---

Edgar Guest - Too Big A Price
Work rating: Medium

"They say my boy is bad," she said to me,
  A tired old woman, thin and very frail.
"They caught him robbing railroad cars, an` he
  Must spend from five to seven years in jail.
His Pa an` I had hoped so much for him.
  He was so pretty as a little boy--"
Her eyes with tears grew very wet an` dim--
  "Now nothing that we`ve got can give us joy!"

"What is it that you own?" I questioned then.
  "The house we live in," slowly she replied,
"Two other houses worked an` slaved for, when
  The boy was but a youngster at my side,
Some bonds we took the time he went to war;
  I`ve spent my strength against the want of age--
We`ve always had some end to struggle for.
  Now shame an` ruin smear the final page.

"His Pa has been a steady-goin` man,
  Worked day an` night an` overtime as well;
He`s lived an` dreamed an` sweated to his plan
  To own the house an` profit should we sell;
He never drank nor played much cards at night,
  He`s been a worker since our wedding day,
He`s lived his life to what he knows is right,
  An` why should son of his now go astray?

"I`ve rubbed my years away on scrubbing boards,
  Washed floors for women that owned less than we,
An` while they played the ladies an` the lords,
  We smiled an` dreamed of happiness to be."
"And all this time where was the boy?" said I.
  "Out somewhere playin`!"--Like a rifle shot
The thought went home--"My God!" she gave a cry,
  "We paid too big a price for what we got."
Source
The script ran 0.001 seconds.