There's hills to the north, an' south, an' aste,
An' a dusty plain on the west;
A small lean-to, wid a shed or two,
'Tis a lonesome place at best;
But all the houses in this broad town,
To me, aint worth a rap
Beside the dear ould tumble-down
On the farm at Brady's Gap.
In a smart suburban villa,
In a trim suburban street,
Before the fire sat Dad Maguire,
With neatly slippered feet;
Dressed in a suit of broadcloth,
And a fancy velvet cap,
He told the tale, in a plaintive wail,
Of the farm on Brady's Gap.
'Tis not f'r me to grumble
At the life I lade down here,
Wid niver a care f'r crops to bear,
An' niver a drought to fear,
I've all that man cud want for,
Wid me house, an' horse an' trap --
'Twas a knock-knee'd grey, and an ould spring-dray,
On the farm at Brady's Gap.
'Tis twinty years last August
Since first we tuk the land --
A barren, thirsty counthry --
But Lord, we thought it grand;
For we was young and hopeful,
Me an' the missus thin;
An' our only son (God rest his soul)
Was a child of nine or tin.
'Twas a peaceful lonesome life we led;
Our luck now in now out,
A daily fight for mate an' bread,
Wid frost, an' wind, an' drought.
An' bit by bit our bye grew up,
A lively smart young chap,
Wid whips of go -- an' life was slow
For him at Brady's Gap.
An' after much persuadin'
An' pleadin' wid the wife,
I gave the lad me promise
To let him start in life.
I'd save a bit o' money
Whin things was at their best;
An' most of that I gave to Pat,
An' shipped him to the West.
'Twas there the made the money
That keeps us livin' here,
Contint an' indipindent;
But the price we paid was dear.
Fur Paddy tuk the typhoid
An' died of it over there,
Leavin' us rich an' wealthy.
But a childless lonely air.
There' a hilly waste north, south, an' aste,
An' a dusty plain out West;
An' ould lean-to wid a tree or two,
'Tis a dreary place at best.
But often now when I'm sittin' here
Fur me after-dinner nap;
A tear starts out, when I drame about
The farm at Brady's Gap.
First published in The Evening Journal, 18 November 1899
Author reference sites: C.J. Dennis, Austlit, Australian Dictionary of Biography, Australian Poetry Library
See also.
