School: Gusserane

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1. Poor Little Jemmy (continued)

   

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   For it touched their hearts with a thrill of delight
   To give joy to poor Jemmy so small and slight

   But time for play is not long to last
   And careless years fly rapidly past
   And poor mens children must soon begin
   The toils of this world of cares and sin
   And Jemmy's young friends soon were scattered around
   Some tending in farmsteads, some tilling the ground
   Some plying the shuttle, some pulling the oar
   Some duly appointed in workshop or store
   But the father and mother of poor little Jim
   Decided on making a scholar , him
   For although he was feeble and puny and slight
   The spirit within him was unclouded and bright

   No 3
   So they kept him to school and whatever the cost
   None could say, that time or the money was lost
   For he read and he learned and what went into his brain
   Remained there, and never went from it again
   And soon to his parents and friends t'was a joy
   In the calm summer evenings to sit with the boy
   And hear him discourse of the news of the day
   The glories of Ireland in times passed away
   Or grouped by the fireside on long winter nights
   Hear him speak of her prospects, her wrongs and her rights
   For he knew how his nation was plundered and gored

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. genre
      1. poetry
         1. folk poetry (~9,504)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Martin Walsh

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   50

   Address

   Dunmain, Co. Wexford