AT THE COURT-HOUSE DOOR by ANONYMOUS

NO! no! I don't defend him --
You needn't, sir, be afraid!
Of course he's bad, and he's broke the laws,
And they've got to be obeyed;
But I can't help kind of thinking --
I beg your pardon, squire! --
If we had had a start like him
We mightn't got much higher.

"So poor?" 'T wan't that! -- 't wan't that, sir!
A home may be awful bare,
And keep some kind of quiet
And show of comfort there;
But when it's all dirt and disorder --
I never saw such a place! --
And you see folks said 't would always be,
Because it was in the race;

And it had been so -- that's true, sir;
His father was very bad;
And the poor boy looked some like him --
And 't was all against the lad;
Folks wouldn't allow that anything good
Could come of such a stock --
Kind folks they were, too, in everything else,
But here as set as a rock.
They wouldn't employ him to labor --
They didn't want him around;
There were plenty of nice young fellows,
That needed work, to be found.

And his mother -- she was a drunkard;
And that was against him, too!
And so, no home, no comfort,
And nothing to get to do.
Oh, well! folks always expected --
His poor old father, you see --
'T is curious how their figures
And the way he went agree!
But I've thought a good deal about it,
And I've kind of made it out,
That the way to bring up a fellow
Isn't just to kick him about!

I don't think much of talking,
And I haven't much to say;
But the better you use a creature,
The more you will get to pay.
And we who have had our chances,
And friends to give us a lift,
Won't be too hard on this one,
That the town has set adrift;
For if the neighbors had took to him,
And tried to help him along,
You see -- it may be, brother,
He hadn't gone quite so wrong!

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