Naughty Jimmy B
By Stephen Henry Lincoln of Perry, Maine
One morning in October in the year just passed away,
The ringing of the school bell called the children from their play.
The teacher was a female, from Cooper town she came,
She was lively and good-looking; Alice Foster was her name.
Mr. Woodcock being agent, she agreed with him to board,
She thought it quite convenient, living just across the road.
Now to have my story understood, I here a word will say,
Of Mr. Woodcock's journey up to Cooper far away;
To hire for us a teacher, a good one she should be
To teach the little East Bay Kids their A, B, Cs.
His horse being a little thick of wind and of a moderate speed
He thought that he would try to find a little nimbler steed.
Now there is living in our town a youth well known to me
I think he is known to all of you, his name is Jimmy B.
So down to Jimmy's Woodcock went, said he; "I came to see,
If I could get your horse to drive, "You can," said Jimmy B.
And when he for the horse would pay, Jim just threw up his head,
“I never let my horse for pay, you are welcome sir," he said.
I think if Woodcock could have read the thoughts in Jimmy's mind
He would have walked to Cooper and left the horse behind;
But then we do not always know what is for us in store
So he took the horse and drove away to Cathance's pleasant shore.
His business done, back home he came, his good wife for to see,
And bring the horse and buggy back to Naughty Jimmy B.
Mr. Woodcock and his loving wife did kind instructions give
To this good little teacher if she with them would live;
She must be careful what she did and whom she went to see
And never go to walk or ride with Naughty Jimmy B.
For a time the teacher heeded well the counsel of her friends
And every night with aching heart Poor Jimmy home she sends,
But like Bruce and the spider he tried and tried again
And went to Woodcock's every night through moonlight, snow or rain.
And now he spends his evenings with the teacher on his knee
While you and I must wonder what's become of Jimmy B.
Now this teacher has a Daniel, not in the Lion's Den
But in the town of Wesley, in the lonely woods of Maine.
Patiently he is waiting as lovers true can be
For the school to close its session that his sweetheart he may see.
The school is now about to close and we shall shortly see
If she'll dare go to Cooper with Naughty Jimmy B.
I hope he'll take a friend's advice and away from Cooper stay
For as sure as he goes up there, for it he'll dearly pay.
For if Daniel up in Wesley hears what's known by you and me
He will surely knock the stuffing out of Naughty Jimmy B.
If Jimmy B, should ever hear who wrote this little rhyme
His angry passions they will rise and I must come to time;
But I don't think they ought to lay hard feeling up for me
For my heart was badly busted by that Naught Jimmy B.
Alice Foster was the youngest of eight known children of Leonard Foster, and likely the only child by his second wife Hannah. Their home was at the top of West Ridge on the east side of the road. The cellar is next to John Viselli’s driveway and has a huge lilac bush by it. Alice was born in 1868. She married Daniel Sprague on April 2, 1887
Daniel Sprague was the son of Harris and Eliza Sprague who were in Baileyville according to the 1860 census. Harris and Eliza had a daughter Susan born ca 1848, a son Charles born ca 1855, and a son George born ca 1857. Daniel was born ca 1864. The 1870 census finds Eliza married to one Sanford Torrey of Wesley. This second marriage for each, a June – December affair, took place before 1870.
Naughty Jimmy B. was given to A-CHS by Dale Lincoln who grew-up in Perry near the site of Mr. Woodcock’s house and of the East Bay Schoolhouse. Jimmy Brupy lived at the end of a dead end road in the same neighborhood. This poem was written by Dale’s grandfather, Stephen Henry Lincoln and was published earlier in Dale’s book, There Were Fruit Flies In The Berries But I Ate Them Anyway. Dale ran into Karen and Peter Sears in Florida and they gave Dale our address. Thanks all!