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HISTORY OF OREGON LITERATURE
Caesar and Lizz: A River Front Ballad
These are only a few stanzas selected from the first part of the ballad, which in its entirety consists of 80 stanzas and 330 lines. When it was first printed in the Frontier in November, 1930, the author received a large number of letters about it.
He had cross eyes...
But I didn't care —
Wen I looked at his eyes
I thought uv his hair.
But I didn't care —
Wen I looked at his eyes
I thought uv his hair.
His hair wuz like
Short curly rope—
An' it smelled uv tobacca
An' tar an' soap...
Short curly rope—
An' it smelled uv tobacca
An' tar an' soap...
His face wuz brown
As the bark on trees.
An' the top uv his boots
Whut come up to his knees
Come mos' t' my waist—
That tall if yuh please!
As the bark on trees.
An' the top uv his boots
Whut come up to his knees
Come mos' t' my waist—
That tall if yuh please!
Me an' him built a porch
T' my house-boat shack —
An' wen he'd go way
He'd al'us come back.
T' my house-boat shack —
An' wen he'd go way
He'd al'us come back.
But gee! He wuz hansome!
. . . Six feet-seven! . . .
He played a jew's harp
An' ... an' I loved him like heaven!
. . . Six feet-seven! . . .
He played a jew's harp
An' ... an' I loved him like heaven!
An' wile I sat there...
Sat there on his knee—
He sez, "Lizz, my gal—"
He sez that t' me,
Sat there on his knee—
He sez, "Lizz, my gal—"
He sez that t' me,
"I'm strong fer yer vittals
An' long fer yer kisses,"
An' he gev me a ring!
So that I wuz his Missus! ...
An' long fer yer kisses,"
An' he gev me a ring!
So that I wuz his Missus! ...
