am playin', an' prob'ly I am "it," They's somethin' diff'rent happens, an' I have to up, an' git, Fer my pa comes to the doorway, an' he interrup's our glee; He jus' says, "William Henry!" but that's enough fer me. You'd be surprised to notice how quickly I can hear W'en my pa says, "William Henry!" but never "Willie, dear!" Fer though my hearin's middlin' bad to hear the voice of ma, It's apt to show improvement w'en the callin' comes from pa.
Dear little flag in the window there, Hung with a tear and a woman's prayer, Child of Old Glory, born with a star-- Oh, what a wonderful flag you are!