To the Little Mother and the Memory of the Big Father, This Simple Book Is Affectionately Dedicated
Reading edition
CONTENTS
Just Folks
As It Goes
Hollyhocks
Sacrifice
Reward
See It Through
To the Humble
When Nellie's on the Job
The Old, Old Story
Since Jessie Died
Hard Luck
Vacation Time
The Little Hurts
The Lanes of Memory
The Day of Days
A Fine Sight
Manhood's Greeting
Fishing Nooks
Show the Flag
Constant Beauty
A Patriotic Creed
Home
The Old-Time Family
The Job
Toys
The Mother on the Sidewalk
Memorial Day
Memory
The Stick-Together Families
Childless
The Crucible of Life
Unimportant Differences
Grown Up
Departed Friends
Laughter
The Scoffer
The Pathway of the Living
Lemon Pie
The Flag on the Farm
Heroes
The Mother's Question
The Blue Flannel Shirt
Grandpa
Pa Did It
The Real Successes
The Sorry Hostess
Yesterday
The Beauty Places
The Little Old Man
The Little Velvet Suit
The First Steps
Signs
The Family's Homely Man
When Mother Cooked With Wood
Midnight in the Pantry
The World Is Against Me
Bribed
The Home Builders
My Books and I
Success
Questions
Sausage
Friends
A Boost for Modern Methods
The Man to Be
The Summer Children
October
On Quitting
The Price of Riches
The Other Fellow
The Open Fire
Improvement
Send Her a Valentine
Bud
The Front Seat
There Are No Gods
The Auto
The Handy Man
The New Days
The Call
Songs of Rejoicing
Another Mouth to Feed
The Little Church
Sue's Got a Baby
The Lure That Failed
The Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving
The Old-Fashioned Pair
At Pelletier's
At Christmas
The Little Army
Who Is Your Boss?
The Truth About Envy
Living
On Being Broke
The Broken Drum
Mother's Excuses
As It Is
A Boy's Tribute
Up to the Ceiling
Thanksgiving
The Boy Soldier
My Land
Daddies
Loafing
When Father Played Baseball
About Boys
Curly Locks
Baby's Got a Tooth
Home and the Baby
The Fisherman
The March of Mortality
Growing Down
The Roads of Happiness
June
When Mother Sleeps
The Weaver
The Few
Real Swimming
The Love of the Game
Roses and Sunshine
Just Folks
We're queer folks here. We'll talk about the weather, The good times we have had together, The good times near, The roses buddin', an' the bees Once more upon their nectar sprees; The scarlet fever scare, an' who Came mighty near not pullin' through, An' who had light attacks, an' all The things that int'rest, big or small; But here you'll never hear of sinnin' Or any scandal that's beginnin'. We've got too many other labors To scatter tales that harm our neighbors. We're strange folks here. We're tryin' to be cheerful, An' keep this home from gettin' tearful. We hold it dear Too dear for pettiness an' meanness, An' nasty tales of men's uncleanness. Here you shall come to joyous smilin', Secure from hate an' harsh revilin'; Here, where the wood fire brightly blazes, You'll hear from us our neighbor's praises. Here, that they'll never grow to doubt us, We keep our friends always about us; An' here, though storms outside may pelter Is refuge for our friends, an' shelter. We've one rule here, An' that is to be pleasant. The folks we know are always present, Or very near. An' though they dwell in many places, We think we're talkin' to their faces; An' that keeps us from only seein' The faults in any human bein', An' checks our tongues when they'd go trailin' Into the mire of mortal failin'. Flaws aren't so big when folks are near you; You don't talk mean when they can hear you. An' so no scandal here is started, Because from friends we're never parted.