Stedman and Hutchinson, comps. A Library of American Literature:
An Anthology in Eleven Volumes. 1891.
Vols. IX–XI: Literature of the Republic, Part IV., 1861–1889
Nelly Bly
By Stephen Collins Foster (18261864)N
We’ll sweep de kitchen clean, my dear, and hab a little song.
Poke de wood, my lady lub, and make de fire burn,
And while I take de banjo down, just gib de mush a turn.
Listen, lub, to me;
I’ll sing for you, I’ll play for you,
A dulcem melody.
Nelly Bly hab a voice like de turtle dove,—
I hears it in de meadow and I hears it in de grove;
Nelly Bly hab a heart warm as a cup ob tea,
And bigger dan de sweet potato down in Tennessee.
When she wakens up again her eyeballs gin to peep;
De way she walks, she lifts her foot, and den she brings it down,
And when it lights der’s music dah in dat part ob de town.
Nebber bring de tear-drop to de corner ob your eye;
For de pie is made ob punkins, and de mush is made ob corn,
And der’s corn and punkins plenty, lub, lying in de barn.
Listen, lub, to me;
I’ll sing for you, I’ll play for you,
A dulcem melody.