Back Again (1904)
by Louisa Lawson
4307051Back Again1904Louisa Lawson

Oh, my boy, come in, do.
You've come back at last,
Two years since we saw you,
How the time has passed!

Have a bath and shave first,
No — a cup of tea?
Think you want a rest worst?
Dear, oh deary me!

Look, boy, at your boots, too,
All cut with the rocks,
Have you brought home with you
Any mended socks

They are always tearing?
Threw them all away?
Alberts you are wearing?
Goodness, what are they?

Felt that you were coming,
So I wrote to Bob,
He says things are humming:
And you'll get a job.

Now, dear, don't come near me,
You're all over dust,
Can you smoke? Oh, dear me.
'Spose so if you must.

This work is in the public domain in Australia because it was created in Australia and the term of copyright has expired. According to Australian Copyright Council - Duration of Copyright, the following works are public domain:

  • published non-government works whose author died before January 1, 1955,
  • anonymous or pseudonymous works and photographs published before January 1, 1955, and
  • government works published more than 50 years ago (before January 1, 1974).

This work is also in the public domain in the United States because it was first published outside the United States (and not published in the U.S. within 30 days), and it was first published before 1989 without complying with U.S. copyright formalities (renewal and/or copyright notice) and it was in the public domain in Australia on the URAA date (January 1, 1996). This is the combined effect of Australia having joined the Berne Convention in 1928, and of 17 USC 104A with its critical date of January 1, 1996.

Because the Australian copyright term in 1996 was 50 years, the critical date for copyright in the United States under the URAA is January 1, 1946.


This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

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This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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