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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=416759" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>Squire Hawkins's Story</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">I hain't no hand at tellin' tales,<br>Er spinnin' yarns, as the sailors say;<br>Someway o' 'nother, language fails<br>To slide fer me in the oily way<br>That LAWYERS has; and I wisht it would,<br>Fer I've got somepin' that I call good;<br>But bein' only a country squire,<br>I've learned to listen and admire,<br>Ruther preferrin' to be addressed<br>Than talk myse'f--but I'll do my best:--</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Old Jeff Thompson--well, I'll say,<br>Was the clos'test man I ever saw!--<br>Rich as cream, but the porest pay,<br>And the meanest man to work fer--La!<br>I've knowed that man to work one 'hand'--<br>Fer little er nothin', you understand--<br>From four o'clock in the morning light<br>Tel eight and nine o'clock at night,<br>And then find fault with his appetite!<br>He'd drive all over the neighberhood <br>To miss the place where a toll-gate stood,<br>And slip in town, by some old road<br>That no two men in the county knowed,<br>With a jag o' wood, and a sack o' wheat,<br>That wouldn't burn and you couldn't eat!<br>And the trades he'd make, 'll I jest de-clare,<br>Was enough to make a preacher swear!<br>And then he'd hitch, and hang about<br>Tel the lights in the toll-gate was blowed out,<br>And then the turnpike he'd turn in<br>And sneak his way back home ag'in!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Some folks hint, and I make no doubt,<br>That that's what wore his old wife out--<br>Toilin' away from day to day<br>And year to year, through heat and cold,<br>Uncomplainin'--the same old way<br>The martyrs died in the days of old;<br>And a-clingin', too, as the martyrs done,<br>To one fixed faith, and her ONLY one,--<br>Little Patience, the sweetest child<br>That ever wept unrickonciled,<br>Er felt the pain and the ache and sting<br>That only a mother's death can bring.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Patience Thompson!--I think that name<br>Must 'a' come from a power above,<br>Fer it seemed to fit her jest the same<br>As a GAITER would, er a fine kid glove!<br>And to see that girl, with all the care<br>Of the household on her--I de-clare<br>It was OUDACIOUS, the work she'd do,<br>And the thousand plans that she'd putt through;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And sing like a medder-lark all day long,<br>And drowned her cares in the joys o' song;<br>And LAUGH sometimes tel the farmer's 'hand,'<br>Away fur off in the fields, would stand<br>A-listenin', with the plow half drawn,<br>Tel the coaxin' echoes called him on;<br>And the furries seemed, in his dreamy eyes,<br>Like foot-paths a-leadin' to Paradise,<br>As off through the hazy atmosphere<br>The call fer dinner reached his ear.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now LOVE'S as cunnin'a little thing<br>As a hummin'-bird upon the wing,<br>And as liable to poke his nose<br>Jest where folks would least suppose,--<br>And more'n likely build his nest<br>Right in the heart you'd leave unguessed,<br>And live and thrive at your expense--<br>At least, that's MY experience.<br>And old Jeff Thompson often thought,<br>In his se'fish way, that the quiet John<br>Was a stiddy chap, as a farm-hand OUGHT<br>To always be,--fer the airliest dawn<br>Found John busy--and 'EASY,' too,<br>Whenever his wages would fall due!--<br>To sum him up with a final touch,<br>He EAT so little and WORKED so much,<br>That old Jeff laughed to hisse'f and said,<br>'He makes ME money and airns his bread!--</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But John, fer all of his quietude,<br>Would sometimes drap a word er so<br>That none but PATIENCE understood,<br>And none but her was MEANT to know!--<br>Maybe at meal-times John would say,<br>As the sugar-bowl come down his way,<br>'Thanky, no; MY coffee's sweet<br>Enough fer ME!' with sich conceit,<br>SHE'D know at once, without no doubt,<br>HE meant because she poured it out;<br>And smile and blush, and all sich stuff,<br>And ast ef it was 'STRONG enough?'<br>And git the answer, neat and trim,<br>'It COULDN'T be too 'strong' fer HIM!'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And so things went fer 'bout a year,<br>Tel John, at last, found pluck to go<br>And pour his tale in the old man's ear--<br>And ef it had been HOT LEAD, I know<br>It couldn't 'a' raised a louder fuss,<br>Ner 'a' riled the old man's temper wuss!<br>He jest LIT in, and cussed and swore,<br>And lunged and rared, and ripped and tore,<br>And told John jest to leave his door,<br>And not to darken it no more!<br>But Patience cried, with eyes all wet,<br>'Remember, John, and don't ferget,<br>WHATEVER comes, I love you yet!'<br>But the old man thought, in his se'fish way,<br>'I'll see her married rich some day;<br>And THAT,' thinks he, 'is money fer ME--<br>And my will's LAW, as it ought to be!'