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<h2>Truth upon Honor</h2> <div class="poetry"> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> PA’S brother is a bachelor, but not a crusty one, He’s got the very nicest home and lives there all alone; At Christmas-time he buys me up most everything I want, Because I look, ’so people say, just like my pretty aunt. </div> <div class="stanza"> She’s just as nice as she can be, and long, long time ago Pa’s brother was, or tried to be, this same Aunt Jessie’s beau, For once I heard pa say to ma, “Your sister was to blame,” Then ma, she flared right up and said, “She did right, just the same.” </div> <div class="stanza"> “Your brother, stubborn fellow, he would break a woman’s heart, I tell you I was glad for one they thought it best to part!” I thought of this the other day, when our relations came{239} To eat the Xmas turkey, and more things than I could name. </div> <div class="stanza"> For Aunt’s face got as red as fire when Uncle Ned came in, “Peace and goodwill at Xmas time,” said pa, with such a grin. “I wish,” said I to brother Tom, “they’d have a wedding day, What is the good of two nice folks sulking around this way? </div> <div class="stanza"> I’d be a bridesmaid for them, Tom, and wouldn’t that be fun, Then we’d go there for holidays as soon as school was done.” “Don’t you believe such stuff of him,” said brother Tom to me, “Why, everyone that falls in love is silly as can be! </div> <div class="stanza"> Put all their good clothes on at once—strut ’round an’ show off so, The folks that have to live with them get sick of it you know.” Sho! don’t tell up such stuff as that about our Uncle Ned,{240} If you don’t mind your p’s and q’s I’ll tell him what you said. </div> <div class="stanza"> But I found out that I was right—I’ll tell you how it came, Truth upon Honor, we did play—it’s just a lovely game, You ask the queerest questions and they answer out quite free, And if they tell what isn’t true, it’s wicked, don’t you see? </div> <div class="stanza"> Tom asked me was I awful mad (he can be dreadful mean) When a great deal prettier hat than mine went by on Mabel Green? I had to tell, but never mind, I paid him back again, I made him own he copied sums from clever cousin Ben. </div> <div class="stanza"> Aunt Jess she laughed, and Uncle Ned said ’twas a jolly game, He changed his tune though pretty quick when round his own turn came. “Now tell the truth,” I said to him—“not maybe or I guess—{241} Ain’t you just heaps and heaps in love with our dear Auntie Jess? </div> <div class="stanza"> At first he scowled at Tom and me as mad as any hoe, And Tom he laughed and said, “Own up! you used to be her beau.” At this he looked and looked at her, and thought her nice I guess For right out quick he said, “It’s true—I love your dear Aunt Jess.” </div> <div class="stanza"> We clapped our hands. Now ’tis your turn to question Auntie here, But if he didn’t—mean old thing—just whisper in her ear. Said she, “This is a pretty game, which everyone should know.” “I wish we’d played it, dear,” he said, “a long, long time ago.” </div> <div class="stanza"> Then I winked hard at brother Tom, and he winked back at me, And we sneaked off and left them there as jolly as could be. I know a thing that I won’t tell—not to Tom anyway, I’ll be a bridesmaid all so fine before next Xmas day. </div> </div></div> {242} <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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