Her 'Allowance'! - Lillian Gard

'Er looked at me bunnet (I knows 'e ain't noo!)
'Er turned up 'er nose at the patch on me shoe!
And 'er sez, pointed like, 'Liza, what do 'e do
With yer 'llowance?'

'Er looked at the children (they'm clean and they'm neat,
But their clothes be as plain as the victuals they eat):
And 'er sez, 'Why not dress 'em up fine for a treat
With yer 'llowance?'

I sees 'er long feather and trimmy-up gown:
I sez, as I looks 'er quite square up and down,
'Do 'e think us keeps 'oliday 'ere in the town
With my 'llowance?

'No likely!' I sez.  And I bids 'er 'Good-day!'
And I kneels on the shabby old canvas to pray
For Bill, who's out fightin' such brave miles away.
(And I puts back a foo o' they coins for 'e may
Be needin' a part -- may my Bill -- who can say? --
Of my 'llowance!)

Lillian Gard