Arthur Rodman’s “Jingles” Booklet-Pages 15-16

         SWEET SIXTEEN

Sweet Sixteen! Alack, my dear,
It was only yesteryear
That you were a babe so small,
And had just begun to crawl.

Then you were our only girl,
How the years have gone awhirl,
Bringing Rachel, Dick and Dot,
Making home a dear old spot.

Sweet Sixteen! It scarce seems true
That this big girl is really you;
You, who only yesterday
At my feet was wont to play.

Now, instead of dolls and things,
I must buy you hats and rings;
And, besides confections sweet,
I buy silk hose to grace your feet.

Sweet Sixteen no more you’ll be,
Tho as sweet you’ll be to me;
Here’s a kiss, my lassie dear,
One for each day of the year.

Live to love and love to live,
All your love to others give;
Let it be like a silver sheen,
Blessings on thee, Sweet Sixteen.

          WHICH FOR YOU?

“Tears or laughter?” Let me see–
Think a laugh is best for me?
Sounds that go with scalding tears
Fall too oft on heedless ears.

But the sound of joy and mirth
Echo clear around the earth.
When you weep ’tis best to hide,
When you laugh we’re at your side.

So keep on, gay jingling man;
Raise a laugh when e’er you can;
Make us smile from ear to ear,
And taboo the briny tear!

THE KIDS VISIT GRANDPA’S

See our grandpa skip and run;
Guess he’s had his share of fun.
Get the blues? Our grandpa? Nix!
Always cuttin’ up his tricks.

When you see him mope along
You can bet a leg’s gone wrong;
Makes an awful lot of noise
Havin’ fun with girls and boys.

Takes us kids upon his back;
‘Way we go around the track.
Then he’ll buck and jump and kick–
Makes us all the tighter stick.

Harness up old Bessie Brown,
Take us al1 around the town,
Half a dozen kids, or more,
Then we stop at Whitcomb’s store.

Candy, peanuts, cracker jack,
Cheese and crackers in a sack;
Lemon pop and ginger ale,
Dates and figs, a little stale.

Fun to see our grandpa milk,
Comes in streams as fine as silk
When he pulls the old cow’s skin–
Don’t see where that milk got in.

See those hungry Jersey pigs
Take their grub in noisy swigs.
In the trough with all their feet,
That’s a piggish way to eat.

Turkeys, ducks, and guineas, too;
Grandpa’s almost got a zoo.
Nice fried chicken–yum, yum, yum!
Not much wonder preachers come.

Talk about good things to eat,
Grandma’s table can’t be beat.
There we sit and stuff and stuff,
Seems we never get enough.

Gee! It’s fun to be down here,
Like to stay about a year.
‘Nother week? I hope we can,
Grandpa’s such a funny man.

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