A Gambler's Return

Florence E. Stiff

Down the sunny lane in the morning
Where all the birds begin to sing
Where all the wild flowers are blooming
Close beside the cool rippling spring.
Then next you come to the stable
At a distance a house you can see
Inside of it watching and waiting
My mother sits longing for me.
She knows not the journey I've traveled
She knows not the luck that I've had
She knew I never cared for the women
She knew I was just a wild reckless lad.
The height's of my thoughts was in gambling
In never a game was I beat
Keeping Mothers one word always with me
Don't matter what you do never cheat.
With my pockets fairly lined with money
I came to my senses at last
How lonely my mother must be getting
For nearly ten years now had passed.
I put all my clothes in a suitcase
But one ragged suit that I wore
In the first east bound train I caught leaving
Stood four gambling men in a door.
We started a game in the boxcar
My last chance I could not turn down
And besides I could win all their money
By the time we had reached my home town.
When we reached town the sun was rising
My money was nearly half gone
My luck seemed to have changed in that boxcar
But a gambler will always keep on.
With just half of my winnings in my pocket
A real estate house then I sought
And the nicest little house in the city
A present for my mother I bought.
In a blue serge suite and a necktie
I gave my gambling clothes for the new
And down the sunny lane in the morning
I'm coming mother dear back to you.