PINE TREE BALLADS HOLMAN-F-DAY University of Calif orni? Irvine ^ Ca \ PINE TREE BALLADS w r , 37^ " t * v > X, A^^. PINE TREE BALLADS Rhymed Stories of Unplaned Human Natur Up in Maine By HOLMAN F. DAY Author of "UP IN MAINE" Boston Small, Maynard 6? Company 1902 Copyright, 1902, by H O L MAN F. D A Y Entered at Stationers Hall ps fl- Published June, 7902 FOURTH THOUSAND, NOVEMBER, iqoa Press of Riggs Printing &* Publishing Co. Albany, N. F., U. S. A. TO THE HONORABLE JOHN ANDREW PETERS, LL.D. FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT OF MAINE I DEDICATE THIS VOLUME IN MEMORY OF MANY YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP AND IN SINCERE APPRECIATION OF THE JURIST AND WIT WHO HAS IN ALL DIGNITY EVER TURNED A SMILING FACE TOWARD HIS MAINE THAT HAS SMILED LOVINGLY BACK AT HIM CONTENTS OUR HOME FOLKS: PAGE Feedin the Stock 3 John W. Jones 7 Deed of the Old Home Place 13 Thanksgivin Jim 17 "Old Posh" 21 The Sun-Browned Dads of Maine 25 " Heavenly Crown " Rich 30 Old " Figger-Four " 34 Phebe and Ichabod 37 When Our Hero Comes to Maine 39 Uncle Tascus and the Deed 42 SONGS OF THE SEA AND SHORE : Tale of a Shag-Eyed Shark 48 The Great Jeehookibus Whale 54 " As Beseemeth Men " 58 The Night of the White Review 63 The Ballad of Orasmus Nute 67 The Doryman s Song 71 We Fellers Diggin Clams 73 Dan l and Dunk 76 The Awful Wah-Hooh-Wow 79 Skipper Jason Ellison 87 vii vlii CONTENTS BALLADS OF DRIVE AND CAMP: PAGE The Rapo-Genus Christmas Ball 94 When the Allegash Drive Goes Through. 102 The Knight of the Spike-Sole Boots. . . 105 " Board for the Allegash " no The Wangan Camp 112 Plug Tobacco at Sourdnahunk 114 O Connor From the Drive..... 116 JUST HUMAN NATURE: Ballad of Ozy B. Orr 122 The Ballad of " Old Scratch " 127 When Lish Played Ox 131 Old " Ten Per Cent " 136 Didn t Bust His Fork 139 Mean Sam Green 140 Dickerer Jim 147 Ballad of Benjamin Brann 150 The Heirs 1 52 A. B. Appleton, " Pirut " 156 NEXT TO THE HEART : With Love From Mother 161 The Quaker Wedding 163 The Madawaska Wooing 167 The Song of the Man Who Drives .... 171 The Old Pewter Pitcher 174 CONTENTS ix OUR GOOD PREVARICATORS: PAGE Our Liars Here in Maine 178 The Ballad of Doc Fluff 181 The Ballad of Hunneman Two 185 Oradudolph Moody, Representative- Elect 189 Tribute to Mr. Atkins s Bass Voice. . . . 191 Jim s Translation 195 Eliphalet Jones Inventor 199 The Pants Jemimy Made 204 BALLADS OF CAPERS AND ACTIONS: Ballad of Elkanah B. Atkinson 209 Ballad of Obadi Frye 213 At the Old Folks Whang 218 In the Middle of the Road 221 Drivin the Stage 222 "Doc" 224 Another " Tea Rebellion " 225 " Like an Old Cow s Tail " 228 Passing it Along 229 A Settin Hen 230 Ballad of Deacon Peaslee 231 The Worst Teacher 237 The Tuckville Grand Ball 240 The One-Ring Show 242 The Switch for Hiram Brown 246 The Jumper 251 Ishmael s Breed 253 FOREWORD THESE are plain tales of picturesque character-phases in Maine Yankeedom from the Allegash to the ocean. These are the men whose hands are blistered by plow- handle and ax, vr whose calloused palms are gouged by the trawls. Their heads are as hard as the stones piled around their acres. Their wit is as keen as the bush-scythes with which they trim their rough pastures. But their hearts are as soft as the feather beds in their spare-rooms. The frontispiece to this volume is from a photograph of " Uncle Solon " Chase, the widely known sage of Chase s Mills in Andros- coggin county. In Greenback days he won na tional fame as " Them Steers " and his quaint sayings have traveled from the Atlantic to the Pacific. There is no man in Maine who better typifies the homespun humor, honesty, and in telligence of Yankeedom. The picture opposite page 126 is from a photograph of the late Ezra Stephens of Oxford county, famed years ago as " the P. T. Barnum of Maine." He originated the dancing turkey, the wonderful bird that appears in the story of " Qzy B. Orr." xi xii FOREWORD In another picture is shown " Jemimy " at her old loom and beside her are the swifts and the spinning wheel. The pictures illustrat ing " Elkanah B. Atkinson" (a poem com memorating a real episode in the life of Barney McGouldrick of Cherryfield Tavern) and " John W . Jones " are character studies that will appeal to those who are acquainted with Maine rural life. The thanks of the author and of the publish ers are due to The Saturday Evening Post of Philadelphia, The Youth s Companion, Ains- lee s Magazine, and Everybody s Magazine, for permission to include in this volume verses which originally appeared in their columns, copyrighted by them. PINE TREE BALLADS OUR HOME FOLKS FEEDIN THE STOCK Hear the chorus in that tie-up, runch, ger- runch, and runch and runch ! There s a row of honest critters! Does me good to hear em munch. When the barn is gettin dusky and the sun s behind the drifts, Touchin last the gable winder where the dancin hay-dust sifts, When the coaxin from the tie-up kind o hints it s five o clock Wai, I ve got a job that suits me that s the chore of feedin stock. We ve got patches down to our house honest patches, though, and neat, But we d rather have the patches than to skinch on what we eat. Lots of work, and grub to back ye that s a mighty wholesome creed. Critters fust, s r, that s my motto give the critters all they need. And the way we do at our house, marm and me take what is left, 3 PINE TREE BALLADS And wal, we ain t goin hungry, as you ll notice by our heft. Drat the man that s calculatin when he meas ures out his hay, Groanin ev ry time he pitches ary forkful out the bay; Drat the man who feeds out ruff-scuff, wood and wire from the swale, Cause he wants to press his herds -grass, send his clover off for sale. Down to our house we wear patches, but it ain t nobody s biz Jest as long as them ere critters git the best of hay there is. When the cobwebs on the rafters drip with winter s early dusk And the rows of critters noses, damp with breath as sweet as musk, Toss and tease me from the tie-up ain t a job that suits me more Than the feedin of the cattle that s the reg - lar wind-up chore. When I grain em or I meal em wal, there s plenty in the bin, And I give em quaker measure ev ry time I dip down in; OUR HOME FOLKS And the hay, wal, now I ve cut it, and I own it and it s mine And I jab that blamed old fork in, till you d think I d bust a tine. I ain t doin it for praises no one sees me but the pup, And I get his apperbation, cause he pounds his tail, rup, rup! No, I do it cause I want to; cause I couldn t sleep a wink, If I thought them poor dumb critters lacked for fodder or for drink. And to have the scufflin barnful give a jolly little blat When you open up o mornin s, ah, there s com fort, friend, in that! And you ve prob ly sometimes noticed, when his cattle hate a man, That it s pretty sure his neighbors size him up on that same plan. But I m solid in my tie-up ; when I ve finished up that chore, I enjoy it standin list nin for a minit at the door. And the rustle of the fodder and the nuzzlin in the meal And the runchin s of their feedin make this humble feller feel PINE TREE BALLADS That there ain t no greater comfort than this ere to understand That a dozen faithful critters owe their com fort to my hand. Oh, the dim old barn seems homelike, with its overhanging mows, With its warm and battened tie-up, full of well- fed sheep and cows. Then I shet the door behind me, drop the bar and drive the pin And, with Jeff a-waggin after, lug the foamin milk pails in. That s the style of things to our house marm and me we don t pull up Until ev ry critter s eatin , from the cattle to the pup. Then the biskits and the spare-rib and plum preserves taste good, For we re feelin , me and mother, that we re actin bout s we should. Like as can be, after supper mother sews an other patch And she says the duds look trampy, cause she ain t got goods to match. Fust of all, though, comes the mealbins and the hay-mows; after those OUR HOME FOLKS If there s any extry dollars, wal, we ll see about new clothes. But to-night, why, bless ye, mother, pull the rug acrost the door; Warmth and food and peace and comfort let s not pester God for more. JOHN W. JONES A sort of a double-breasted face had old John W. Jones, Reddened and roughened by sun and wind, with angular high cheek-bones. At the fair, one time, of the Social Guild he re ceived unique renown By being elected unanimously the homeliest man in town. The maidens giggled, the women smiled, the men laughed loud and long, And old John W. leaned right back and ho- hawed good and strong. And never was jest too broad for him for all of the quip and chaff That assailed his queer old mug through life he had but a hearty laugh. " Ho, ho ", he d snort, " haw, haw ", he d roar; " that s me, my friends, that s me ! 8 PINE TREE BALLADS Now hain t that the most skew-angled phiz that ever ye chanced to see? " And then he would tell us this little tale. " Twas one dark night ", said he, " I was driving along in a piece of woods and there wasn t a ray to see, And all to once my cart locked wheels with another old chap s cart; We gee-ed and backed but we hung there fast, and neither of us could start. Then the stranger man he struck a match, to see how he d git away, And I vum, he had the homeliest face I ve seen for many a day. Wai, jest for a joke I grabbed his throat and pulled my pipe-case out, And the stranger reckoned I had a gun, and he wrassled good and stout. But I got him clown on his back at last and straddled acrost his chest, And allowed to him that he d better plan to go to his last long rest. He gasped and groaned he was poor and old and hadn t a blessed cent, And almost blubbering asked to know what under the sun I meant. Said I, I ve sworn if I meet a man that s homelier n what I be, That was Jones, John \V. .Jones. Queer, Gothic old struct lire of col>-|iilrd IUIIICH. OUR HOME FOLKS I ll kill him. I reckin I ve got the man. Says he, Please let me see? So I loosened a bit while he struck a match; he held it with trembling hand While through the tears in his poor old eyes my cross-piled face he scanned. Then he dropped the match and he groaned and said, If truly ye think that I Am ha f as homely as what you be please shoot ! I want to die. And the story always would start the laugh and Jones would drop his jaw, And lean way back and slap his leg and laugh, " Ho, haw haw haw-w-w ! " That was Jones, John W. Jones, Queer, Gothic old structure of cob-piled bones ; His droll, red face Had not a trace Of comeliness or of special grace ; But I tell you, friends, that candor glowed In those true old eyes those deep old eyes, And love and faith and manhood showed Without disguise without disguise. Though he certainly won a just renown As the homeliest man we had in town. io PINE TREE BALLADS He never had married that old John Jones; he d grubbed on his little patch, Supported his parents until they died, and then he had lived " old bach ". We had some suspicions we couldn t prove: for years had an unknown man Distributed gifts to the poor in town on a sort of a Santa Claus plan. If a worthy old widow was needing wood some night would that wood be left, There was garden truck placed in the barns of those by mishap or drought bereft. And once when the night was clear and bright in the glorious month of June, Poor broken-legged Johnson s garden was hoed in the light of the great white moon. And often some farmer by sickness weighed, and weary, discouraged and poor, Would find a wad of worn old bills tucked carefully under his door. And the tracks in the sod of this man who trod by night on his secret routes Were suspiciously like the other tracks that were left by John Jones boots. And the wheel-marks wobbled extremely like the trail of Jones old cart, But whatever his mercies he hid them all in the depths of his warm old heart. OUR HOME FOLKS n For whenever the neighbors would pin him down, he d lift his faded hat, " Now, say ", he d laugh, " can a man be good with a physog such as that ? " Then came the days the black, dread days when the small-pox swept our town, With pest-house crowded from sill to eaves and the nurses " taken down." And panic reigned and the best went wild and even the doctors fled, And scarce was there one to aid the sick or bury the awful dead. But there in that pest house day and night a man with quiet tones And steady heart kept still at work and that was old John Jones. While ever his joke was, "What! Afraid? Why, gracious me, I m fine, And if I weren t, a few more dents won t harm this face of mine ". But those who writhed and moaned in pain within that loathsome place Saw beauty not of man and earth upon that gnarled old face. And when he eased their pain-racked forms or brought the cooling draught, They wondered if this saint could be the man at whom they d laughed. 