---

James Whitcomb Riley - The Old Home By The Mill
Work rating: Low

This is "The old Home by the Mill"--far we still call it so,
  Although the old mill, roof and sill, is all gone long ago.
  The old home, though, and old folks, and the old spring, and a few
  Old cat-tails, weeds and hartychokes, is left to welcome you!

  Here, Marg`et, fetch the man a tin to drink out of` Our spring
  Keeps kindo-sorto cavin` in, but don`t "taste" anything!
  She`s kindo agein`, Marg`et is--"the old process," like me,
  All ham-stringed up with rheumatiz, and on in seventy-three.

  Jes` me and Marg`et lives alone here--like in long ago;
  The childern all put off and gone, and married, don`t you know?
  One`s millin` way out West somewhere; two other miller-boys
  In Minnyopolis they air; and one`s in Illinoise.

  The oldest gyrl--the first that went--married and died right here;
  The next lives in Winn`s Settlement--for purt` nigh thirty year!
  And youngest one--was allus far the old home here--but no!--
  Her man turns in and he packs her `way off to Idyho!

  I don`t miss them like _Marg`et_ does--`cause I got _her_, you see;
  And when she pines for them--that`s `cause _she`s_ only jes` got
    _me_!
  I laugh, and joke her `bout it all.--But talkin` sense, I`ll say,
  When she was tuk so bad last Fall, I laughed the t`other way!

  I haint so favorble impressed `bout dyin`; but ef I
  Found I was only second-best when _us two_ come to die,
  I`d `dopt the "new process" in full, ef _Marg`et_ died, you see,--
  I`d jes` crawl in my grave and pull the green grass over me!
Source
The script ran 0.005 seconds.