I often Think of Writing Home
[Air: Irish Molly, O]

I often think of writing home, but very seldom write;
A letter now and then I get, which fills me with delight;
But while I'm here with Romans, I'll do as Romans do,
And let it rip till I return, and tell them all I know.

CHORUS
For it keeps a man a humping 'round to keep up with the times,
And "pen and ink" is very scarce with people in the mines,
And writing don't amount to much, unless you have the dimes.

If I would write them every mail I know it would them please;
But neighbors would then flock around them, like a swarm of bees-
And great would be the cry abroad that such a man's a fool,
And if he was a friend of mine, I'd have him sent to school.

CHORUS

I've half a mind to drop a line and tell them I'm alive,
And watch the California boats whenever they arrive,
For I intend to home return, whene'er I feel inclined,
Then drop a line informing them I've lately changed my mind.

CHORUS

I like to live among the hills, and pleasant mountain towns,
And like the cities better since they drove away the hounds;
But were they fifty times as fair, for all I would not fail
To be a man forevermore, and write every mail.

CHORUS

Put's Golden Songster, pp. 48-49
Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, p. 166-167
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A farmer in Ohio was sued by an unprincipled store-keeper for certain goods sold and delivered. The farmer went to a lawyer to defend him, declaring that he had never bought a dollar's worth of goods of the man in his life. Lawyer- "It is a bad case, then, for I assure you he would never sue under such circumstances unless he had witnesses to swear to the delivery of the goods." Farmer- "What shall I do, then?" Lawyer- "You'd better settle, and save costs, unless you can bring witnesses to prove that you've already paid the debt." The farmer took the hint; and when the trial came on he admitted the purchase, declared the debt had been paid, and proved the payment of the money. Thus the villainous store-keeper was beaten by his own game.

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Click to play (joeweb)

[Tune notes by Artful Codger]
"Irish Molly-O" appears to be an American song dating back to 1810 or before. Other songs have been set to the same tune, notably, the music-hall song "The Hat My Father Wore," (by 1876) subsequently reworked into an "Orange" song "The Sash My Father Wore," though modern versions seem to use a different tune.

The song Stone knew is often overshadowed and confused with an unrelated American music-hall song "My Irish Molly, O" written by William Jerome and Jean Schwartz in 1905.

Sheet music for The Hat my father wore! in the Library of Congress American Memory collection
Digital Tradition: The Sash My Father Wore (with score, MIDI)
Mudcat thread: Origins: Irish Molly / My Irish Molly O
Mudcat thread: My (other) Irish Molly-o
Mudcat thread: The Hat My Father Wore
YouTube: The Sash My Father Wore

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