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James Whitcomb Riley - John Alden And Percilly
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We got up a Christmas-doin`s
    Last Christmas Eve--
  Kindo` dimonstration
    `At I railly believe
  Give more satisfaction--
    Take it up and down--
  Than ary intertainment
    Ever come to town!

  Railly was a _theater_--
    That`s what it was,--
  But, bein` in the church, you know,
    We had a "_Santy Clause_"--
  So `s to git the _old folks_
    To patternize, you see,
  And _back_ the institootion up
    Kindo` _morally_.

  Schoolteacher writ the thing--
    (Was a friend o` mine),
  Got it out o` Longfeller`s
    Pome "Evangeline"--
  Er some`rs--`bout the _Purituns_--.
    _Anyway_, the part
  "_John Alden_" fell to _me_--
    And learnt it all by heart!

  Claircy was "_Percilly_"--
    (Schoolteacher `lowed
  Me and her could act them two
    Best of all the crowd)--
  Then--blame ef he didn`t
    Git her Pap, i jing!--
  To take the part o` "_Santy Clause_,"
    To wind up the thing.

  Law! the fun o` practisun!--
    Was a week er two
  Me and Claircy didn`t have
    Nothin` else to do!--
  Kep` us jes a-meetin` round,
    Kindo` here and there,
  Ever` night rehearsin`-like,
    And gaddin` ever`where!

  Game was wo`th the candle, though!--
    Christmas Eve at last
  Rolled around.--And `tendance jes
    Couldn`t been surpassed!--
  Neighbors from the country
    Come from Clay and Rush--
  Yes, and `crost the county-line
    Clean from Puckerbrush!

  Meetin`-house jes trimbled
    As "Old Santy" went
  Round amongst the childern,
    With their pepperment
  And sassafrac and wintergreen
    Candy, and "a ball
  O` popcorn," the preacher `nounced,
    "Free fer each and all!"

  Schoolteacher suddently
    Whispered in my ear,--
  "Guess I got you:--_Christmas-gift_!--
    _Christmas is here_!"
  I give _him_ a gold pen,
    And case to hold the thing,--
  And _Claircy_ whispered "_Christmas-gift_!"
    And I give her a _ring_.

  "And now," says I, "jes watch _me_--
  Christmas-gift," says I,
  "_I`m_ a-goin` to git one--
  `_Santy`s_` comin` by!"--
  Then I rech and grabbed him:
  And, as you`ll infer,
  `Course I got the old man`s,
  And _he_ gimme _her_!
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