When Lide Married Him
By James Whitcomb Riley
When Lide married him - w'y, she had to jes dee-fy
The whole poppilation! - But she never bat' an eye!
Her parents begged, and threatened - she must give him up - that he
Wuz jes "a common drunkard!" - And he wuz, appearantly. -
Swore they'd chase him off the place
Ef he ever showed his face -
Long after she'd eloped with him and married him fer shore! -
When Lide married him, it wuz "Katy, bar the door!"
When Lide married him - Well! she had to go and be
A hired girl in town somewheres - while he tromped round to see
What he could git that he could do, - you might say, jes sawed wood
From door to door! - that's what he done - 'cause that wuz best he could!
And the strangest thing, i jing!
Wuz, he didn't drink a thing, -
But jes got down to bizness, like he someway wanted to,
When Lide married him, like they warned her not to do!
When Lide married him - er, ruther, had ben married
A little up'ards of a year - some feller come and carried
That hired girl away with him - a ruther stylish feller
In a bran-new green spring-wagon, with the wheels striped red and yeller:
And he whispered, as they driv
Tords the country, "Now we'll live!" -
And somepin' else she laughed to hear, though both her eyes wuz dim,
'Bout "trustin' Love and Heav'n above, sence Lide married him!"