Marthy Ellen.

They's nothin' in the name to strike      A feller more'n common like!      'Taint liable to git no praise      Ner nothin' like it nowadays;      An' yit that name o' her'n is jest      As purty as the purtiest -      And more 'n that, I'm here to say      I'll live a-thinkin' thataway          And die far Marthy Ellen!      It may be I was prejudust      In favor of it from the fust -      'Cause I kin ricollect jest how      We met, and hear her mother now      A-callin' of her down the road -      And, aggervatin' little toad! -      I see her now, jes' sort o' half-      Way disapp'inted, turn and laugh          And mock her - "Marthy Ellen!"      Our people never had no fuss,      And yit they never tuck to us;      We neighbered back and foreds some;      Until they see she liked to come      To our house - and me and her      Were jest together ever'whur      And all the time - and when they'd see      That I liked her and she liked me,      They'd holler "Marthy Ellen!"      When we growed up, and they shet down      On me and her a-runnin' roun'      Together, and her father said      He'd never leave her nary red,      So he'p him, ef she married me,      And so on - and her mother she      Jest agged the gyrl, and said she 'lowed      She'd ruther see her in her shroud,          I writ to Marthy Ellen -      That is, I kindo' tuck my pen      In hand, and stated whur and when      The undersigned would be that night,      With two good hosses saddled right      Far lively travelin' in case      Her folks 'ud like to jine the race.      She sent the same note back, and writ      "The rose is red!" right under it -          "Your 'n allus, Marthy Ellen."      That's all, I reckon - Nothin' more      To tell but what you've heerd afore -      The same old story, sweeter though      Far all the trouble, don't you know.      Old-fashioned name! and yit it's jest      As purty as the purtiest;      And more 'n that, I'm here to say      I'll live a-thinking thataway,          And die far Marthy Ellen!