THE OPTIMIST

Ole Uncle Finn was a good old chap,
But he never seemed fer to care a rap,
If the sun forgot
To rise some day,
Just like as not
Ole Finn would say:
"Oncommon dark, this here we're in,
But 'Taint as bad as it might 'a been."

But a big cyclone came long one day
An' the town was wrecked and blowed away;
When the storm had passed
We turned around,
And thought at last
Ole Finn had found
The state of thing he was buried in
About as bad as it might ''a been!

So we dug 'im out o' the twisted wreck
And lifted a rater off his neck:
He was bruised an' cut
And a sight to see;
He was ruined, but
He says--says he,
With a weak look 'round an' a smashed-up grin,
" 'Taint half so bad as it might have been."

But, after all, it's the likes o'Finn
Makes this world fit fer livin' in.
When days are drear
And skies are dark,
It's good to hear,
Some old chap bark
"Now, see here, son," with a cheerful grin,
" 'Taint half so bad as it might 'a been!"

Author Unknown