12 PINE TREE BALLADS And thus he fought, unwearied, brave, until the Terror passed, And then, poor old John W. Jones, he had the small-pox last. And worn by vigils, toil, and fast, the fate he had defied Descended on him, stern and fierce, he died, my friends, he died. They held one service at the church for all the village dead. The pastor, when he came to Jones, he choked a bit and said: " If handsome is as handsome does and now I say to you I verily I honestly believe that saying true. If handsome is as handsome does, we had right here in town A man whose beauty fairly shone from Heaven itself brought down. At first, perhaps, we failed to grasp the con tour of that face, But now with God s own light on it we see its perfect grace. And so I say our handsomest man " the pas tor hushed his tones, With streaming eyes looked up and said, " was old John W. Jones ". OUR HOME FOLKS 13 Such was Jones, John W. Jones, Queer, Gothic old structure of cob-piled bones ; His quaint, red face Had not a trace Of comeliness or of special grace. But I tell you, friends, we drop this shell, Just over There just over There! Good thoughts, good deeds, good hearts will tell In moulding souls, serene and fair, And Jones will stand with harp and crown, The handsomest angel from our old town. DEED OF THE OLD HOME PLACE Slowly the toil-cramped, gnarled old fist Wrought at the sheet with a rasping pen ; Halted with tremulous quirk and twist, Staggered, and then went on again. The wan sun peeped through the wee patched pane And checkered the floor where the pale beams shone In a quaint old kitchen up in Maine, With an old man writing there alone. 14 PIXE TREE BALLADS And the pen wrought on and the head drooped low And a tear plashed down on the rusted pen, As it traced a verse of the long ago That his grief had brought to his heart again. " Be kind to thy father for when thou wast young, irho loz ed thee so fondly as he? He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue, And joined in tliv innocent glee. Be kind to thy father for no-w he is old, His locks intermingled with gray; His footsteps are feeble, once fearless and bold Thy father is passitig away. Be kind to thy mother for lo, on her brow, May traces of sorrow be seen. Oh, well mayst thou cherish and comfort her now, For loi ing and kind has she been. Remember thy mother, for thee she will pray As long as God gireth her breath With accents of kindness; then cheer her hard way E en thro the dark valley of death." OUR HOME FOLKS 15 Listlessly threshed in a careless court The poor, plain tale of a home was told, Furnishing food for the lawyers sport And a jest at the fond and the foolish old. The counsel said as he winked an eye, " Deeded the farm to their only son ; And after twas deeded they didn t die Quite as quick as they should have done." Drearily dragged the homely case, Petty and mean in all its parts; Quest thro the law for an old home place, But never a word of two broken hearts. Only a suit where the son and wife Pledged themselves when they coaxed the deed, To comfort the close of the old folks life : Only another case where greed Sneered at the toil of the long, hard years Of martyrdom to the hoe and axe, Writ in wrinkles and etched in tears And told in the curve of the old bent backs, Bent in the strife with the rocky soil, \Yhen the grinding work was never done, With just one rift in the cloud of toil: Twas all for the sake of their only son. Simply a tedious legal maze With neighbors stirring the thing for sport, 1 6 PINE TREE BALLADS And loungers eyeing with listless gaze This queer old couple dragged to court. Meekly they would have granted greed All that it sought for all its spoil; Little they valued a forfeit deed, Nor selfishly reckoned their years of toil. Heartsick they while the lawyers urged, Mute when the law vouchsafed their prayer ; Courts soothe not such grief as surged In the hearts of the old folks trembling there. What though the jury s word restored The walls and roof of the old home place? Would it give them back the blessed hoard Of trust that knew no son s disgrace? Would it give them back his boyhood smiles, His boyhood love, their simple joy, Would it heal the wounds of these afterwhiles, And make him again their own dear boy? Would it soothe the smart of the cruel words, Of sullen looks and cold neglect? And dull the taunts that pierced like swords And slashed where the wielders little recked ? No; Justice gives the walls and roof, To palsied hands a cancelled deed, Rebuking with a stern reproof A son s unfilial, shameless greed. OUR HOME FOLKS 17 But love that made that old home warm, And hope that made all labor sweet, The glow of peace that shamed the storm And melted on the pane the sleet ; And faith and truth and loving hearts And tender trust in fellow men Ah, these, my friend, no lawyers arts Can give again, can give again. THANKSGIVIN JIM He always dodged round in a ragged old coat, With a tattered, blue comforter tied on his throat. His dusty old cart used to rattle and bang As he yelled through the village, " Gid dap ! " and"Go lang!" You d think from his looks that he wa n t wuth a cent; Was poorer than Pooduc, to judge how he went. But back in the country don t reckon on style To give ye a notion of anyone s pile. When he died and they figgered his pus nal estate, He was mighty well-fixed was old " Squeal- in Jim " Waite. i8 PINE TREE BALLADS But say, I d advise ye to sort of look out How ye say " Squealin Jim " when the s widders about. They re likely to light on ye, hot tar and pitch, And give ye some points as to what, where and which ; For if ever a critter was reckoned a saint By the widders round here, I ll be dinged if he ain t. For please understand that the widders call him, Sheddin tears while they re sayin it, " Thanksgivin Jim ". He was little why, Wa n t scarce knee high To a garden toad. But was mighty spry ! He was all of a whew If he d things to do! Twas a zip and a streak when Jim went through. But his voice was twice as big as him And the boys all called him " Squealin Jim ". He was always a-hurryin all through his life And said there wa n t time for to hunt up a wife. So he kept bach s hall and he worked like a dog, OUR HOME FOLKS 19 Jest whooped right along at a trottin hoss jog- There s a yarn that the fellers that knew him will tell If they want to set Jim out and set him out well: He was bound for the city on bus ness one day And whoosh ! scooted down to the depot, they say. The depot-man says, " Hain t no rush, Mr. Waite, For the train to the city is ten minutes late ". Off flew Squealin Jim with his grip, on the run, And away down the track he went hoofin like fun. When he tore out of sight, couldn t see him for dust And he squealed, " Train be jiggered ! I ll git there, now, fust ! " So nervous and active he jest wouldn t wait When they told him the train was a leetle dite late. Now that was Jim ! He was stubby and slim But it took a spry critter to step up with him. His height when he d rise Made ye laugh, but his eyes 20 PINE TREE BALLADS Let ye know that his soul wasn t much uncler- size. And some old widders we had in town Insisted, reg lar, he wore a crown. As he whoopity-larruped along on his way, There were people who d turn up their noses and say That Squealin Jim Waite wasn t right in his head; He was cranky as blazes, the old growlers said. I can well understand that some things he would do Seemed loony as time to that stingy old crew. For a fact, there was no one jest like him in town, He was most always actin the part of a clown ; He would say funny things in his queer, squealin style, And he talked so s you d hear him for more than a mile. But ev ry Thanksgivin time Waite he would start And clatter through town in his rattlin old cart, And what do ye s pose? He would whang down the street, Yank up at each widder s ; from under the seat 21 Would haul out a turkey of yaller-legged chick And holler, " Here, mother, h ist out with ye, quick!" Then he d toss down a bouncer right into her lap And belt off like fury with, " G long, there! Gid dap ! " Didn t wait for no thanks couldn t work em on him, Couldn t catch him to thank him that Thanksgivin Jim. Twas a queer idee Round town that he Was off n his balance and crazy s could be. They d set and chaw And stew and jaw, And projick on what he did it for. But prob ly in Heaven old Squealin Jim Found lots of crazy folks jest like him. "OLD POSH" Cheerful crab was that old Posh, Warn t afflicted much with dosh, Fact, he worked round sawin wood, Earnin what few cents he could, Got that name o Posh in fun; Dad had named him Washington; PIXE TREE BALLADS Children got to call him " Wash," Then it last twas jest " Old Posh." That s the way, you know, a name S r rt ci nt ; i" c t i v.~i~ ~ ~~""e; Wculd hive cihei hi::: \Yi;h:::ct;:t. But - Old Posh " wis just 25 g-;;d F;r a c:-:r chic siv.-i:: \v::d. Critter never made no talk, Made his old saw screak and scrawk, Earat his dollar n ten a day, Didn t leave much time for play. Had a wife and boys to keep, Reelly had to skinch his sleep. I ve been out, s r, late at night Seen him at it good and tight, Where he d took it to be sawed At a dollar n ten a cord. And I d say. " Ye" re at it k:e." Ther. he d :n: hirr.se .: u; anight. SMck his for ead clear of sweat And he d say. " \\"al. you jest bet ! Bankin hours don t jibe in good With this job ci 5S wm wood. StilL whe- thi? ere don t sui: me I kir. =: :.:. 