"God help us, but the case is bad!
An' men below, an' saints above
Look with mixed feelin's, sour an' sad.
Upon a fool in love with love.
Go, find her, lad, an' be again.
Fit to associate with men.
"Don't leave yourself upon the shelf:
It's bad for man to live alone."
"Hold on," says I. "What ails yourself?
What are you doin' on your own?"
Quickly he turned away his head.
"That's neither here nor there," he said.
I saw I'd made a clumsy break;
An' tried to cover it with talk
Of anything, for old Blair's sake.
He don't reply; but when I'd walk
Outside he says, "What's this I hear
About the mill boys actin' queer?"
So then we yarns about the strike.
An' old Bob frowns an' shakes his head.
"There's something there I hardly like;
The boss has acted fair," he said.
"Eight years I've toiled here constantly.
An' boss an' friend he's been to me.
