I would like to find if there is a copy of the following song my dad
used to sing from his youth -- it was much as follows: "Handsome,
handsome Harry Thomas; He was sued, yes sued for Breach of Promise. He
took Mary walking in the dell, and said 'Now don't you dare to tell.'
Mary went right home and told her mother; Ma told Pa and Pa he told
his brother. Brother told the preacher, and the preacher went and told
the wedding bells! Never take a walk with Mary, never take a walk with
Sue. Never take a walk with Maude or Carrie, that's the kind of girl
you'll have to marry. When you take a girl out walking, down a little
shady dell, always take a girl named Daisy -- why? Cause Daisies don't
tell!"
The youth of today would find the thoughts of having to have a
chaperone to protect one's reputation ludicrous, as no one gives a rip
about their reputation anyway, but I think the song is so terribly
corny it’s sweet!

I believe the song you're speaking of is named "Always Take a Girl
Named Daisy" and was composed by George W. Meyer in 1912, copyrighted
in 1913 (with lyrics by Alfred Bryan and Sam M. Lewis).
 
A version of the song appears to be available on a Max Morath ragtime
collection CD. You can purchase that CD for $12.99 here:
http://www.buy.com/retail/music/product.asp?sku=60479873 
or for $13.98 at Amazon here: 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005J9UV/qid=1033400730/sr=8-3/ref=sr_8_3/002-0610221-3000027?v=glance&n=507846
 
You can listen to a short sampling of it here: 
http://hurl.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=029276601100706550&cid=600007
 
(Unfortunately the sampling includes his spoken introduction and thus
only gives you the first few bars of the tune) If you remember the
tune your father sang you can recognize it in these few notes before
you send away for the CD. Then again, $12.99 isn't too bad of an
investment on a probable location of those lyrics.
 
Alternately, I found several places mentioning sales of the sheet
music, including this amazon.com z-shop selling it for $10:
http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/exchange-glance/Y02Y6455784Y8235699/qid=1033400631/sr=1-1/002-0610221-3000027
 
(I hope you don't mind, I noticed you weren't specifically looking for
the lyrics, so I ended up submitting this question as an actual
"answer")

Thank you for using Google Answers, 
Dave Bug

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Request for Answer Clarification by spellchick-ga on 02 Oct 2002 08:55 PDT

No clarification needed. The tune was exactly the one, and I have sent
for the CD. Thanks so much. This is such a funny song, and gives fond
memories! Thanks again. I'll write a good review when Amazon gets the
CD to me.

Sallie

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Clarification of Answer by davebug-ga on 15 Oct 2002 08:00 PDT

I'm glad the song was the correct one. Hopefully Amazon has sent you
the CD by now. If you need no further clarification, I would
appreciate you ranking my answer.

Thanks to Dave for finding not only that it was a valid song my father
used to sing, but where to obtain the CD. The CD arrived from Amazon
and is exactly the one. Thanks so much! Now I might try to find the
sheet music!!