1 . .:.. ^ tree." OUR HOME FOLKS 23 That s the crack he allus sent; I donno jest what he meant Likely nough, s r, even he Didn t have no clear idee. Still it seemed to fix the thing; He d commence to saw and sing, S if at anytime he could Git clean shet of sawin wood. So he worked, s r. all his life, Kept his children and his wife; Boys amount to more n you d suppose Got good jobs and wear good clothes. If they d turned out shiftless, gosh, Xever d took the thing from Posh! Posh, he died at seventy-one. Worked right up till set of sun, Sawed his regTar cord that day, Et his supper regular way, Told his wife warn t feelin well; Said he guessed he d drowse a spell. For he reckoned, so he said. That he d saw a while fore bed. Warn t no need of workin so, Boys was earnin well, ye know, But he couldn t seem to quit, At it stiddy. saw and split 24 PINE TREE BALLADS Set that night there in his chair, Got to dreamin , and I swear, Snores they sounded near s they could Like a feller sawin wood. Last he gave a mighty " plock " Same s he d strike a choppin block, When he d set his ax an say, " Wai, I guess that s all to-day." Doctor got there quick s he could, Said he couldn t do no good. Shock, ye know ! It left things slim When a man has worked like him. " Hav to rest, I guess, a while," Posh said, with a crooked smile, Shock had twisted round his face, Alwus does in such a case. " Hav to rest, I reckin, for Feel too tuckered out to saw." Jest a little fore he died. Smiled agin and kind of sighed, " Guess it s all that s left," said he, " Reckin I ll go climb a tree." OUR HOME FOLKS 25 THE SUN-BROWNED DADS OF MAINE Here s ho for the masterful men o Maine, Grit and gumption, brawn and brain! South they go and West they flow, The men that do and the men that know. And Fame and Honor, Power and Gain Come to the call of the men o Maine. But away up back on the rock-piled farms Are the gnarled old dads with corded arms, The dads that give these boys o Maine Health and strength and grit and brain. Now the masterful men who have gone their ways Need none of my humble words of praise. S o, here s best I have for the dads, the ones Who have slaved and saved to raise those sons. Here s hail and again for the Maine-bred lads, Then a triple hail for the dear old Dads. They are bowed and bent and wrinkled, and their hands are browned and knurled They would never pass as heroes in the busy, careless world, For they bear no sword or ribbon, and they show no victor s spoil, Only such as they have wrested from the weeds and rocky soil. 26 PINE TREE BALLADS They have wrung reluctant dollars from the land, and all their gain Has been spent to nurture manhood in the rugged State of Maine. And they need no decorations, only loving thanks from those Who built upon the sacrifice that bought their books and clothes. I bring some homely laurel for those wrinkled, sunburned brows Of men whose hands are blistered by the scythe-snaths and the plows, For men who wrestle Nature with their bare and corded arms In an everlasting struggle with these grudging old Maine farms, Who lay their lives and hopes and joys neath labor s bitter rule To coax from sullen Earth the price that keeps their boys in school. In manhood of America mongst brawn and pluck and brain, Set high these humble heroes of the upland farms of Maine! And with the cheers you lavish on the men behind the guns Crowd in one honest, sincere shout for those behind the sons. OUR HOME FOLKS 27 They labor here in stern old Maine and every cent is ground From out the earth by pluck and plod. In youth they never found That open sesame to wealth the cultured mind employs, Such as to-day their humble toil bestows upon their boys. Those crosses signed by toil-cramped hands in probate courts in Maine The wavering quirks and curliques no mortal can explain, Those speak with pathos all their own of days of long ago When " bound-out " children trudged to school through miles of drifted snow; When scattered weeks of schoolin in the win ter time were doled To hungry little youngsters, ill-clad and numb with cold. Now you ll find them, grown to manhood, proud and eager to dilate On the brightness of the children they have paid to educate. They have patiently worn patches that their boys may wear good clothes; As they ve struggled on their acres only God, the Father, knows 28 PINE TREE BALLADS All the makeshifts and privations of these rocky old Maine farms Where the boys walk straight to comfort over toiling dads and marms. Yet those bent and weary parents ask no praises from the world, Their comfort is to push a son as high as their old, knurled, And aching muscles can reach up; and, when they pass away, To know that he will never work one half as hard as they. Such is the stuff our heroes are, and when you cheer the guns And those behind them, reckon in the men be hind the sons. The zeal and valor of the land in battle s crash and blaze And deeds of heroes seeking fame must win due meed of praise, And yet above them all I set the humble sacri fice Of toiling men who cent by cent amass the hard-won price That buys the Future for a boy, bestows the magic " Can," OUR HOME FOLKS 29 Lays Power in his eager grasp and sends him forth A Man. So, unto these bowed, weary men with earth- stained, calloused palms, Who daily tread the up-turned soil on rough and rocky farms, Who pile their hoard of dollars up, by sturdy labor won, Who pour those dollars freely out to educate a son, To all of these who seek no crown I bring my wreath of bay And set it on their sun-tanned brows and on their locks of gray, And when their dreary, long campaign, their bitter toil is done, God grant that each may live again, new-born in honored son. Then three times three, I say again, for Maine s true heroes now, Whose hands are blistered, gnarled, and worn by scythe-snath and the plow, Who vow themselves to poverty, accept its bitter rule To coax from sullen Earth the price that keeps their sons in school. 30 PINE TREE BALLADS Cheer if you will for those who kill the men behind the guns, But cheer again for those who build the men behind the sons. " HEAVENLY CROWN " RICH Elias Rich would kneel at night by the wooden kitchen chair, He would clutch the rungs and bow his head and pray his bed-time prayer. And his prayer was ever the same old plea, repeated for two-score years : " Oh, Lord Most High, please hear my cry from this vale of sin and tears. I hain t no count and I hain t done much that s worthy in Thy sight, But I ve done the best that I could, dear Lord, accordin to my light. I ve done as much for my feller man as really, Lord, I could, Consid rin my pay is a dollar a day and I ve earnt it choppin wood. I ve never hankered no great on earth for more n my food and roof, And all of the meat that I ve had to eat was cut near horn or hoof; OUR HOME FOLKS 31 But I thank Thee, Lord, that I ve earnt my way and I hain t got on the town, And when I die I know that I shall sartin wear a crown." Whenever he mumbled his simple prayer in the kitchen by his chair, Aunt Rich would rattle the supper pans and sniff with a scornful air. She d never " professed," as the saying is, she never had felt a " call," And she constantly prodded Elias with, " Tain t prayer that counts, it s sprawl." There are some who are born for the pats of Life and some for the cuffs and whacks, Elias fought the wolf of want as best he might with his axe; He even aided with scanty store some desolate Tom or Jim, But at last when his poor old arms gave out no hands were reached to him. Folks said that a man who was paralyzed re quired some special care, And allowed that the poor farm was the place; so they carried the old folks there. Twas a heavy cross for Elias wife but Elias ne er complained, 32 PINE TREE BALLADS To all of her f rettings he made reply : " When our Heavenly Home is gained, Twill be the sweeter for troubles here and though we re on the town, God keeps up There our mansion fair and He has our golden crown." They were dreary years that Elias lived, one half of his body dead, He sat in his cold, bare, town-farm room and patiently spelled and read The promise his old black Bible gave, and then he d lift his eyes And look right up through the dingy walls to his mansion in the skies. They mockingly called him " Heavenly Crown " when he talked of his faith, but he Smiled sweetly ever and meekly said, " I know what I can see ! " When he died at last and the parson preached above the stained, pine box, He said, " Perhaps this simple faith was a bit too orthodox; Perhaps allowance should be made for the metaphors divine And yet, my friends, I ll not presume to make such province mine. OUR HOME FOLKS 33 Though in that Book the highest thought can find transcendent food, Tis primer, too, for the poor and plain, the unlearned and the rude. And so I say no man to-day should seek to tear it down, Nor flout the homely, honest soul that claims its golden crown." Friends placed above Elias grave a plain, white marble stone, And months went by. Then all at once twas seen that there had grown Upon the polished marble slab a shading that, twas said, Took on a shape extremely like Elias shaggy head. Then soon above the shadowy brows a crown was slowly limned, And though Aunt Rich scrubbed zealously the thing could not be dimmed. She always scoffed Elias faith without rebuke through life But now, the neighbors all averred, Elias braved his wife. For though with brush and soap and sand she scrubbed and rubbed by day, 34 PINE TREE BALLADS The figure seemed to grow each night and those there are who say That many a time when the moon was dim a wraith with ghostly skill Wrought there with spectral brush and limned that picture deeper still. And there it is unto this day and strangers passing by Turn in and stand above the mound to gaze with awe-struck eye, And wonder if Elias came from Heaven steal ing down To mutely say in this quaint way that now he wears his crown. OLD " FIGGER-FOUR " He played when summer sunsets glowed and twilight deepened down, His shrilling flute throbbed out and out in the ears of the little town; When the chores were done and his cattle fed and the old horse munched his oats, He took his flute to his racked old porch and chirped his wavering notes. And far and wide on the evening breeze from the old house on the hill, 35 Went trinkling off the thin, long strains, like the cry of the whip-poor-will. And the women paused with the supper things and harkened at the door, And to the questioning stranger said, " Why, that s old Figger-Four." He bobbed to his work in his little field and tidied his lonesome home; He d the light of peace in his quiet face, though his shape was that of a gnome. One knee was angled, hooked and stiff, the mark of a fever sore, And the saucy wits of the countryside had dubbed him " Figger-Four." Yet those who knew him never thought of the twist in the poor, bent limb, And only strangers had a smile for the name bestowed on him. For if ever a man was a neighbor true, that man, my friend, was he, And the name he bore of " Figger-Four " was our symbol of constancy. Twas he who came to the stricken homes and closed the dead men s eyes; Twas he who watched by the poor men s biers with a care no money buys ; 36 PINE TREE BALLADS Twas he who sat by the fretful sick, and ne er could rash complaint Disturb the placid soul and smile of the gnarled old village saint. And all came straight from out his heart, for when one spoke of pay, He simply smiled a wistful smile and said: " That ain t my way." A glistening eye was prized by him above a golden store; An, earnest clasp of neighbor s hand paid every debt and more. And when there was no call for him from Tom, or Dick or Jim, He took his lip-stained flute and played a good old gospel hymn. So, when the placid, sunset skies were banked above the town, To every home and every ear those notes came softly down. And truly, friend, it used to seem the good old man would play, As if, for lack of else to do, to pipe our cares away. And tongues were hushed and heads were bent, and angry home dispute OUR HOME FOLKS 37 Gave way to silence, then to smiles, when " Figger-Four s " old flute Sent down its long-drawn, mild reproach from off the little hill- Expostulation in its notes, a pleading in its thrill. And somehow, though the hearts were hot and tongues were stirring fray, Those dripping tones came down like balm and cooled the wrath away. He d lived his lesson in our gaze; he was not one who talked; His life was straight, although, alas, he bobbed so when he walked ! And though we ve lost our richest men, we mourn far more, far more, The man we loved and who loved us, poor bent old " Figger-Four." PHEBE AND ICHABOD Allus was rowin it, early and late, Niff against this one an niff against that! With a voice like a whistle, too big for her weight, That was the make-up of Aunt Phebe Pratt. S he d give it to Ichabod, hot-pitch-and-tar, Yappin as soon as he came to the house; 38 PINE TREE BALLADS Allus was hankerin after a jar, Allus was ready to kick up a touse. But Ichabod he was as calm as a lamb, Never talked back to her, no, s r, not he Reckin that some men would rip out a damn. But