The Two Samaritans and the Tramp

Henry Lawson, 1890

      A tramp was trampin' on the road —
      The afternoon was warm an' muggy —
      And by-and-by he chanced to meet
      A parsin ridin' in a buggy.
      Said he: "As follerers ov the Loard,
      To do good offices we oughter!"
      An' from a water-bag he poured,
      An' guv the tramp, a drink er water.

      The parsin he went rattlin' 'ome
      To ware his fam-i-lee was thrivin',
      The tramp went on until he met
      A bullick-driver, bullick drivin' —
      "It's bilin' 'ot," the driver sed
      As soon's the dirty tramp drawed nearer,
      And from a little keg he poured,
      And giv the tramp a pint of beer — "ah!"

      (P.S. — The "ah" is meant to stand for the tramp a-drinking ov it.)

      I ain't agin the temperance cause,
      Nor yet no advocate ov drinkin' —
      I only tells the yarn because —
      Well, at the time it somehow seemed
      Ter kind ov set me thinkin'.