Southern, Neta Snook (1896-1991) Diary of Neta Snook [Southern]

[Draft Created by Crowdsourcing]
[Extract]
''IF.''

IF YOU CAN DRESS TO MAKE
YOURSELF ATRACTIVE, [sic]
YET NOT MAKE PUFFS AND
CURLS YOUR CHIEF DELIGHT;
IF YOU CAN SWIM AND ROW -
BE STRONG AND ACTIVE,
BUT OF THE GENTLER GRACES
NOT LOOSE SIGHT:
IF YOU CAN DANCE WITH-
OUT A CRASE FOR DANCING,
PLAY, WITHOUT GIVING PLAY
TO STRONG A HOLD,
ENJOY THE LOVE OF FRIENDS
WITHOUT ROMANCING,
CARE FOR THE WEAK, THE
FRIENDLESS AND THE OLD,
IF YOU CAN MASTER FRENCH,
AND GREEK AND LATIN,
AND NOT AQUIRE, [sic] AS WELL,
A PRIGGISH MIEN;
IF YOU CAN FEEL THE TOUCH OF
SILK AND SATIN,
WITHOUT DESPISING CALICO
AND GEAN;
IF YOU CAN PLY A SAW, AND
USE A HAMMER,

[2]
CAN DO A MANS WORK,
WHEN THE NEED OCCUR;
AND SING WHEN ASKED, WITH-
OUT EXCUSE OR STAMMER;
CAN RISE ABOVE UN FRIENDLY
SNUBS AND SLURS;
IF YOU CAN MAKE GOOD BREAD
AS WELL AS FUDGES;
CAN SEW WITH SKILL, AND
HAVE AN EYE FOR DUST;
IF YOU CAN BE A FRIEND AND
HAVE NO GRUDGES,
A GIRL WHOM ALL WILL LOVE
BECAUSE THEY MUST;
IF YOU SHOULD, SOME DAY, MEET
AND LOVE ANOTHER,
AND MAKE A HOME WITH PEACE
AND FAITH ENSHRINED,
AND YOU, ITS SOUL, A LOYAL
WIFE AND MOTHER,
YOU'LL WORK OUT PRETTY NEARLY
TO MY MIND
THE PLAN THATS BEEN DEVELOPED
THRU THE AGES,
AND WIN THE BEST THAT LIFE CAN HAVE IN STORE.-
YOU'LL BE, MY GIRL, A MODEL

[3]
FOR THE SAGES,
A WOMAN WHOM THE WORLD
WILL BOW BEFORE.

MARK-11-24
"ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER YE
PRAY AND ASK FOR, BELIEVE
THAT YE RECEIVE THEM, AND
YE SHALL HAVE THEM."

[4]
WHEN LOVELY WOMAN STOOPS TO FOLLY
AND FINDS, TO LATE, THAT MEN BETRAY
WHAT CHARM CAN SOOTHE HER MELANCLOL [sic]
WHAT ART CAN WASH HER GUILT AWAY?

THE ONLY ART HER GUILT TO COVER,
TO HIDE HER SHAME FROM EVERY EYE,
TO GIVE HER REPENTANCE TO HER LOVER
AND WRING HIS BOSOM IS-TO DIE.
O. GOLDSMITH.
[5]
''THE MESSAGE''

LAST NITE I COULD NOT SLEEP, AND SO
JUST AS THE CLOCK WAS STRIKING TWO
WITH ALL THE TOWN AS STILL AS DEATH
I MADE MYSELF A DREAM OF YOU-

IT WAS THE SWEETEST, MADDEST DREAM,
(I HAD NOT DARED IT IN THE DAY)
OF EYES THAT MET AND LIPS THAT CLUNG-
AND IN THE DREAM I HEARD YOU SAY:

"O LITTLE LOVE, I WILL COME BACK!
HEART OF MY HEART, BE BRAVE AND WAIT!
ONE NITE THE SMALL NEW MOON SHALL HEAR
MY HAND, IMPATIENT, ON THE GATE.

"ONE NITE THE SMALL NEW MOON SHALL SEE
YOUR BRIDE FACE HIDDEN ON MY HEART-
LIPS I HAVE KISSED, DO I NOT KNOW
THAT WAITING IS THE HARDER PART?"

LAST NITE I COULD NOT SLEEP-
COULD YOU?

IN SOME DARK DUG-OUTT DID YOU MAKE
YOURSELF A LITTLE DREAM OF ME?
WAS THAT WHAT BECONED [sic] ME AWAKE?

FANNIE HEASLIP LEA.

[6]
The Rescue

Two maidens, fair,
With golden hair,
Went to the woods one day.
They gathered flowers by
the bunch,
And then sat down and ate
their lunch
Their mother had prepared.
among the trees,
One of them suddenly fell on
her knees.
Norma, it was, for that she
was named,
"Look yonder," she cried,
"the forests in flames."
"What are we to do?" cried
the other one, Rose.
It swept faster and faster,
then Norma arose.

They ran and they ran,
But the fire faster ran,
Till soon all exhausted they
stopped.

[7]
"Hark," cried out Norma,
"What do I hear? the
prancing of steeds?"
"They are near, they are near."

Soon up rode two knights,
The girls to the saddle they
swung,
And galloped away, their
steeds on the run.
And when theyrreached [sic] home,
these couples were wed
And lived very happily,
Till alas they were dead.
-Vivian Snook.

[8]
Many times mans throws a
rock that he wishes was
back in his hand.

The inner side of every cloud
is bright and shiny. I there-
fore turn my clouds inside
out to show the inner lining.

As a rule a mans a fool,
when its hot he wants it
cool, when its cool he wants
it hot, always wanting what
is not.

H , have you heard about
Harry? He just got back
from the front. He nose he
was needed to defeat the
German army. Hip, Hip,
Hooray.