House Carpenter- Cutting (NY) 1944 Cutting B
[From: Lore of an Adirondack County by Edith E. Cutting, 1944 by Cornell University Press.
Clarence Cutting was 78 circa 1944 and is the author's great uncle.
Her notes follow.
R. Matteson 2016]
A variant recited under protest by Clarence Cutting (he said he had been trying for seventy years to forget the horrid thing) has the following interesting stanzas:
"If you will leave your house-carpenter
And go along with me,
I'll take you where the grass grows greener
In North Amerikee."
"If I should leave my house-carpenter
And go along with thee,
What have you got to maintain me upon
To keep me from slavery?"
"I've ships on sea
And houses on land
And a hundred and ten jolly sailor men
To be at your command."
She took her babe all in her arm
And gave it kisses three,
Saying, "Stay at home with your own kind father,
For he is good to thee."