he was the mildest that ever ye see. He d set an he d whistle an whistle away, Waitin all patient ontil she got through ; She d scream, " Drat ye, answer ! " but Ick he would say, " Mother, ye re talkin a plenty for two. Who-o-o, who-o-o, Whoo-o, who-o-o! Nothin to say, mother! List nun to you." Phebe is dead an has gone to her rest; Ichabod lives in the house all alone; Ick isn t lonesome because, so tis guessed, He still hears the echoes of Aunt Phebe s tone. Tis reckoned his ears were so used to the clack, He somehow er ruther still thinks she is there; Kind of imagines that Phebe is back, An still is a-goin it, whoopity-tear ! Or p raps she has ranged it by long-distance line, From her latest location, Above or Below, To keep up her reg lar old yappin an whine, For fear the old man will at last have a show. OUR HOME FOLKS 39 For he sets there an whistles an whistles away, Whenever there s nothin in special to do; An once in a while he ll look up an he ll say, " Mother, ye re talkin a plenty for two. Who-o-o, who-o-o, Who-o-o, who-o-o! Nothin to say, mother! List nun to you." WHEN OUR HERO COMES TO MAINE Though the banners greet his coming when our hero journeys home, Though the city, wreathed in colors, bears his name on flag-wrapt dome; Does he come for speech and music? Does he come for gay parade, And to see a moving pageant in its festal hues arrayed? No, a gray and rain-washed farmhouse, hid beside a country lane Is the goal of all his hurry, when our hero comes to Maine. And past spectacle and pageant, bannered street and brave array He is rushing, soul on fire, toward a dearer scene than they; 40 PINE TREE BALLADS And the hand that gives him welcome may be calloused, may be brown, But the fervor of its greeting can t be matched back there in town. Tis a plain old dad in drillin who will clasp his hand; and then He will shout, " Lord, ain t we tickled ! God bless ye, how ve ye be n ? Why, massy me, ye rascal, how like fury ye have growed! If I d met ye in the village, swan, I wouldn t scursely knowed, Your face behind them whiskers ; fore ye know it boys are men ! Hey, mother, here s your youngster! Land o Goshen, how ve ye be n ? " And if, you home returning son, Some tithe of honor you have won, Sweeter than telling the world of men Is telling the old folks " how you ve be n." Though of wealth and brains and beauty, festal Maine has summoned all And the banquet gleams in splendor in the city s spacious hall, OUR HOME FOLKS 41 Does he envy them the viands spread beneath their flag-wrapt dome? No, never, as he sits there at the old folks board back home. There are all the dear old good things made by mother s loving hands, Such things, so he discovers, only mother understands; There s the old and treasured china, figured blue with gilded rim, Saved to honor great occasions now the whole is spread for him, And the mother s eyes are wistful; she s as sailed by constant doubt Lest, spite of all his fearful raids, he somehow " won t make out." But, though the wanderer strives to eat, his heart keeps coming up, And tears roll out of brimming eyes he lowers o er his cup, And in the throat there swells a lump, not grief, and yet akin To see the old folks bowed so low, so snowy- haired and thin. And yet their happy faces glow, until they re young again, And dad lights up his old crook pipe and says, " Now how ve ye be n ? 42 PINE TREE BALLADS Set down and tell us how ye ve fared and tell us how ye ve done, You ve sent us letters right along, but them don t talk it, son. A minit with ye, face to face, beats hours with a pen; God bless ye, bub ! Ye re welcome back ! Now tell us how ve ye be n?" Ah, happy he who brings success Back here to Maine to cheer and bless The folks who ask in tenderness, Taking you into their arms again, "God bless ye, dearie, how ve ye be n?" UNCLE TASCUS AND THE DEED Uncle Peter Tascus Runnels has been feeble some of late; He has allus been a worker and he sartinly did hate To confess he couldn t tussle with the spryest any more, That he wasn t fit for nothin but to fub around an chore. When he climbed the stable scaffold t other day he had a spell, 43 Kind o heart-disease or somethin an I heard he like to fell. Guess the prospect sort o scared him; so, that ev nin after tea, After he had smoked a pipeful pretty sol emn, then says he, " Reckin, son, ye ve noticed lately that your dad is gittin old, An your marm is nigh as feeble; much as ever she can scold ! " Uncle Tascus said so grinnin ; for the folks around here know That no better-natured woman ever lived than old Aunt Jo. " Now, my son," said Uncle Tascus, " you ve been good to me an marm, An you know we allus told ye, ye was sure to have the farm. An we like your wife Lucindy; there has never been no touse As is gen ly apt to happen with two famblys in the house. I can t manage as I used to; mother s gittin pretty slim, An to hold our prop ty longer is a whim, bub, jest a whim ! So I ll tell ye what I m plannin , an I know that marm agrees, 44 PINE TREE BALLADS We ll sign off an make it over; then we ll sort o take our ease. So, hitch up to-morrer mornin drive us down to Lawyer True, Me an marm will sign the papers, an we ll deed the place to you." Lawyer True looked kind o doubtful when they told him what was on. " I ll admit," said he, " that no one s got a better boy than John. Now don t think I m interferin or am prophe- syin harm, When I warn ye not to do it; don t ye deed away your farm. I have seen so many cases heard em tried most ev ry term Where a deed has busted fam lies, that, I swow, it makes me squirm If I m asked to write a transfer to a relative or son. Tascus, please excuse my meddlin , but ye hold it till ye re done." Uncle Tascus, though, insisted. He was allus rather sot. He allowed he d show the neighbors jest the kind of son he d got. OUR HOME FOLKS 45 Said he d show em how a Runnels allus stuck by kith an kin, So the lawyer drew the papers an they started home agin, Uncle Tascus held the webbin s he has allus driv the hoss John he chuckled kind o nervous. Then said he, " Wai, pa, I m boss ! Now ye ve never got to worry I m the one to take the lead, Things were gettin kind o logy guess I ll have to put on speed. An as now I head the fam ly, an you re sort of on the shelf, Guess I ll " John he took the webbin s " guess I d better drive, myself." Wai, s r, Uncle Tascus pondered, pondered, pondered all that day. An that evenin still was pond rin , as he rocked an smoked away. John he set clus up t table, underneath the hangin lamp, Ciph rin out that legal paper with its seal an rev nue stamp. Then he folded it an chuckled. " That s all right an tight," he said, 46 PINE TREE BALLADS " Lawyers tie things tighter n Jehu. Dad, ye d better go to bed. You an marm are gettin feeble; mustn t have ye up so late! I m the boss John sort o te-heed, " so I ll have to keep ye straight. Sides, I ll need ye bright an early. In the mornin hitch the mare, Take that paper down t court-house. Have it put on record there." Uncle Tascus took the writin , pulled his specs down on his nose, Read it over very careful. Then says he, " My son, I s pose You are jest as good s they make em; I hain t got no fault to find, You are thrifty, smart an stiddy; rather bluff, but allus kind, An I guess you d prob ly use us jest as well s ye really knew, But I hain t so awful sartin that I m done an out an through ! Tell ye, son, I ve been a-thinkin since ye took an driv that hoss, Since ye sort o throwed your shoulders an allowed that you was boss! OUR HOME FOLKS 47 Hate to act so whiffle-minded, but my father used to say, Men would sometimes change opinions; mules would stick the same old way. Uncle Tascus tore the paper twice acrost, then calmly threw On the fire the shriv lin pieces. Poof! They vanished up the flue. There, bub, run to bed," said Tascus, with his sweet, old-fashioned smile. These old hands are sort of shaky, but I guess I ll drive a while." SONGS OF THE SEA AND SHORE TALE OF A SHAG-EYED SHARK The mackerel bit as they crowded an fit to grab at our gangin bait, We were flappin em in till the midship bin held clus on a thousand weight; When all of a sudden they shet right down an never a one would bite, An the Old Man swore an he r ared an tore till the mains l nigh turned white, He d pass as the heftiest swearin man that ever I heard at sea, An that is allowin a powerful lot, as sartinly you will agree. Whenever he cursed his arm shot up an his fingers they wiggled about, Till they seemed to us like a windmill s fans a-pumpin the cuss-words out. He swore that day by the fodder hay of the Great Jeehookibus whale, By the Big Skedunk, an he bit a hunk from the edge of an iron pail, For he knowed the reason the fish had dodged, an he swore us stiff an stark SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 49 As he durned the eyes an liver an lights of a shag-eyed, skulkin shark. Then we baited a line all good an fine an slung er over the side, An the shark took holt with a dretful jolt, an he yanked an chanked an tried To jerk it out, but we held him stout so he couldn t duck nor swim, An we h isted him over that old sea-rover we d business there with him. A-yoopin for air he laid on deck, an the skip per he says, says he : " You re the wust, dog-gondest, mis able hog that swims the whole durn sea. Mongst gents as is gents it s a standin rule to leave each gent his own If ye note as ye pass he s havin a cinch, stand off an leave him alone. But you ve slobbered along where you don t belong, an you ve gone an spiled the thing, An now, by the pink-tailed Wah-hoo-fish, you ll take your dose, by jing! " So, actin by orders, the cook fetched up our biggest knife on board, An he ripped that shark in his midship bulge; then the Old Man he explored. 50 PINE TREE BALLADS An after a while, with a nasty smile, he giv a yank an twist, " Hurroo! " yells he, an then we see the liver clinched in his fist. Still actin by orders, the cook fetched out his needle an biggest twine With a herrin -bone stitch sewed up that shark, all right an tight an fine. We throwed him back with a mighty smack, an the look as he swum away Was the most reproachfulest kind of a look I ve seen for many a day. An the liver was throwed in the scuttle-butt, to keep it all fresh an cool, Then we up with our sheet an off we beat, a-chasin that mackerel school. We sailed all day in a criss-cross way, but the school it skipped an skived, It dodged an ducked, an backed an bucked, an scooted an swum an dived. An* we couldn t catch em, the best we d do an oh, how the Old Man swore! He went an he gargled his throat in ile, twas peeled so raw an sore. But at last, way off at the edge of the sea, we suddenly chanced to spy A tall back-fin come fannin in, ag inst the sun set sky. An the sea ahead of it shivered an gleamed with a shiftin an silvery hue, With here a splash an there a dash, an a rip ple shootin through. An the Old Man jumped six feet from deck; he hollered an says, says he : " Here comes the biggest mackerel school since the Lord set off the sea ! An right behind, if I hain t blind, by the prong- jawed dog-fish s bark, Is a finnin that mis able hog of the sea, that liverless, shag-eyed shark ! " But we out with our bait an down with our hooks, an we fished an fished an fished, While round in a circle, a-cuttin the sea, that back-fin whished an slished; An we noticed at last he was herdln the school an drivin em on our bait, An they bit an they bit an we pulled em in at a reg lar wholesale rate. We pulled em in till the S airey Ann was wal- lerin with her load, An we stopped at last cause there wa n t no room for the mackerel to be stowed. 