Memories
By Alice Murphy Miller

Have you ever have a longin'
For the days you were a kid
When we went to grandpa's New Year's day
Now 'fess up! Course you did!

So let's go back to childhood days
And tarry there a while
And life again those good old times
And see again the smiles.

That grandpa and grandma used to give
When we'd greet them with a cheer
And see which one could be the first
To yell "Happy New Year, Happy New Year, Happy New Year"

Then grandpa, he'd come down the steps
And us kids could hardly wait
Till we could tumble out of the sled
And meet him at the gate.

Then we'd give him a hug and a kiss or two
And of course he didn't object
Then away we'd run to have our fun
And get into mischief I speck.

You'd think 'twas some wild Indians
Or Bedlam had begun
When all that bunch of noisy kids
Commenced a having fun.

There was Mag and Belle Annie and Bert,
And the two youngest Julia and Lester,
And also Claire and Miles and Merle
And the oldest one named Chester.

Jennie, Will, Maude
Gene, Fred, Ray and Rue.
Adah Fax, Allie, Myron,
Sylvia and Cordia too.

Ella and Cora, Julia and Nim,
Did not get there every time
But when they did, just take it from me
They were always right in line.

A jollier set of youngsters
You'd scarcely ever meet
And as for getting into mischief
There couldn't any of them be beat

There is one incident stands clear and plain
And by some will ne'er be forgot
And that was the terrible, terrible time
Merle and I pulled over the clock.

We wondered what was inside of it
And decided to investigate
But as happened so often to meddlesome kids
We found out, all too late.

When it commenced to topple and fall,
That moment, I'll not forget
That awful tumble and rattle and crash
It gives me the shivers yet.

For the licking I got, you may depend
I did not care a rap
But 'twas the awful thought that I'd completely lost
The love of my dear Grand Pap.

I just knew he never would like me
Or notice me at all
And that's what worried me the most
And that's what made me bawl.

When next I went to see him
My brain was in a whirl
But imagine my surprise and joy
When he said, "Ha! Ha! Here comes my girl"

And I do not think I ever saw
A smile, one half so grand
As the smile that Grandma gave me
As he took me by the hand.

And led me in the sitting room
And pointed to the clock
A sitting on the mantle shelf
With that same "Tick tock, tick tock".

With but one little exception
The clock was as good as ever
The minute hand was missing
Gone forever and forever.

How well I remember the attic
And how scared I was of it
And to sleep in the attic bed room
I didn't like that a bit.

Unless Annie was there to sleep with me
Then I didn't mind it you see
For to be together was joy indeed
And I think Annie will agree with me.

A cloud in the sky we hailed with joy
And if it poured rain you bet
We knew we could stay at Grandpa's
'Cause if we went home we'd get all wet.

How well I remember one night going home
It hadn't rained a bit
But we wanted it to so bad you know
That Annie fooled me with a little spit.

Oh that New Year's dinner! Wasn't it Great?
And how we kids did have to wait
For hours, and hours, or at least it seemed so
And before we were through eating, it was time to go.

But for all that we stuck right to it
What? Leave that dinner? Not if we knew it
We did not care if we stayed till night
Guess the chores could be done by lantern light.

Those honey sweets and seek no furthers too
We would eat just all we could
Then fill our pockets till they were running o'er
They were so awful good.

There are many things we can call to mind,
Of the days that have gone past
But some of those kids are now Grand Dads
Time does fly so fast.

And it won't be long, till we'll all be gone
And numbered with the past
But let's be gay as well as gray
And try to be young till the last.