The Little Boy Who Hitched on Behind

In a rambling old house, where the mountain slopes down
On Connecticut's rough soil, in old Sharon Town,
A man and wife lived, had their own little world
With a group of five boys, and three little girls.
''Hie away to the store now, " the fond mother‑ said
To the fifth of the group, a wild rattle'd head,
"This is the season you love best of the year, "
When cousins are coming, and Christmas draws near,
And I'm wanting some spices and raisins, to make
For you and your cousins, a nice Christmas cake.
Take your sled if you wish, no doubt you will find
Some one will invite you to hitch on behind.'

Away went the lad, light hearted and gay,
But all of the teams passed him by on the way,
Until an old man with a one‑horse sleigh and load
Pulled up and sat eyeing the boy by the road.
And that lad ne'er forgot his kind look when he said
"Come on, little sonny, hitch on your red sled."
Then glanced down and smiled with eyes full of glee,
While I bowed to him, and he nodded to me.
And said, "Get up, Mollie, you're dreadful lazy inclined,
But that boy can't pass us 'cause he's hitched on behind."

What a ride that boy had all the way 'round
The winding hillside, then up, up into town.
The old man held up Mollie while the boy loosed his sled,
And thanked him very kindly, when he laughingly said:
"Git along to the store now, you bright little elf,
Don't you know I was a little boy once myself
And loved an old neighbor who treated me kind,
For he held up his team while I 'hitched on behind."'

Then the boy fell to musing o'er an admonition at school,
When the teacher said, "All boys should live by the golden rule."
And wondered if the rule filled the old man with joy,
And made him kind, and considerate to the little boy.
And he said he was sure there would ne'er come a day
When a man of that kind passed the school with a sleigh,
Had need to be watching, or trembling with fear
Lest a water‑soaked snow ball come biff 'against his ear,
For all of the boys, who by nature refined,
Loved the man who said cheerfully "hitch on behind."

My! how time flies, that little boy with the sled
Wandered out to the west, and the old man is dead,
For many long years have rolled on since that day,
And that little boy now is old, crippled and gray,
Jus' "Biding his time, " while there's much he regrets
Just a trying his best, until life's sun shall set,
But when he goes riding there comes to his mind
That old man and the little boy who "hitched on behind."