En Parr Alte Sunflowers

Hickerniss Valley,

Uf der Annere Seit um Berg.

Jan. 7, 1897.

Mister Drucker:

Wann leit amol so alt sin dos sie ah fus im grawb hen sett mer denka sie dahta sich nimme fiel boddera wahga heira.

Ovver wie’s scheint gebts alte norra sowhol ols wie yunge.

Ich hob g’sahna dos de letscht wuch drohva in Manchester, N.H. hut so’n alte dingerichen fun 98 yohr en alter dings fon 90 yohr keiert, un des is es fiert mol dos sie oll zwa keiert hen. Sie missa’s fiel besser gleicha wie de menschta fun der leit.

Fiel griega ganung derfon wann sie amol heira, un dale kenna schier net warte bis sie funonner kenna.

Es haste der alt kerle wu de letscht wuch keiert hut en rechter schnollegauster war in seiner yunga dawga.

Dos er in ahm dawg ganung bame umhocka hut kenna uns in klohfterhuls hocka for 9 ½ klohfter zu mocha.

Dos er 1,000 pund ufhahva hut kenna un amol en ocker gras ghmad hut in 57 ½ minoota.

Er war ah im grieg g’west un hot g’fochta wie’n bullhund, ovver wann er net de recht sort fon’ra fraw grickt hut dann hut er beichinx sei match g’funna in seiner alte dawga un es kann ihm nuch huns ivvel gah.

De letscht fraw hut zaher kinner kot in ihrer zeit, ovver sie wase ollaweil net wu sie sin.

Sie warre alt ganung sei for uf sich selwer ocht zu gevva.

Wanna sie schun so alt is kann sie duch nuch lahsa unne brille un ich hob en opinyun sie hut en ordlich schorf awg in ihrem kup.

Es mawg sei wie’s will, sie hen nau keiert un mer wella huffa sie duhna enonner gut matscha.

Wann net, dann look out for schpux, even in ihra alte dawga.

Der Alt Schuhlmeshter.

A Little Bit of This and That

A Pair of Old Sunflowers

Hickory Nut Valley.

On the Other Side of the Mountain.

Jan. 7, 1897.

Mister Printer:

When people are so old that they have one foot in the grave we should think they would not want to bother to get married again.

But the way it seems, old fools act sometimes like youngsters.

I saw last week that in Manchester, N.H. an old fellow of 98 years married an old thing of 90 years, and this is the fourth time that they both got married.

They must like it much better than most of the people.

Many get enough the first time they get married and some can hardly wait until they can get away from each other.

It called the old man who got married last week a fast one in his younger days.

In one day he would chop down enough trees to make nine and a half piano keys.

He once mowed an acre of grass weighing 1,000 pounds in 57 1/2 minutes.

He was in the war and fought like a bull dog, but if he does not get the right kind of wife, then he certainly found his match in his old days and it can yet go very miserably for him.

The last wife had 10 children in her time, but she does not know right now where they are.

They were all old enough to take care of themselves.

If they are that old, they can read and cry.

I have the opinion they have rather sharp eyes in their heads.

It may be as it is, they are now married and we hope they are a good match.

If not, then look out for the spooks, even in their old days.

The Old Schoolmaster

***

Joseph H. Light, Vol. 1 The Lebanon Semi-Weekly News Lebanon 1928. Translated by Mary Bittner Henry