Spring Cleaning, 1900

"A Song of House Cleaning" from the Watauga Democrat, Boone, N.C., published on May 10, 1900

 

Father, dear father, come home with me now

For ma has some carpet to beat.

She has got all the furniture out in the yard,

From the front door clean out to the street.

The stove must come down and be put in the shed,

And the yard must be cleaned for some grass,

For it's time to clean house, and the devil's to pay,

And the front windows need some new glass.

 

Father, dear father, come home with me now

And bring some bologna and cheese.

It's 'most 12 o'clock and there's nothing to eat.

I'm so hungry I'm weak in the knees.

All the dinner we'll have will be cold scraps and such,

And we'll have to eat standing up too,

For the table and all are in the back yard;

Oh, I wish that house cleaning were through!

 

Father, dear father, come home with me now,

For ma is sad as a Turk;

She says that you're only a lazy old thing,

And that she will put you to work!

There's painting to do and paper to hang,

And windows and casings to scrub.

For it's house cleaning time;

And you've got to come home,

And revel in suds and cold grub!!!