There  was  no  one  to  say  a  text  er  to  pray  fer  the  poor  devil

pantin'  fer  breath.
Then  he  opened  his  eyes,  but  no  pain  or  su' prise  in  the  face

of  the  man  we  could  see  ;
'Twas  the  face  of  a  child,  thet  looked  upward  an'  smiled,  an'

said,  "Fellahs,  listen  to  me:

"If  a  man  goes  to  kirk,  er  in  camp  has  to  work  where  he  never
hears  singin'  er  text,


THE  CAMP  87

Remember  he  can  be  a  God-lovin'  man  in  one  place  as  well
as  the  next.
"It's  all  over,  I  know,  but  I  ain't  scared  to  go,  though  my

heart  at  the  partin'  is  sair;
I  kin  see  the  white  gate  where  my  wee  babbies  wait — an'  I

know  thet  I'm  goin'  straight  there."


88  IN  FOREST  LAND


A  SON  OF  SICILY.
I  leava  dat  Italia

An'  coma  to  da  land,
Da  greata,  free  America,

To  run  banana  stand.
An'  when  I  leava  Sicily

Da  sunna  he  was  shine,
Da  leaf  was  on  da  feega  tree

An'  grapa  on  da  vine ;
Da  baby  chasa  butterfly,

Da  woman  sing  a  song;
An'  life  it  passa  sweeta  by,

Like  reever  run  along.
But,  in  Chicago  city,  sun

He  shina  not  at  all;
An'  in  Chicago  ever 'one

He  "dago,  dago"  call.
No  hilla  stand,  no  feega  grow,

No  bird  sing  in  a  trees;
Da  weenter  coma  an'  da  snow —

Italian  he  freeze.
I  dreama  den  of  Sicily,

Da  woman  by  da  door;
Da  leetle  baby  so  I  see

A  creepa  on  da  floor.
One  day  padroni  come  aroun  ;

He  say,  "You  coma  me,
To  sunny  Sout*  I  send  you  down

Where  growa  beeg,  beeg  tree.
