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WE are two travellers, Roger and I. | |
Roger s my dog:come here, you scamp! | |
Jump for the gentlemen,mind your eye! | |
Over the table,look out for the lamp! | |
The rogue is growing a little old; | 5 |
Five years we ve tramped through wind and weather, | |
And slept out-doors when nights were cold, | |
And ate and drankand starved together. | |
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We ve learned what comfort is, I tell you! | |
A bed on the floor, a bit of rosin, | 10 |
A fire to thaw our thumbs (poor fellow! | |
The paw he holds up there s been frozen), | |
Plenty of catgut for my fiddle | |
(This out-door business is bad for the strings), | |
Then a few nice buckwheats hot from the griddle, | 15 |
And Roger and I set up for kings! | |
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No, thank ye, sir,I never drink; | |
Roger and I are exceedingly moral, | |
Arent we, Roger?see him wink! | |
Well, something hot, thenwe wont quarrel. | 20 |
He s thirsty too,see him nod his head? | |
What a pity, sir, that dogs cant talk! | |
He understands every word that s said, | |
And he knows good milk from water-and-chalk. | |
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The truth is, sir, now I reflect, | 25 |
I ve been so sadly given to grog, | |
I wonder I ve not lost the respect | |
(Here s to you, sir!) even of my dog. | |
But he sticks by through thick and thin; | |
And this old coat, with its empty pockets, | 30 |
And rags that smell of tobacco and gin, | |
He ll follow while he has eyes in his sockets. | |
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There isnt another creature living | |
Would do it, and prove, through every disaster, | |
So fond, so faithful, and so forgiving | 35 |
To such a miserable, thankless master! | |
No, sir!see him wag his tail and grin! | |
By George! it makes my old eyes water! | |
That is, there s something in this gin | |
That chokes a fellow. But no matter! | 40 |
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We ll have some music, if you re willing, | |
And Roger (hem! what a plague a cough is, sir!) | |
Shall march a little. Start, you villain! | |
Stand straight! Bout face! Salute your officer! | |
Put up that paw! Dress! Take your rifle! | 45 |
(Some dogs have arms, you see!) Now hold your | |
Cap while the gentlemen give a trifle, | |
To aid a poor old patriot soldier! | |
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March! Halt! Now show how the rebel shakes | |
When he stands up to hear his sentence. | 50 |
Now tell us how many drams it takes | |
To honor a jolly new acquaintance. | |
Five yelps,that s five; he s mighty knowing! | |
The night s before us, fill the glasses! | |
Quick, sir! I m ill,my brain is going! | 55 |
Some brandy,thank you,there!it passes! | |
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Why not reform? That s easily said, | |
But I ve gone through such wretched treatment, | |
Sometimes forgetting the taste of bread, | |
And scarce remembering what meat meant, | 60 |
That my poor stomachs past reform; | |
And there are times when, mad with thinking, | |
I d sell out heaven for something warm | |
To prop a horrible inward sinking. | |
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Is there a way to forget to think? | 65 |
At your age, sir, home, fortune, friends, | |
A dear girls love,but I took to drink, | |
The same old story; you know how it ends. | |
If you could have seen these classic features, | |
You neednt laugh, sir; they were not then | 70 |
Such a burning libel on Gods creatures; | |
I was one of your handsome men! | |
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If you had seen her, so fair and young, | |
Whose head was happy on this breast! | |
If you could have heard the songs I sung | 75 |
When the wine went round, you wouldnt have guessed | |
That ever I, sir, should be straying | |
From door to door, with fiddle and dog, | |
Ragged and penniless, and playing | |
To you to-night for a glass of grog! | 80 |
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She s married since,a parsons wife; | |
T was better for her that we should part, | |
Better the soberest, prosiest life | |
Than a blasted home and a broken heart. | |
I have seen her? Once: I was weak and spent | 85 |
On the dusty road; a carriage stopped; | |
But little she dreamed, as on she went, | |
Who kissed the coin that her fingers dropped! | |
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You ve set me talking, sir; I m sorry; | |
It makes me wild to think of the change! | 90 |
What do you care for a beggars story? | |
Is it amusing? you find it strange? | |
I had a mother so proud of me! | |
T was well she died before Do you know | |
If the happy spirits in heaven can see | 95 |
The ruin and wretchedness here below? | |
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Another glass, and strong, to deaden | |
This pain; then Roger and I will start. | |
I wonder, has he such a lumpish, leaden, | |
Aching thing in place of a heart? | 100 |
He is sad sometimes, and would weep, if he could, | |
No doubt, remembering things that were, | |
A virtuous kennel, with plenty of food, | |
And himself a sober, respectable cur. | |
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I m better now; that glass was warming. | 105 |
You rascal! limber your lazy feet! | |
We must be fiddling and performing | |
For supper and bed, or starve in the street. | |
Not a very gay life to lead, you think? | |
But soon we shall go where lodgings are free, | 110 |
And the sleepers need neither victuals nor drink; | |
The sooner the better for Roger and me! | |
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