The Two Samaritans and the Tramp

1890

Henry Lawson

A TRAMP was trampin’ on the road—
    The afternoon was warm an’ muggy—
And by-and-by he chanced to meet
    A parsin ridin’ in a buggy.
Said he: “As follerers ov the Loard,
    To do good offices we oughter!”
An’ from a water-bag he poured,
    An’ guv the tramp, a drink er water.

The parsin he went rattlin’ ’ome
    To ware his fam-i-lee was thrivin’,
The tramp went on until he met
    A bullick-driver, bullick drivin’—
“It’s bilin’ ’ot,” the driver sed
    As soon’s the dirty tramp drawed nearer,
And from a little keg he poured,
    And giv the tramp a pint of beer—“ah!”

(P.S.—The “ah” is meant to stand for the tramp a-drinking ov it.)

I ain’t agin the temperance cause,
Nor yet no advocate ov drinkin’—
I only tells the yarn because—
Well, at the time it somehow seemed
Ter kind ov set me thinkin’.

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