52 PINE TREE BALLADS Then up came a-finnin that liverless shark, an he showed his stitched-up side, An the look in his eyes was such a look that the Old Man fairly cried. We rigged a tackle an lowered a noose an the shark stuck up his neck, Then long an slow, with a heave yo-ho, we h isted him up on deck. The skipper he blubbered an grabbed a fin an gave it a hearty shake; Says he, " Old man, don t lay it up an we ll have a drop to take." An , actin by orders, the cook fetched up our kag of good old rum; The shark he had his drink poured first, an all of us then took some. Still actin by orders, the cook he took an he picked them stitches out, An we all turned to, an we lent a hand; though of course we had some doubt As to how he d worn it an how twas hitched, an whuther twas tight or slack, But as best we could as we understood we put that liver back. Then we sewed him up, an we shook his fin an we giv him another drink, We h isted him over the rail ag in an he giv us a partin wink. SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 53 Then he swum away, an I dast to say, although he was rather sore, He felt that he d started the trouble first, an we d done our best an more. Cause a dozen times fore the season closed an the mackerel skipped to sea, He herded a school an drove em in, as gen tlemanlike as could be. We d toss him a drink, an he d tip a wink, as sociable as ye please, No kinder nor better-mannered shark has ever swum the seas. Now, the moral is, if you cut a friend before that you know he s friend, An after he s shown it, ye do your best his feelin s to nicely mend, He ll meet ye square, an he ll call you quits, providin he s got a spark Of proper feelin at least our crew can vouch this for a shark. 54 PINE TREE BALLADS THE GREAT JEEHOOKIBUS WHALE May health and heartiness never fail My friend the Whale my friend the Whale! There are days when the dog-fish are gnawin the bait, And the mud-eels are saggin the trawl; When the brim and the monk-fish and pucker- mouthed skate Are the yield from a three-mile haul ; When the dory-bow ducks with the weight that it lugs Of the riffraff and sculch of the sea, And sculpins come gogglin with wide-open mugs, And grinnin jocosely at me. It s h ist and lug, and pull and tug Bow-pulley chuckerin chugity-chug ! And all that ye re gittin won t pay for the weight Of powder to blow em to Beelzebub s strait. Then s the chance to be grum if ye re taken that style And are sort of inclined to the blues ; SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 55 When luck is ag in ye tis whimper or smile, Whichever s your notion to choose. Now I I am sort of inclined to the grins, So, after a loaf on the rail, I whistle him up, my old friend of the fins The jolly Jeehookibus Whale! The great Jeehookibus, fan-fluke whale, A genial chap with a swivel tail; Ready for larks and primed for pranks, His jokes are the life of the whole Grand Banks. I ve knowed him sence summer of Seventy- four, When I "chanced" on a hand-liner trip; I was out in my dory one day and I wore Oiled petticuts strapped to my hip. I was thinkin and smokin and fishin away, As quiet as quiet could be, When all of a whew there was dickens to pay In the neighborhood handy to me. With a whoosh like a rocket I shot in the air, And it seemed like twas blowin a gale; As I h isted sky-hootin I looked, sor, and there Was the jolly Jeehookibus Whale. The great Jeehookibus, fan-fluke whale Was under me, swishin his swivel tail. 56 PINE TREE BALLADS He stood on his head with his tail stuck up, And the game he was playin was ball-and- cup. I dropped, but he caught me and filliped me quick And juggled me neat as could be; Twas as pretty and clever a sleight-of-tail trick As ever ye saw on the sea. At first I was skittish, as you can see why, When I found myself up there on air, But as soon as I noticed the quirk in his eye I was over my bit of a scare. Twas a humorous look he was throwin to me As there I continnered to sail, While under me, finnin and grinnin in glee, Was the jolly Jeehookibus Whale. The great Jeehookibus, fan-fluke whale He fanned and fanned with his big, broad tail, Till my petticuts filled and I floated there, Like a thistle-balloon on the summer air. Twas the slickest performance, our doryman swore, That ever was seen on the Banks- SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 57 He lowered me back in my dory once more And I giv him my heartiest thanks. And I reckon he liked me and thought I was game, Because I wa n t yowlin in fear; For over and over he s done jest the same, This many and many a year. When dog-fish are gnawin and other men swear As they jerk at the sculch-loaded trawl, I know I have some one to cuff away care, If only I whistle a call. Then up from his bed on the dulses he spins, And I boost myself over the rail For a sail on the tail of my friend of the fins The jolly Jeehookibus Whale. The great Jeehookibus, fan-fluke whale, A jovial chap with a swivel tail; Ready for larks and primed for pranks, He drives away blues from the whole Grand Banks. May health and heartiness never fail My friend the Whale my friend the Whale! 58 PINE TREE BALLADS " AS BESEEMETH MEN " We heard her a mile to west ard the liner that cut us through As crushing the fog at a twenty- jog she drove with her double screw. We heard her a mile to west ard as she bel lowed to clear her path, The grum, grim grunt of her whistle, a levia than s growl of wrath. We could tell she was aimed to smash us, so we clashed at our little bell, But the sound was shredded by screaming wind and we simply rung our knell. And the feeble breath, that screamed at Death through our horn, was beaten back, And we knew that doom rode up the sea to ward the shell of our tossing smack. Then out of the fog she thundered, the liner, smashing to east ; Her green and her red glared overhead and her bows were spouting yeast. The eyes of her reddened hawse-holes, her dripping and towering flanks, Flashed with no gleam of mercy for her quarry on the Banks. SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 59 She scornfully spurned us under, the while her whistle brayed, Nor heeded the crash of our little craft nor the feeble chirp we made; And as down we swept, her folk that slept they slumbered serenely still, And even the lookout on the bridge scarce felt the thud and thrill. But they jangled her bells and halted; and the sullen sea they swept With the goggling gleam of the searchlight s beam. A dozen of us had crept On the mass of the tangled wreckage she con temptuously had tossed A mile astern in the chop and churn. The others were drowned were lost! There was never a whine nor whimper, only some muttered groans, As the ocean buffeted martyrs who clung there with shattered bones, And those whose grip was broken as the surge reeled creaming high, Went out from the ken of the searchlight with a hoarse but brave " Good-by." In the great white light no sign of fright stole wrinkling o er a face, For the men of the Banks know fiow to die when Davy trumps their ace. 60 PINE TREE BALLADS And better than simply dying they can cheer fully, bravely give Life, heart, and head in a comrade s stead if they deem that he ought to live. For there in the searchlight s glory, the night that they cut us down, Old Injun Joe gave up his cask that another might not drown. Old Joe was a lone world-rover, the other had babes on land; No word was said, but Joe went down with a wave of his dripping hand. And ere the lifeboats reached us and gathered our scattered few, We saw that night what so long we d known, that a Glo ster fishing crew, Rude and rough and grimed and gruff, had calmly shown again That on sea or sod they can meet their God in the way that beseemeth men! Then over her sullen bulwarks, as she stamped and chafed and rolled, From the night and wreck to her dazzling deck climbed we and our tale was told. And the dainty folk from her staterooms lis tened and gazed and said, SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 61 As they tiptoed across our dripping trail, " How awful ! " then went to bed. And our half-score left, of all bereft com rades and gear and smack Sat hoping our wreck would tell no tales till our scattered few came back. And haughtily unrepentant, the liner, insolent still, Through foam and spume and fog and gloom drove on to wreak her will. Were only her zeal less eager, her lust for her prey less keen, She must have sensed that horrid chill that shuddered from One Unseen. But onward she plunged unheeding that there in the vast, black sea, As grim as Fate there lay in wait One mightier than she. A ghost in white before her the fog its som bre pall And she crushed herself like dead-ripe fruit against the iceberg s wall. Then up from her perfumed cabins came pour ing the rich and proud, And I poor Glo ster fisher I blushed for that maddened crowd. 62 PINE TREE BALLADS There were men in silken night-gear who fought frail women back, There were pampered fools who, fierce as ghouls, left murder in their track; There were shrieking men whose jeweled hands dragged children from a boat And rode away in the babies stead when the life-craft went afloat. Tis not for boast that I tell the rest : we re not of the boasting kind We folks that sail from Glo ster town ; but you know you ll sometimes find A man who sneers at a tattered coat or a sun burned fist or face, And believes that only blood or purse can honor the human race. Forlorn and few, our battered crew had stared at Death that night; Perhaps we d known him so long and well his mien did not affright. Perhaps we hide here in our hearts, below the rags and tan, The honest stuff, unplaned and rough, that really makes the man. For we bared our arms and we stormed the press of safety took no care; We dragged those wretches from the boats then placed the women there. SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 63 No time had we for the courtly " Please! " If a poltroon answered " No," We gave him the thing that a man reserves for the coward s case a blow. It isn t a boast, I say again; but we stayed till all had passed, Then the ragged coats of those Glo ster men went over her lee rail last. And three of the few of our scattered crew, who had twice dared Fate that night, Went down in the rush of the whirlpool s tow when the liner swooped from sight. We ask no praise, we seek no heights above our chosen place, But the men of the Banks know how to die when Davy trumps their ace. And if need arise for a sacrifice we ve shown, and we ll show again, That on sea or sod we can meet our God in the way that beseemeth men. THE NIGHT OF THE WHITE REVIEW The mandate that summons them nobody knows, Nor whose is the mystical word That bids the vast breast of the ocean unclose, When the depths are so eerily stirred. 