Bret Harte Poem Needed!!

[CATLADY]

Hi everyone...I posted before on the main site, but never received an answer.

I've been searching for YEARS for a poem by Bret Harte called "Sister's Beau" or as I knew it in school..."My Sister Will be Down in a Minute." I won an elocution contest in 1918 in Albany, New York by reciting this poem, but have forgetten some lines and would like to find this poem in its entirety.

I can give you SOME of the lines:

My sister will be down in a minute
And says you may wait if you please
And says I may stay here with you
If I promise her never to tease
Nor speak til you spoke to me first

But that's nonsense..
Why how would you know just where to sit?
That chair hasn't any springs in it
And we never use it a bit.
We keep it to match with the sofa
But Jack says it would be just like you to
SIT yourself down upon it and knock out
The very last screw!

Suppose you try...I won't tell!
You're afraid to..
You're afraid they would think it was mean.
Now here's the photograph album
If you're sure that your fingers are clean.
Sister says sometimes I daub it
But she only says that when she's cross.
Now here's HER picture...you know it.
But SHE isn't very good looking at all..
Now here's ME...the best of 'em all
And the only one that could be bought...
At least that was the message to Pa
From the photograph man where I sat..
That he wouldn't print off anymore
'Til he first got his money for that!

Well, I'm sure glad I've seen you...
To know that YOUR hair isn't red...
And what there is left of its mousy
And not what that naughty Jack said!!

(Pa says you're as poor as a churchmouse..
Now are ya? And how poor are they??)

(missing lines here that I cannot recall anymore

:-(()


Well, I must go...sister's coming
But I wish I could just wait to see
If she runs up to kiss you
The way she used to kiss Lee!!


I'd be SO APPRECIATIVE if someone could steer me in the RIGHT direction and help me find this lost poem. I do have a lot of Bret Harte's works, but none contain this poem. I have severe RA (rheumatoid arthritis) and failing eyesight, so would appreciate an answer soon as children in the area would love the complete poem.

Thank you so very much.

The CATLADY