All We Ask Is To Be Let Alone.
BY H. H. Brownell.
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As vonce I valked by a dismal swamp,
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There sot an old cove in the dark .and damp,
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And at everybody as passed that road
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A stick or a stone this old cove throwed.
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And venever he flung his stick or his stone,
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He'd set up a Song of " Let me alone."
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"Let me alone, for I loves to shy
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These bits of things at the passers-by;
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Let me alone, for I've got your tin,
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And lots of other traps snugly in;
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Let me alone — I am rigging a boat
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To grab votever you've got afloat;
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In a veek or so I expects to come,
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And turn you out of your ouse and ome;
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I'm a quiet old cove," says he, with a groan;
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"All I axes, is, Let me alone."
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Just then came along, on the self same vay,
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Another old cove, and began for to say:
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“Let you alone! That's comin' it strong!
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You've ben, let alone — a darned sight
too long!
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Of all the sarce that ever I heerd!
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Put down that stick! (You may well look
skeered,
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Let go that stone! If you once show fight,
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I'll knock you higher than ary kite.
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“You must have a lesson to stop your tricks,
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And cure you of shying them stones and
sticks;
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And I'll have my hardware back, and my cash,
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And knock your scow into tarnal smash?
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And if ever I catches you round my ranch,
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I'll string you up to the nearest branch.
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The best you can do is to go to bed,
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And keep a decent tongue in your head;
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For I reckon, before you and I are done,
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You'll wish you had let honest folks alone."
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The old cove stopped, and the other old cove,
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He sot quite still in his cypress grove,
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And he looked at his stick, revolvin' slow,
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"Vether 'twere safe to shy it or no;
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And be grumbled on, in an injured tone,
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“All that I axed vos, Let me alone"
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Page updated 05/25/2006.