see,
I s'posed I could go and get him
And then Mama, course, would let him
Play with me.

But when I had once looked at him,
"Why!" I says, "My sakes, is _that_ him?
Just that mite!"
They said, "Yes," and, "Ain't he cunnin'?"
And I thought they must be funnin',--
He's a _sight!_

[Illustration: "Why'd they buy a baby brother,
When they know I'd _good_ deal ruther
Have a dog?"]

He's so small, it's just amazin',
And you 'd think that he was blazin',
He's so red;
And his nose is like a berry,
And he's bald as Uncle Jerry
On his head.

Why, he isn't worth a dollar!
All he does is cry and holler
More and more;
_Won't_ sit up--you can't arrange him,--
_I_ don't see why Pa do'n't change him
At the store.

Now we've got to dress and feed him,
And we really didn't _need_ him
More 'n a frog;
Why'd they buy a baby brother,
When they know I'd _good_ deal ruther
Have a dog?

* * * * *

CIRCLE DAY

Me and Billy's in the woodshed; Ma said, "Run outdoors and play;
Be good boys and don't be both'rin', till the company's gone away."
She and sister Mary's hustlin', settin' out the things for tea,
And the parlor's full of women, such a crowd you never see;
Every one a-cuttin' patchwork or a-sewin' up a seam,
And the way their tongues is goin', seems as if they went by steam.
Me and Billy's been a-listenin' and, I tell you what, it beats
Circus day to hear 'em gabbin', when the Sewin' Circle meets.

First they almost had a squabble, fightin' 'bout the future life;
When they'd settled that they started runnin' down the parson's wife.
Then they got a-goin' roastin' all the folks there is in town,
And they never stopped, you bet yer, till they'd done 'em good and brown.
They knew everybody's business and they made it mighty free,
But the way they loved _each other_ would have done yer good to see;
Seems ter me the only way ter keep yer hist'ry off the streets
Is to be on hand a-waitin' when the Sewin' Circle meets.

Pretty quick they'll have their supper, then's the time to see the fun;
Ma'll say the rolls is _awful_, and she's 'fraid the pie ain't done.
Really everything is bully, and she knows it well enough,
But the folks that's havin' comp'ny always talks that kind of stuff.
That sets all the women goin', and they say, "How _can_ you make
Such _delicious_ pies and biscuits, and such _lovely_ choc'late cake?"
Me and Billy don't say nothin' when we pitches in and