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A little line of poetry came to my mind 't'other day And it sort o' kept me ponderin' as I ambled on my way 'Bout how "it takes a heap o' livin'" in a house to make You sure will never have one if your allus on the roam But you got to settle down somewhere And plant some vines and trees And some roses and some lilacs To perfume the evening breeze But these things are on the outside And while the're nice to own It's the family that live inside That really makes it home If Pa wants to be a real "old sport" And spend his cash for "booze" No matter if the boys and girls Are needin' clothes an' shoes. He's a real "good Feller" with the "boys" But comes home grouchy, cross When it comes to makin' a real home That man's a total loss. And ma likes to spend most all her time At dances or at shows And goes to bridge club meetings To show her good clothes. She may even do some "uplift" work For the pore folks in the slums. While her own neglected children Run round the neighborhood like bums Home's just a place to eat and sleep Not a place for havin' fun, Or gettin' help from Pa or Ma To get their lessons done. They just come in to eat a bite Then out again they roam. All their "childhoods happy memories" Are of a neighbors home. But if Pa and Ma are kind an' good An' do the best they kin To raise their children up to be Good women, honest men, Teach 'em to play fair and square At home as well as at school And raise 'em up to Fear the Lord And mind the Golden rule. They teach em that there is some task For everyone to do And then there's jolly times for all When the work is through And so they grow up strong and brave And go out to the strife With characters so strongly made They're not afraid of life, So Pa and Ma have really been A help to their home town, By brining up a family They can be proud to own. And even if great wealth and fame Should pass 'em by for good, A home like that's a credit To any neighborhood. |
