Their husbands' watery death deplore,
And wept their loss with many tears--
But grief endureth not for years.
"Now you who've a mind to go to sea,
Pray take a useful hint from me,
And live at home, and be content
With what kind Providence has sent;
For they were punish'd for their misdeeds,
In grumbling when they had no needs.
"Now God preserve our noble Queen,
Likewise her Ministers serene;
And may they ever steer a course
To make things better 'stead of worse,
And England's flag triumphant fly,
The dread of hevery he-ne-my."
"You call dat singing! Stop now! I sing a song you nebber hear in all
your life," cried Opposition Bill, tuning his fiddle.
"And never wish to hear again, most likely," replied Dick. "Out with
it, Bill; your face shines beautifully this morning."
"I take de shine out of you, Massa Dick; now you listen:--
"Now your fader is asleep, maid, listen unto me;
Will you follow in my trail to Ken-tuck-y?
For cross de Alleghany to-morrow I must go,
To chase de bounding deer on de O-hi-o.
"And will you lub me truly, and kind to me will be,
If I quit my fader's roof for Ken-tuck-y?
And will you nebber leave me, if I consent to go
To your shanty by de stream of de O-hi-o?
"Her fader's not asleep, and he will not agree,
Dat you take away his dater to Ken-tuck-y.
So alone by yourself; good hunter, you must go,
Where the Ingin's rifle cracks on de O-hi-o.
"Your moder, too, is near, aldough you did not see,
And wid her leave you nebber go to Ken-tuck-y.
He hab a wife already, as I do surely know,
Who weeps for his return to de O-hi-o.
"Man, I have dis purse of gold, half of it for ye;
Woman, I hab ne'er a wife in Ken-tuck-y;
Your dater is my only lub, so pridee let us go
To where my corn is ripening on de O-hi-o.
"De fader weighed de purse, he took his half wid glee,
De modor said her child might go to Ken-tuck-y.
So de hunter and de maid, arm in arm dey go
Across de Alleghany to de O-hi-o."
"Bravo, Billy, that's not so bad," said some of the pensioners.
"I tell you, Dick, I take de shine out of you. You nebber believe till
I make you fall in my wake, and den you soon be where de little boat
was--long way astarn."
"I'll tell you what, Billy," said Dick Harness, "you do improve, and
we'll allow you to sing that song once more before you die, just by way
of encouragement."
Dick then played s
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