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">So when, in the course of a month er so,<br>A WIDOWER, with a farm er two,<br>Comes to Jeff's, w'y, the folks, you know,<br>Had to TALK--as the folks'll do:<br>It was the talk of the neighberhood--<br>PATIENCE and JOHN, and THEIR affairs;--<br>And this old chap with a few gray hairs<br>Had 'cut John out,' it was understood.<br>And some folks reckoned 'Patience, too,<br>Knowed what SHE was a-goin' to do--<br>It was LIKE her--la! indeed!--<br>All she loved was DOLLARS and CENTS--<br>Like old JEFF--and they saw no need<br>Fer JOHN to pine at HER negligence!'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But others said, in a KINDER way,<br>They missed the songs she used to sing--<br>They missed the smiles that used to play<br>Over her face, and the laughin' ring<br>Of her glad voice--that EVERYthing<br>Of her OLD se'f seemed dead and gone,<br>And this was the ghost that they gazed on!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Tel finally it was noised about<br>There was a WEDDIN' soon to be<br>Down at Jeff's; and the 'cat was out'<br>Shore enough!--'Ll the JEE-MUN-NEE!<br>It RILED me when John told me so,--<br>Fer _I_ WAS A FRIEND O' JOHN'S, you know;<br>And his trimblin' voice jest broke in two--<br>As a feller's voice'll sometimes do.--<br>And I says, says I, 'Ef I know my biz--<br>And I think I know what JESTICE is,--<br>I've read SOME law--and I'd advise<br>A man like you to wipe his eyes<br>And square his jaws and start AGIN,<br>FER JESTICE IS A-GOIN' TO WIN!'<br>And it wasn't long tel his eyes had cleared<br>As blue as the skies, and the sun appeared<br>In the shape of a good old-fashioned smile<br>That I hadn't seen fer a long, long while.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">So we talked on fer a' hour er more,<br>And sunned ourselves in the open door,--<br>Tel a hoss-and-buggy down the road<br>Come a-drivin' up, that I guess John KNOWED,--<br>Fer he winked and says, 'I'll dessappear--<br>THEY'D smell a mice ef they saw ME here!'<br>And he thumbed his nose at the old gray mare,<br>And hid hisse'f in the house somewhere.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Well.--The rig drove up: and I raised my head<br>As old Jeff hollered to me and said<br>That 'him and his old friend there had come<br>To see ef the squire was at home.'<br>. . . I told 'em 'I was; and I AIMED to be<br>At every chance of a weddin'-fee!'<br>And then I laughed--and they laughed, too,--<br>Fer that was the object they had in view.<br>'Would I be on hands at eight that night?'<br>They ast; and 's-I, 'You're mighty right,<br>I'LL be on hand!' And then I BU'ST<br>Out a-laughin' my very wu'st,--<br>And so did they, as they wheeled away<br>And drove to'rds town in a cloud o' dust.<br>Then I shet the door, and me and John<br>Laughed and LAUGHED, and jest LAUGHED on,<br>Tel Mother drapped her specs, and BY<br>JEEWHILLIKERS! I thought she'd DIE!--<br>And she couldn't 'a' told, I'll bet my hat,<br>What on earth she was laughin' at!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But all o' the fun o' the tale hain't done!--<br>Fer a drizzlin' rain had jest begun,<br>And a-havin' 'bout four mile' to ride,<br>I jest concluded I'd better light<br>Out fer Jeff's and save my hide,--<br>Fer IT WAS A-GOIN' TO STORM, THAT NIGHT!<br>So we went down to the barn, and John<br>Saddled my beast, and I got on;<br>And he told me somepin' to not ferget,<br>And when I left, he was LAUGHIN' yet.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And, 'proachin' on to my journey's end,<br>The great big draps o' the rain come down,<br>And the thunder growled in a way to lend<br>An awful look to the lowerin' frown<br>The dull sky wore; and the lightnin' glanced<br>Tel my old mare jest MORE'N pranced,<br>And tossed her head, and bugged her eyes<br>To about four times their natchurl size,<br>As the big black lips of the clouds 'ud drap<br>Out some oath of a thunderclap,<br>And threaten on in an undertone<br>That chilled a feller clean to the bone!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But I struck shelter soon enough<br>To save myse'f. And the house was jammed<br>With the women-folks, and the weddin'stuff:--<br>A great, long table, fairly CRAMMED<br>With big pound-cakes--and chops and steaks--<br>And roasts and stews--and stumick-aches<br>Of every fashion, form, and size,<br>From twisters up to punkin-pies!<br>And candies, oranges, and figs,<br>And reezins,--all the 'whilligigs'<br>And 'jim-cracks' that the law allows<br>On sich occasions!--Bobs and bows<br>Of gigglin' girls, with corkscrew curls,<br>And fancy ribbons, reds and blues,<br>And 'beau-ketchers' and 'curliques'<br>To beat the world! And seven o'clock<br>Brought old Jeff;-and brought--THE GROOM,--<br>With a sideboard-collar on, and stock<br>That choked him so, he hadn't room<br>To SWALLER in, er even sneeze,<br>Er clear his th'oat with any case<br>Er comfort--and a good square cough<br>Would saw his Adam's apple off!