Show A r 4 J i I 1 i j I I Ir J I r I l TH LADY SPEAKS BY James Whitcomb Riley Copyright fay by James Riley Riley- Last Christmas was a year ago Says I to David I says I-says-I says I Were Vere goin to morning service so BO You hitch up right away Ill I'll try try- To tell the girls jes' jes what to do doFer doFer Fer dinner Well We'll be back by two I didn't wait to hear what he Would moren like say back to me But banged the stable door and flew Back to the rouse jes' jes plumb chilled through Cold how cold it was My My- My i Oh Ohl Frost and the air you know Jes sharp enough heerd David sw swear ar To shave a man and cut his hair 1 And b blow J 0 wan and d blow 1 and snow snow snow snow- V h er e i it t had drifted long the fence And crost the road some road some places cos though Jes' Jes swep clean to the gravel so The goin was as bad fer sleighs As t was fer wagons wagons and and both ways Twixt snowdrifts and the bare ground Ive I've Jes' Jes we got through alive I saw fore er or sence At beat it I know know- Last Christmas was vas a year ago And David said as we set out At Christmas services was bout boutAs boutAs As cold and kind kind o 0 love loveTo loveTo To offer up as he know of ot And as fer him he thought At the Good Bein up above Would think more of us us-as us as he ought ought- staying A home on sich a day And of him And jawed on in an undertone Bout leavin Lide and Jane alone here on the tho place and me not there thereTo thereTo To oversee em and The fer the turkey and The sass and all you understand Ive I've allus managed David by Jes' Jes sayin nothing That was why Hes He's chased Lides Lide's beau a away away- w a y cause Lide Shed She'd allus take up Perry's Perrys side When David tackled tack l led d him and so Last Las t Christmas was a year ago ago ago- Er ruther bout a week afore afore afore- David and about Some fool torn you jou know And pap told him to Jes git out O 0 there and not to come no more And when he went out to shot shet the thedoor door And as he passed the winder wo Saw Perry white as white could be March past his boss hoss and light lightA A see and lope out o 0 sight Then Lide she come to me and cried And I said was was no need And yit you know that man jes' jes got Right out o 0 theres there's ef hed he'd ben shot he must go and feed The stock er sompin Then Ihen I tried To git the he pore poro gal pacified But gittin back to where to-where where was was we we- we Oh yes where where David me All way way to to meet meet- In high and low L L' L a s t to Christmas was a y year ar ago For Fer all the awful cold there was wasA wasA A fair attendance mostly though Q f C The c crowd wd was was round the stoves you see th their e I r rh h heels eel B aD and d us Ef Er t ben fer the old squire Givin his seat Beat to us as in We Ve stomped fairly a-fairly And David could a got no firo tiro Hed He'd Jes' Jes a dropp dropped d there in his tracks And squire as I was tryla to yit M Make te room room- t fer r him says No th the faca tac's Is lB I got to git up and sit git no Jes' Jes got word word word- Trial fer life cant lUe-can't cant can't be deferred And out he put All way through Tho and and a long one too tool too too- I l couldn't help but think o 0 squire And us changed round so and admire His gentle genUe ways ways ways- to give his warm Bench Dench up and have to faco tho storm And when I noticed noticed no no- David he Was Jab Jab- bin I I thought best To kind o 0 sort o 0 let him rest like ilke he so peacefully And when I thought o 0 home and how howAnd howAnd And what tho was doin now And kind o 0 prayed way in my breast my-breast breast And a way away a tear er two As David waked and church was through and By Dy time wed we'd round shuck Hands with the he neighbors must a atuck tuck tu A half hour longer ever ever one sayin A Christmas gift afore David er or me so me-so so we got none But David warmed up more and more And got so jokey like and had His up and so glad I whispered to him Spose you ast astA astA A passel of em come and eat Their dinners with us got gotA A plenty full fer the lot And all their kin So David passed The Invite round and ever scat In ever wagon bed and sleigh Was Vas jes' jes packed as we rode away away away- The young joung folks mild er so along A up a song Tel David laughed and yelled you knO And jes' jes up and sent the snow And gravel thick and fast fast fast- Last Christmas was a year ago Wy Vy that air seven mild jant v e e come come come- Jes' Jes seven mild scant from church to home home home- It didn't pear that day to be Much n bout three But I was squeamish by byThe byThe The time home hove In sight and I ISee ISee See two stand In there All to And presently David he sobered and says he H a in t that air Squire Ranch's Hanch's old Buggy says says' he and and claybank mare Says 1 I Les git out the cold cold cold- Your company's nigh bout froze He says Whose sleigh sleighs sleigh's s 's that air a there Says I Its no odds whose you jes' jes Drive to the house and let us out Cause we were we're re jes' jes nigh about Well David swung up to the the door And out we plIed piled And first I heerd Janes Jane's voice then Lide's Lides Lides Lide's I thought afore I reached that gyrl Id I'd Jes' Jes die shore And when I reached her wouldn't Much if It I had I was so glad kissin A her through my green veil And jes' jes her so bad At she broke down herself herself and and Jane She cried cried and and we all hugged again And David David jes' jes turned pale pale pale- Looked at the and then at me Then at the open door and then thenIs thenIs then then- Is old S Squire qui r e Hanch there says says' he The old Squire suddenly stood in inThe inThe The doorway with witha a grInIs grinIs grin Is Perry Anders Andersin in there too Says Sas David lira lira- berin all through As Lide and me both grabbed him and Perry stepped out and waved waved his hand And nd sa says s Y Yes Pap And David jes' jes Stooped and Kissed Lide and says I Iguess Iguess guess Yer mothers mother's much to blame as you Ef Et she kin him I kin too The dinner wo had then no Bit the one today At well we'll have for fer em Hear some sleigh A now David fer me I wish you'd Jes' Jes go out see and Ef Et they're in sight yit It Jes' Jes does Me good to think in times like these done LIde's done sowell And David David hos hes More what whai he was was was- Last Christmas was a year a ago |