The Stepmother

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First she come to our house,
  Tommy run and hid;
  And Emily and Bob and me
  We cried jus' like we did
  When Mother died,--and we all said
  'At we all wisht 'at we was dead!

  And Nurse she couldn't stop us,
  And Pa he tried and tried,--
  We sobbed and shook and wouldn't look,
  But only cried and cried;
  And nen someone--we couldn't jus'
  Tell who--was cryin' same as us!

  Our Stepmother! Yes, it was her,
  Her arms around us all--
  'Cause Tom slid down the bannister
  And peeked in from the hall.--
  And we all love her, too, because
  She's purt nigh good as Mother was!

© James Whitcomb Riley