64 PINE TREE BALLADS There are omens of ocean and portents of sky That the eyes of the banksman may read; The wind tells its menace by moan or a sigh To any one giving it heed. Yet, fathom the whorl of a cloud though he may Interpret the purr of the sea No weatherwise fisherman truly may say When the Drift of the Drowned shall be. This alone we know: Ere days of the autumn bloiv, Up from the swaying ocean deeps appears the grisly show. And woe to the fated crew Who behold it passing through Who gaze on the ghosts of the Gloucester fleets on the Nig.ht of the White Review. Whence issue these fleets for their grim ren dezvous And their hideous cruise, who may know? Yet they traverse the Banks ere the winter storms brew, Their pennon the banner of woe. We know that from Quero far west to the Shoals. The prodigal bottom is spread SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 65 With bones and with timbers " Went down with all souls," Tells the story of Gloucester s dead. And up with those souls come those vessels again On that mystical eve in the fall; Then out of the night to the terror of men They sail with the fog for a pall. And down the swimming deep, As the fishers lie asleep, These craft loom out of the great, black night, and past the living sweep. And ivoe to that fated crew Who behold them passing through Who gaze on the ghosts of the Gloucester fleets on the Night of the White Review. Now here and now yonder some helmsman sings hail As the awful procession stalks past, And the horrified crew tumbles up to the rail To gaze on the marvel, aghast. And then through that night, when the fishers ride near, There s a hail and a husky halloo : " Did you see " and the voice has a quiver of fear 66 PINE TREE BALLADS " Did you see the White Banksmen sail through ? " There are those who may see them and those who may not, Though they peer to the depths of the night; Ah, ye who behold them, alas for the lot That grants you such ominous sight. It augurs death and dole That the Gloucester bells will toll Means another stone on Windmill Hill: " Went down with every soul." For it s woe to that fated crew Who behold them passing through Who gaze on the ghosts of the Gloucester fleets on the Night of the White Review. Tis a mournful monition from those gone before That phantom procession of Fate; But tis only the craven that flees to the shore, For the fisher must work and must wait Must wait for the storm that shall carry him down, Must work with his dory and trawl; There are women and babies in Gloucester town Who are hungry. So God for us all ! SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 67 Though mystic and silent and pallid and weird Those ominous Banksmen may roam, Though Death trails above them, where er they are steered, We ll work for the babies at home. The Banks will claim their toll, And Fate makes up the roll Of those with the humble epitaph: " Went dozvn with every soul." And it s woe to that fated crew Who behold them passing through Who gaze on the ghosts of the Gloucester fleets on the Night of the White Review. THE BALLAD OF ORASMUS NUTE There once was a Quaker, Orasmus Nute, With a physog as stiff as a cowhide boot, And he skippered a ship from Georgetown, Maine, In the way-back days of the pirates reign. And the story I tell it has to do With Orasmus Nute and a black flag crew; The tale of the upright course he went In the face of a certain predicament. For Orasmus Nute was a godly man 68 PINE TREE BALLADS And he faithfully followed the Quaker plan Of love for all and a peaceful life And a horror of warfare and bloody strife. While above the honors of seas and fleets He prized his place on " the facing seats." Ah, Orasmus Nute, Orasmus Nute, He never disgraced his plain drab suit. Now often he sailed for spice and teas Way off some place through the Barbary seas ; And once for a venture his good ship bore Some unhung grindstones, a score or more. Now, never in all of his trips till then Had he spoken those godless pirate men. But it chanced one day near a foreign shore The sail of a strange craft toward him bore; And as soon as the rig was clearly seen The mate allowed twas a black lateen. Now a black lateen, as all men knew, Was the badge of a bold, bad pirate crew. So the mate he crammed to its rusty neck A grim " Long Tom " on the quarter deck, Then leaned on its muzzle a bit to pray And waited to hear what the skipper would say. For Orasmus Nute, Orasmus Nute Had stepped below for to change his suit. SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 69 He asked as he came on deck again, " Does thee really think those are pirate men? " " Yea, verily," answered the Quaker mate, " And they come at a most unseemly gait." Orasmus Nute looked over the rail At the bulging sweep of the huge black sail; Said he, " We are keeping our own straight path, And I m sorry to harm those men of wrath Yet, brother, perchance we are justified In letting Thomas rebuke their pride. We ll simply give em a dash of fright. So be sure, my friend, thee have aimed just right." He squinted his eye along the rust, " Now shoot," said he, " if thee thinks thee must." Ker-boomo! the old Long Thomas roared, And the big lateen flopped overboard. And Orasmus Nute, Orasmus Nute, Seemed puzzled to find that he could shoot. " Now what are those sinful men about? " He asked, as he heard a hoarse, long shout. And the Quaker mate he answered, " Lo! They ve out with their oars, and here they row!" 70 PINE TREE BALLADS " Now, what in the name of William Penn," Cried Orasmus Nute, " can ail those men? Perchance they are after our load of stones, Will thee roll them up here, Brother Jones ? We ll save them all of the work we can As a Quaker should for his fellow man." So as soon as the fierce, black pirate drew Up longside, that Quaker crew Rolled those grindstones down pell-mell, And every stone smashed through the shell Of the pirate zebec, and down it went, And all of the rascals to doom were sent, While Orasmus Nute leaned over the side, " No thanks, thee rt welcome, my friends," he cried. It chanced one wretch from the sunken craft Made a clutch at a rope that was trailing aft, And up he was swarming with frantic hope, When Orasmus cried, " Does thee want that rope?" So he cut it away with one swift hack With a smile for the pirate as he dropped back. And the Quaker skipper surveyed the sea " God loveth the generous man," quoth he. Then Orasmus Nute, Orasmus Nute Went down and resumed his Quaker suit. SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 71 THE DORYMAN S S ONG Dory here an Dora there, They keep a man a-guessin ; An here s a prayer for a full-bin fare, Then home for the parson s blessin ! Ruddy an round as the skipper s phiz, out of the sea he rolls, The fisherman s sun, an the day s begun for the men on the Grand Bank shoals. With pipe alight an snack stowed tight under a bulgin vest, I ll over with dory an in with the trawls for the wind is fair sou west. The wind is fair sou west, The fish-slick stripes the crest Of every curlin , swingin an swirlin , billowin ocean-guest, That sweeps to the wind ard rail An under the bulgin sail Seems wavin its welcome with clots of foam that are tossed by the roguish gale. Dory here an Dora there, Way over yon at Glo ster; Those clots of foam seem letters from home To pledge I haven t lost her. 72 PINE TREE BALLADS Friskily kickin , the dories dance, churnin the foamin lee, With a duck an a dive an a skip an skive the bronchos of the sea. Sheerin an veerin with painter a-flirt, like a frolicsome filly s tail, Now a sweep on the heavin deep, close to the saggin rail, Close to the saggin rail, Jump! If you cringe or fail, You re doin a turn in the wake astern in the role of a grampus whale. As she poises herself to spring, Nimble an mischievous thing, There s only the flash of a second of time to capture her on the wing. Dory here an Dora there! Sure, they drive me frantic. For one she swims on the ocean of whims, An one on the broad Atlantic. Sowin* the bait from the trawl-heaped tubs, I pull at my old T. D. An I dream of a pearl of a Glo ster girl, who s waitin at home for me; Statin she s waitin is not to say she s prom ised as yet her hand, SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 73 For she s wild as my dory she keeps me in worry; they re hard to understand. They re hard to understand, But I ve got the question planned, Please God, I ll know if it s weal or woe as soon as I get to land. For a man who can catch the swing, Of a dory mischievous thing Has certainly grit to capture a chit of a maid about to spring. Dory here an Dora there! They keep a man a-gnessin , An here s a prayer for a full-bin fare, Then home for the parson s blessin . WE FELLERS DIGGIN CLAMS Pluck, pluck, Pluck, pluck! Stubbin acrost the clam-flat muck ! Ev ry time I lift my huck, Hearin the heel of my old boot suck, It seems to me that a word plops out, And I ve listened so often there ain t no doubt It s pluck, pluck, pluck. And pluck and the job they jest agree Dig clams, my lad, for a while and see ! 74 PINE TREE BALLADS It s a stiddy kind of bus ness an it ain t for shiny boots, But still ye know, tain t bad! It ain t an occurpation for the millionaire ga loots, But tain t so mighty wuss, my lad. It s a stiddy kind of bus ness where there ain t no room for doubt As to what ull be the profit and where ye re comin out. For there ain t no books and ledgers, and no botherin with deals, No dodgin law and lawyers and no stock con- trivin steals. Simply take a leaky dory and a basket and a hoe, And you re fixed for doin bus ness ev ry fel ler has a show. When the old Atlantic ocean pulls away his swashin tide Why, the bank is there before you and the doors are opened wide; The flats are there etarnal and you never find the sign Sayin , " Bank has shet up business pres - dent s skipped acrost the line." Shuck away yer co t and weskit, grab the clam- hoe s muddy haft, SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 75 And endorsed by grit and muscle you ll get cash on ev ry draft. For yer check-book s there, the clam flat; and yer pen, sir, is the hoe, And accounts are balanced daily by the ocean s ebb and flow. Then the climbin , crawlin water rubs the dig- gin marks away, And the clams are jest as plenty when you come another day. And the sleep that toilers labor kind of smooths us, as the tide Smooths the nickin s on the clam-flats where our busy hoes have pried. So the nights are nights of comfort and I mostly can forget That the days are days of diggin , cold and muddy, lame and wet. For I d rather have a backache than a rattled, burnin brain, And I guess I m fair contented with the clarn flats here in Maine. For I m thinkin worried critters in the rushin , pushin jams Likely nough ain t nigh so happy as we fellers diggin clams. 76 PINE TREE BALLADS DAN L AND DUNK Dan l and Dunk and the yaller dog were the owners and crew of the Pollywog, A hand-line smack that cuffed the seas twixt Tinicus Head and Point Quahaug. Dunk owned half and Dan owned half, and the yaller dog was also joint, They fished and ate and swapped their bait and always agreed on every point. Dunk to Dan and Dan to Dunk, Whenever he chawed would pass the hunk; Never a " hitch " more friendly than That of the dog and Dunk and Dan. They labored steady and labored square, fairly dividing every fare, And never could anything break their bonds, each to the other would often swear. But alas, one day in a joking way they fell on the topic of years and age, And tackled the subject of boughten teeth, and spirited argument they did wage. For Dan insisted that sets of teeth were glued to the sides of the wearers jaws, SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 77 Never had seen em, he frankly owned, but he knew twas so, " wal, jest because." While Dunk, with notions fully as firm, clawed at his frosty whisker fringe, And allowed that he knew that sets of teeth were hitched together with spring and hinge. So, still perverse, they argued on the quarrel, you see, was their very first; Twas as though they had taken a sip of brine; the more they quaffed, the worse their thirst. They argued early and argued late and the dog surveyed them with wistful look For, the more they talked the worse they balked, and forgot to fish or eat or cook. Dan at Dunk and Dunk at Dan, On contention ran and ran, And rancor spread its sullen fog Twixt Dunk and Dan and the yaller dog. At last old Dunk uprose and cried, " Say old hoss-mack ril, blast yer hide, I m sick of clack and fuss and gab; it s time, I reckin, that we divide. 