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Poem
July 11, 1898
Worcester Morning Daily Spy
Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts
What is this article about?
A child's playful narrative of forming a pretend Home Guard to protect his mother while his father fights the Spanish, expressed in dialect and rhyme.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
THE HOME GUARD.
My pa's gone down south to fight—
Golly! Wouldn't I!-
With a sticker sharp an' bright,
An'a pis-tol-my!
But before he went away.
Took me on his knee.
Sald that one of us mus' stay,
An'it mus' be me.
'Twouldn't do to leave ma here
Livin' all alone-
S'pose the Spanish should appear,
Sudden, un-be-known,
An' no men." he said, "should fin'—
Think of that Sylves'!
So I'm watchin' things, behind',
'Sid'rin It seemed bes',
But I've a comp'ny
Called the Smith Home Guard,
An' we're drillin' reg'lerly
In our big back yard.
I'm the capting; Reg'nal Burns,
He's the private; er
Change about—we're takin' turns
Bein' officer.
Ma sa"s she's not afraid
Of the Spanish "horde."
'Speck she's mighty glad I stayed—
I've a dandy sword!
Agr when I have drilled a heap,
Till I'm 'bout to fall.
Ma jus' rocks me off to sleep,
Which is bes' of all!
-Edwin I. Sabin in Puck.
My pa's gone down south to fight—
Golly! Wouldn't I!-
With a sticker sharp an' bright,
An'a pis-tol-my!
But before he went away.
Took me on his knee.
Sald that one of us mus' stay,
An'it mus' be me.
'Twouldn't do to leave ma here
Livin' all alone-
S'pose the Spanish should appear,
Sudden, un-be-known,
An' no men." he said, "should fin'—
Think of that Sylves'!
So I'm watchin' things, behind',
'Sid'rin It seemed bes',
But I've a comp'ny
Called the Smith Home Guard,
An' we're drillin' reg'lerly
In our big back yard.
I'm the capting; Reg'nal Burns,
He's the private; er
Change about—we're takin' turns
Bein' officer.
Ma sa"s she's not afraid
Of the Spanish "horde."
'Speck she's mighty glad I stayed—
I've a dandy sword!
Agr when I have drilled a heap,
Till I'm 'bout to fall.
Ma jus' rocks me off to sleep,
Which is bes' of all!
-Edwin I. Sabin in Puck.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ballad
What themes does it cover?
War Military
Patriotism
What keywords are associated?
Home Guard
Spanish War
Child Play
Father Soldier
Puck Magazine
What entities or persons were involved?
Edwin I. Sabin In Puck.
Poem Details
Title
The Home Guard.
Author
Edwin I. Sabin In Puck.
Subject
Child Guarding Home While Father Fights Spanish
Form / Style
Rhymed Quatrains In Child Dialect
Key Lines
My Pa's Gone Down South To Fight—
Golly! Wouldn't I!
With A Sticker Sharp An' Bright,
An'a Pis Tol My!
Ma Sa"S She's Not Afraid
Of The Spanish "Horde."