THE RECONCILIATION OF PA

MY Pa, he’s disappointed tuz I ain’t a boy. ’At is He ain’t now but he used to was. He likes me tuz I’m his An’ buys me lots of toys an’ things; but w’en I first begun Ma said he’s awful fond of boys an’ ’ist wished I was one. But now he don’t care any more, tuz I’m growed up so nice He likes me better ’n before, an’ there ain’t any price ’At you could offer him for me an’ he would take it, tuz I’m so much nicer, don’t you see, ’an my Pa thought I was. W’en I’m come first my Mamma said ’at he ’ud ruther I ’Ud been a boy the stork ’ud brought; she says she don’t see w’y, Tuz she ’ist thinks ’at little girls are awful nice, an’ w’en You wash ’eir face an’ brush ’eir turls, ’ey’re nicer ’n ever ’en. But he is disappointed tuz at first he didn’t know How rilly truly nice I was; but w’en I came to grow He wouldn’t take the world for me, so he told Ma, ’ist tuz I’m so much nicer, don’t you see, ’an my Pa thought I was. An’ my Ma says ’at if I grow up ’ist so nice an’ sweet As I am now, my Pa ’ll know ’at stork was hard to beat; An’ he won’t never wish again ’at I’m a boy, ’ist tuz He’ll know how sweet I am, an’ ’en he’s glad I’m w’at I was; Tuz boys are awful nice at first, ’at is, you think they are, An’ w’en they’re big they’re ’ist the worst! An’ girls is better far, An’ Ma says if you want ’em sweet, ’ist sweet as sweet can be, You’ll find it awful hard to beat a little girl like me.