78 PINE TREE BALLADS An seein as how I ve spoke the fust, I ll take the starn-end here for mine." With chalk he zoned the dingy deck and roared, " Git for rard acrost that line! " He lighted his pipe and twirled the wheel and calmly then he crossed his knees. " Go for rard," said he, " this end is mine an I ll steer jest where I gol-durn please." For rard went Dan with never a word, never protested, never demurred, But as soon as he reached the cat-head bolt the sound of hammer on steel was heard. Splash ! went the anchor, and there they swung, fast to the bottom on Doghead shoal ; " The bow-end s mine," yelled Dan to Dunk, " now steer if ye want to, blast yer soul ! " Dunk to Dan, and Dan to Dunk Swore they d sit there till she sunk. Neither to compromise would incline, And the dog stood straddling the mid dle line. I ll frankly own I cannot state how long en dured that sullen wait, I only know they never returned and no one ever has learned their fate. SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 79 Perhaps a gale with a lashing tail, champing and roaring and frothing wild, Clawed them under, as there they rode, or a hooting liner over them piled. But known it is that for days and weeks the schooner swayed and sogged and tossed, Straining her rusty cable-chains, before all trace of her was lost. No one knows how they met their death, but certain it is that Dunk and Dan, Each decided he d rather die than surrender a point to the other man. Perhaps, at the end of a month or so, Dunk de cided he d sink his half, Or Dan touched match and burned his end, then went to death with a scornful laugh. However it was, this much is sure, that out from the Grand Banks sombre fog, Never came back the Pollywog smack, or Dunk or Dan or the yaller dog. THE AWFUL WAH-HOOH-WOW She s ashore in Gloucester harbor, with a weary, Icary list, An the mud is creepiri, crcepin to her rail; 80 PINE TREE BALLADS She s sound in ev ry timber is the Mary of the Mist, But the broom is at her mast-head as a sign that she s for sale. Yet no one wants to try her, She cannot find a buyer The Hoodoo is upon her, an here I give the tale. (The story has a warnin that s as plain as plain can be, An tis: Never go to triflin with the secrets of the sea.) Peter Perkinson, a P. I.* from Prince Edward Island, signed With Foster s folks of Gloucester for a " chancin trip," hand-lined; An when we counted noses as we rounded Giant s Grist We found the chap among us on the Mary of the Mist. An we sized him for a " conjer " ere we d fairly got to sea; The wind was whiffin crooked, jest as mean as mean could be; *"P. I." is colloquial term for Prince Edward Islander. Then the skipper spied the P. I. fubbin secret at the mast, An at once he got suspicious an he overhauled him fast. The chap had made some markin s an he d driven in a nail Oh, we understood him perfect he was raisin up a gale. The skipper gave him tophet, but the damage then was done The gale came up a-roarin with the settin of the sun. Then we wallered to the west ard an we wal- lered to the east, An we seemed the core an bowels of a gob of wind an yeast. We smashed our way to suth ard, an we clawed an ratched to west, There was scarcely time for eatin ; there was never chance for rest, With the liners slammin past us through the fog an spume an rain, An the Mary dodgin passers like a puppy in a lane. The third day found us flappin with a mighty ragged wash, The lee rail runnin under an the trawl tubs all a-swash, 82 PINE TREE BALLADS An at last the plummet told us we were backii to ards the shoals, Yet we couldn t ratch an leave em with ou canvas rags an holes. Tack tack tack Still a-slippin back; Twas a time for meditatin on the prospect for our souls. Then up spoke Isaac Innis, with a starin glarin glance, An he says : " My friends, I m lookir where I look! I hain t a saint in no way, an I ll give a man chance, But I think I see a Jonah if I hain t a Ic mistook. I reckon ye discern him, Now over goes he, durn him, Unless he squares the Hoodoo that he 1 brought, by hook or crook." (We stood there, grim an solemn, an w bent our gaze upon The stranger " conjer " sailor, that P. I.- Perkinson. ) He never flinched nor quivered, though we reckoned that he would, SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 83 He simply turned an faced us, an he says : " I meant ye good. I asked a breeze from suth ard, but it slipped an got away; Still, you needn t worry, shipmates! When I owe a debt I ll pay." He reeved a coil of hawser that the Mary car ried spare, An fastened on a gang-hook an baited it with care. Then he took a magic vial an he sprinkled on the bait A charm that Splithoof gave him, it is safe to calkerlate. He hitched a dagon-sinker an he let the line run free, An* overboard he fired it, kersplasho, in the sea, We didn t get the language of the secret spells he said, But we gathered he was fishin on the deepest ocean bed. We heard him as he muttered an it seemed that he could tell What kind of fish was bitin , with an eyesight straight from hell. " Ah, brim," he sort o chanted as he gave the line a twig 82 PINE TREE BALLADS An at last the plummet told us we were backin to ards the shoals, Yet we couldn t ratch an leave em with our canvas rags an holes. Tack tack tack Still a-slippin back; Twas a time for meditatin on the prospects for our souls. Then up spoke Isaac Innis, with a starin , glarin glance, An he says : " My friends, I m lookin where I look! I hain t a saint in no way, an I ll give a man a chance, But I think I see a Jonah if I hain t a lot mistook. I reckon ye discern him, Now over goes he, durn him, Unless he squares the Hoodoo that he s brought, by hook or crook." (We stood there, grim an solemn, an we bent our gaze upon The stranger " conjer " sailor, that P. I. Perkinson.) He never flinched nor quivered, though we d reckoned that he would, SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 83 He simply turned an faced us, an he says : " I meant ye good. I asked a breeze from suth ard, but it slipped an got away; Still, you needn t worry, shipmates! When I owe a debt I ll pay." He reeved a coil of hawser that the Mary car ried spare, An fastened on a gang-hook an baited it with care. Then he took a magic vial an he sprinkled on the bait A charm that Splithoof gave him, it is safe to calkerlate. He hitched a dagon-sinker an he let the line run free, An overboard he fired it, kersplasho, in the sea, We didn t get the language of the secret spells he said, But we gathered he was fishin on the deepest ocean bed. We heard him as he muttered an it seemed that he could tell What kind of fish \vas bitin , with an eyesight straight from hell. " Ah, brim," he sort o chanted as he gave the line a twig 86 PINE TREE BALLADS An must pay his lawful tribute to the awful Wah-hooh-wow. We saw Its neck a-curvin an we heard Its red tongue lick As It drooled an swoofed the drippin s, and then, as one might pick A ripe an juicy cherry, It grabbed that " con- jer " man An sank with coils a-flashin in the light from old Cape Ann, An we we towed with dories till we got to Gloucester shore An you ll never get a Banksman on the Mary any more. No no no ! Not a man will go, For her towage fee hain t settled till the Wah- hooh-wow takes four. She s ashore in Gloucester harbor with a weary, leary list, An the mud is creepin , creepin to her rail; She s sound in ev ry timber is the Mary of the Mist, But the broom is at her mast-head as a sign that she s for sale. Yet no one wants to try her, She cannot find a buyer The Hoodoo is upon her, an I ve given you the tale. (The story has a warnin that s as plain as plain can be, An tis: Never go to triflin ivith the secrets of the sea.) SKIPPER JASON ELLISON His nose was like a liver hung against a Hub- bard squash, That nose of Jason Ellison, the skipper of the " Hanks." His nose was like a liver and the color wouldn t wash, But the men that " chanced " on trips with him, they always got the dosh, For there wa n t another skipper who could touch him on the Banks. Whether biz was tight or slack, When Jase came sailin back A gang was always coaxin for a berth upon his smack. Not another Gloucester skipper Had sech easy job to ship a Topper-notcher fishin crew, with ev ry man a crack. 88 PINE TREE BALLADS For, you see, he was a wizard; he did won ders with that nose, He could sniff and tell the weather-sign of ev ry gust that rose ; You could figure from its color twas a most uncommon snoot, And whenever he predicted no one ventured to dispute. His eye could nail a fish-slick off a league or so away, He could look around a corner, so his fel lows used to say; But the thing twas most uncommon where our whole dependence hung, Was his long and round and peak-ed champion taster of a tongue. Twas always out and chasin round the edges of his lip; When a nasty time was brewin It was always out and doin Like as though it felt responsible for helpin handle ship. It had tasted ev ry bottom soil from Quero to the Cow, It knew the taste and savor, the place and where and how. SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 89 Darkest night or wildest hurricane that ever ramped or blew, We never lost our bearin s, for old Jason always knew. We would take some mutton taller and we d fill the hollowed head Of the plummet, smooth and even, then a man would throw the lead. And we d pass her back to Jason and he d turn the plummet up, Taste the scrimp of soil that stuck there on the taller in the cup, And he d tell us where we headed, though the night be black s a coal, For he knew the taste of bottoms from the Cow to Quero Shoal. Told us easy, off the reel, What was underneath our keel, Didn t need the sun or quadrant with old Jason at the wheel; He was only once mistaken in the memory of men, And we ve always kept insistin that he wa n t mistaken then. The storm came down upon us from the nor - nor east by east, 90 PINE TREE BALLADS Twas an equinoctial pealer, A reg lar ring-tail squealer, The sky was hasty puddin and the sea beneath was yeast. When the Hanks went tossin up ards it really seemed we flew, And the sky seemed splittin open for to let our vessel through; When we wallowed down wher-rooshin in the gulf that gawped beneath, We d a left our hearts behind us if we hadn t clinched our teeth. We d really seem to feel Old Hankses battered keel Go bumpin on the bottom when she made her downward reel. But the more she blew and blew, Old Jason cheered his crew, His whiskers whipping snappin as the wind went screamin through. So we hung to brace and riggin and we let her roar and roll, While each man pinned to Ellison the safety of his soul. Then at last we knew twas night-time by the thick nin overhead, SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 91 And Jason licked his taster and he yelled: " Now throw the lead ! " An we we blinked to watch him from the darkness where we clung, And waited for the verdict, of that long and peak-ed tongue. He tasted then he waited, and he smacked his lips a spell, He tasted tasted tasted, then he gave an awful yell: " My God, ye critters, pray ! " He slung the lead away, And howled : " The world is endin ! It s the final Judgment Day! That plummet, there, has brought us up a hand ful of the loam From the Widder Abbott s garden on the Neck ro d, back at home. A tidal wave has lifted us the Hanks has run away! It has tossed er over Glo ster, And we sartin sure have lost er, Less ye pray, ye sin-struck critters, less ye pray, pray, pray ! " Each clung to rope and stanchion, each hung to stay and brace, 92 PINE TREE BALLADS Each prayed up at the heavens while the spin drift lashed his face; We prayed and prayed till mornin Till the early, yaller dawnin Lit up the sea around us, and it also lit our case; Then we found an explanation Of the sing lar situation That was figgered in the darkness of the night by Uncle Jase. For we noticed there was settin up against the le ward rail Some lavender and other yarbs, a-growin in a pail. They d been brought aboard by Jase Who had worn a meechin face, For his sparkin of the widder was the gossip of the place. He knowed a flower-garden looked peecooliar on the Hanks, But