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But as fer PATIENCE--MY! Oomh-OOMH!--<br>I never saw her look so sweet!--<br>Her face was cream and roses, too;<br>And then them eyes o' heavenly blue<br>Jest made an angel all complete!<br>And when she split 'em up in smiles<br>And splintered 'em around the room,<br>And danced acrost and met the groom,<br>And LAUGHED OUT LOUD--It kind o' spiles<br>My language when I come to that--<br>Fer, as she laid away his hat,<br>Thinks I, 'THE PAPERS HID INSIDE<br>OF THAT SAID HAT MUST MAKE A BRIDE<br>A HAPPY ONE FER ALL HER LIFE,<br>Er else a WRECKED AND WRETCHED WIFE!'<br>And, someway, then, I thought of JOHN,--<br>Then looked towards PATIENCE. . . . She was GONE!--<br>The door stood open, and the rain<br>Was dashin' in; and sharp and plain<br>Above the storm we heerd a cry--<br>A ringin', laughin', loud 'Good-by!'<br>That died away, as fleet and fast<br>A hoss's hoofs went splashin' past!<br>And that was all. 'Twas done that quick! . . .<br>You've heerd o' fellers 'lookin' sick'?<br>I wisht you'd seen THE GROOM jest then--<br>I wisht you'd seen them two old men,<br>With starin' eyes that fairly GLARED<br>At one another, and the scared<br>And empty faces of the crowd,--<br>I wisht you could 'a' been allowed<br>To jest look on and see it all,--<br>And heerd the girls and women bawl<br>And wring their hands; and heerd old Jeff<br>A-cussin' as he swung hisse'f<br>Upon his hoss, who champed his bit<br>As though old Nick had holt of it:<br>And cheek by jowl the two old wrecks<br>Rode off as though they'd break their necks.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And as we all stood starin' out<br>Into the night, I felt the brush<br>Of some one's hand, and turned about,<br>And heerd a voice that whispered, 'HUSH!--<br>THEY'RE WAITIN' IN THE KITCHEN, AND<br>YOU'RE WANTED. DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?'<br>Well, ef my MEMORY serves me now,<br>I think I winked.--Well, anyhow,<br>I left the crowd a-gawkin' there,<br>And jest slipped off around to where<br>The back door opened, and went in,<br>And turned and shet the door ag'in,<br>And maybe LOCKED it--couldn't swear,--<br>A woman's arms around me makes<br>Me liable to make mistakes.--<br>I read a marriage license nex',<br>But as I didn't have my specs<br>I jest INFERRED it was all right,<br>And tied the knot so mortal-tight<br>That Patience and my old friend John<br>Was safe enough from that time on!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Well, now, I might go on and tell<br>How all the joke at last leaked out,<br>And how the youngsters raised the yell<br>And rode the happy groom about<br>Upon their shoulders; how the bride<br>Was kissed a hunderd times beside<br>The one _I_ give her,--tel she cried<br>And laughed untel she like to died!<br>I might go on and tell you all<br>About the supper--and the BALL.--<br>You'd ought to see me twist my heel<br>Through jest one old Furginny reel<br>Afore you die! er tromp the strings<br>Of some old fiddle tel she sings<br>Some old cowtillion, don't you know,<br>That putts the devil in yer toe!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">We kep' the dancin' up tel FOUR<br>O'clock, I reckon--maybe more.--<br>We hardly heerd the thunders roar,<br>ER THOUGHT about the STORM that blowed--<br>AND THEM TWO FELLERS ON THE ROAD!<br>Tel all at onc't we heerd the door<br>Bu'st open, and a voice that SWORE,--<br>And old Jeff Thompson tuck the floor.<br>He shuck hisse'f and looked around<br>Like some old dog about half-drowned--<br>HIS HAT, I reckon, WEIGHED TEN POUND<br>To say the least, and I'll say, SHORE,<br>HIS OVERCOAT WEIGHED FIFTY more--<br>THE WETTEST MAN YOU EVER SAW,<br>TO HAVE SO DRY A SON-IN-LAW!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He sized it all; and Patience laid<br>Her hand in John's, and looked afraid,<br>And waited. And a stiller set<br>O' folks, I KNOW, you never met<br>In any court room, where with dread<br>They wait to hear a verdick read.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The old man turned his eyes on me:<br>'And have you married 'em?' says he.<br>I nodded 'Yes.' 'Well, that'll do,'<br>He says, 'and now we're th'ough with YOU,--<br>YOU jest clear out, and I decide<br>And promise to be satisfied!'<br>He hadn't nothin' more to say.<br>I saw, of course, how matters lay,<br>And left. But as I rode away<br>I heerd the roosters crow fer day.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=James+Whitcomb+Riley">James Whitcomb Riley</a><div class=q>
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<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=416759" data-title="Squire Hawkins's Story de James Whitcomb Riley" data-description="I hain't no hand at tellin' tales,
Er spinnin' yarns, as the sailors say;
Someway o' 'nother, language fails
To slide fer me in the oily way
That LAWYERS has; and I wisht it would,
Fer I've got somepin' that I call good;
But bein' only a country s..."></div>
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