he wanted some momentum of the widder on the Banks. Now, the plummet bein handled in the dark ness of that night Somehow cuffed that dirt in passin as ye might say, took a bite. SONGS of the SEA AND SHORE 93 And Jason knew the flavor of that scrimp of garden loam, There wa n t a soil to fool him twixt Quero Shoal and home. By the flavor and the feel He could tell us off the reel, The name of any bottom that was underneath our keel. He was only once mistaken in the memory of men, And his crew will keep insistin that he wa n t mistaken then. BALLADS OF DRIVE AND CAMP THE RAPO-GENUS CHRISTMAS BALL There had been no social doings since the drive had passed the flume, And the section from Seboomook to the Chutes was rather blue; So the folks at Rapo-genus, where there s rum enough and room, Arranged a Christmas function and invited Murphy s crew. The folks at Rapo-genus hired Ezra Hewson s hall, And posted up the notice for " Our Yearly Christmas Ball." Now Murphy s crew was willing and they walked the fifteen miles, And arrived at Rapo-genus wearing most be nignant smiles. The genial floor director waited near the outer door, And pleasantly suggested they remove the boots they wore. He said that Rapo-genus wished to make of this affair 94 BALLADS OF DRIVE AND CAMP 95 An elegant occasion, " reshershay and day- bonair; " So it seemed the town s opinion, after many long disputes, That twas time to change the custom and ex clude the spike-sole boots. He owned twas rather drastic and would cause a social jar Twixt Upper Ambejejus and the Twin Deps- connequah, " But tis settled," so he told them, " that nary lady likes To do these fancy dances with a gent what s wearin spikes. So I asks ye very kindly, but I asks ye one and all, To leave your brogan calkers on the outside of this hall." This ere is sort o sudden," said the boss of Murphy s crew, " Jest excuse us for a minute, but we don t know what to do. We ve attended social functions at the Upper Churchill Chutes, An the smartest set they had there was a-wearin spike-sole boots. Excuse us for the. mention, but we feel com pelled to say, 96 PINE TREE BALLADS Tisn t fair to shift a fashion all a sudden, this ere way ; An the local delegation, when it came with the in-vite, Omitted partunt leathers in its mention of to night. So I guess ye ll have to take us with these spikes upon our soles, We can t appear in stockin s, cause the most of us have holes." But the genial floor director guarded still the outer door And declared that " gents with spikers weren t allowed upon the floor." He said twas very awkward that special guests should thus Be kept in outer darkness, and he didn t want a fuss. But so long as Rapo-genusites had issued their decree He hadn t any option, " as a gent with sense could see." So he passed his ultimatum, " Ye must shed them spike-sole boots ! For we hain t the sort of humstrums that ye ll find at Churchill Chutes." BALLADS OF DRIVE AND CAMP 97 Then up spoke Smoky Finnegan, the boss of Murphy s crew, Said he, " The push at Churchill sha n t be slurred by such as you. We re gents that s very gentle an we never make a fuss, But in slurrin folks at Churchill ye are also slurrin us. We have interduced the fashions up at Church ill quite a while, An no Rapo-genus half-breeds have the right to trig our style. If ye ve dropped the vogue of spikers at the present Christmas ball We will start the fashion over, good and solid, that is all ! So, mister, please excuse us, but ye ll open up your sluice, Or God have mercy on ye if I turn these gents here loose! " Then the genial floor director shouted back within the room, " Ho, men of Rapo-genus, here is trouble at the boom ! " But even as he shouted, with a rush and crush and roar, 98 PINE TREE BALLADS Like a bursting jam of timber Murphy s angels stormed the door. Then against them rose the sawyers of the Rapo-genus mill, Who rallied for the conflict with a most in trepid will, But by new decree of fashion they were wear ing boughten suits And even all the boomsmen had put off their spike-sole boots. So that gallant crew of Murphy s simply trod upon their feet, And backward, howling, cursing, they com pelled them to retreat. The air was full of slivers as the spikers chewed the floor, And the man whose feet were punctured didn t battle any more. " Now, fellers, boom the outfit," shouted Fin- negan, the boss, His choppers formed a cordon and they swept the room across; The people who were standing at the walls in double ranks, Were pulled and thrown to center at the order, " Clear the banks ! " BALLADS OF DRIVE AND CAMP 99 Then they herded Rapo-genus in the middle of the room, And slung themselves around it like a human pocket-boom. All the matrons and the maidens were as frightened as could be When Finnegan commanded, " Now collect the boomage fee ! " At a corner of the cordon they arranged a sort ing-gap And one by one the women were escorted from the trap, And without a word of protest, as they drifted slowly through, They paid their tolls in kisses to the men of Murphy s crew. And at last when all the women had been sorted from the crowd, The men were " second-raters," so the boss of Murphy s vowed. " We will raft them down as pulp-stuff ! " and he yelled to close about, " Now, my hearties, start the windlass," or dered he, " we ll warp em out ! " Through the doorway, down the stairway, grim and struggling, thronged the press, TOO PINE TREE BALLADS All the brawn of Rapo-genus fighting hard without success, They were herded down the middle of the Rapo-genus street, If they tried to buck the center they were bradded on the feet; They were yarded at the river; Murphy s pea- vies smashed the ice, Though the men of Rapo-genus couldn t smash that human vise That held them, jammed them, forced them! When the water touched their toes, Then at last they fought like demons for to save their boughten clothes. But as fierce were Murphy s hearties, and their spikers helped them win, For they kicked and spurred their victims and they dragged them shrieking in. Then with water to their shoulders there they kept them in the wet While they gave them points on breeding and the rules of etiquette. And at midnight twas decided by a universal vote That the strict demands of fashion do not call for vest or coat; That twixt Upper Ambejejus and the Twin Depsconnequah BALLADS OF DRIVE AND CAMP 101 Shirts of red and checkered flannel are the smartest form, by far. And that gents may chew tobacco was declared in all ways fit If they only use discretion as to when and where they spit. And above all future cavil, sneer or jeer or vain disputes, High was set this social edict : " Gents may wear their spike-sole boots." Then the men of Rapo-genus and the men of Murphy s crew They dissolved their joint convention they were near dissolving, too! And to counteract the action of the water on the skin They applied some balmy lotion to the proper parts within. Then they danced till ruddy morning, and their drying garments steamed, And awful was the shrinkage of those seven- dollar suits ! And the feet of Murphy s woodsmen gashed and slashed and clashed and seamed, Till a steady rain of slivers rained behind those bradded boots. 102 PINE TREE BALLADS And all disputes of etiquette were buried once for all, At that Christmas social function, the Rapo- genus Ball. WHEN THE ALLEGASH DRIVE GOES THROUGH We re spurred with the spikes in our soles; There is water a-swash in our boots; Our hands are hard-calloused by peavies and poles, And we re drenched with the spume of the chutes. We gather our herds at the head Where the axes have toppled them loose, And down from the hills where the rivers are fed We harry the hemlock and spruce. We hurroop them with the peavies from their sullen beds of snow; With the pickpole for a goadstick, down the brimming streams we go; They are hitching, they are halting, and they lurk and hide and dodge, They sneak for skulking eddies, they bunt the bank and lods e. BALLADS OF DRIVE AND CAMP 103 And we almost can imagine that they hear the yell of saws And the grunting of the grinders of the paper- mills because They loiter in the shallows and they cob-pile at the falls, And they buck like ugly cattle where the broad deadwater crawls. But we wallow in and welt em with the water to our waist, For the driving pitch is dropping and the Drouth is gasping " Haste ! " Here a dam and there a jam, that is grabbed by grinning rocks, Gnawed by the teeth of the ravening ledge that slavers at our flocks; Twenty a month for daring Death ; for fighting from dawn to dark Twenty and grub and a place to sleep in God s great public park; We roofless go, with the cook s bateau to fol low our hungry crew A billion of spruce and hell turned loose when the Allegash drive goes through. My lad with the spurs at his heel Has a cattle-ranch bronco to bust; 104 PINE TREE BALLADS A thousand of Texans to wheedle and wheel To market through smother and dust. But I with the peavy and pole Am driving the herds of the pine, Grant to my brother what suits his soul, But no bellowing brutes in mine. He would wince to wade and wallow and I hate a horse or steer! But we stand the kings of herders he for There and I for Here. Though he rides with Death behind him when he rounds the wild stampede, I will chop the jamming king-log and I ll match him, deed for deed. And for me the greenwood savor and the lash across my face Of the spitting spume that belches from the back- wash of the race; The glory of the tumult where the tumbling torrent rolls With a half a hundred drivers riding through with lunging poles. Here s huzza, for reckless chances! Here s hurrah for those who ride Through the jaws of boiling sluices, yeasty white from side to side! BALLADS OF DRIVE AND CAMP 105 Our brawny fists are calloused and we re mostly holes and hair, But if grit were golden bullion we d have coin to spend, and spare! Here some rips and there the lips of a whirl pool s bellowing mouth, Death we clinch and Time we fight, for be hind us gasps the Drouth. Twenty a month, bateau for a home, and only a peep at town, For our money is gone in a brace of nights after the drive is down; But with peavies and poles and care-free souls our ragged and roofless crew Swarms gayly along with whoop and song when the Allegash drive does through. THE KNIGHT OF THE SPIKE-SOLE BOOTS They had told me to ware of the " Hulling Machine," But a tenderfoot is a fool ! Though the man that s new to a birch canoe Believes that he knows, as a rule. They had told me to carry a mile above Where the broad deadwater slips io6 PINE TREE BALLADS Into fret and shoal to tumble and roll In the welter of Schoodic rips; But knowing it all, as a green man does, And lazy, as green men are, I hated to pack on my aching back My duffle and gear so far. So, as down the rapids there stretched a strip With a most encouraging sheen, I settled the blade of my paddle and made For the head of the " Hulling Machine." It wasn t because I hadn t been warned That I rode full tilt at Death- It was simply the plan of an indolent man To save his back and his breath. For I reckoned I d slice for the left-hand shore When the roar of the falls drew near, And I braced my knees and took my ease There was nothing to do but steer. (There are many savage cataracts, slavering for prey, Twixt Abol-jackamcgus and the lozuer Brass- u-a, But of all the yowling demons that are wicked and accurst, The demon of the Hulling Place is ugliest and worst.) BALLADS OF DRIVE AND CAMP 107 Now the strip in that river like burnished steel Looked comfortable and slow, But my birch canoe went shooting through Like an arrow out of a bow. And the way was hedged by ledges that grinned As they shredded the yeasty tide And hissed and laughed at my racing craft As it drove on its headlong ride. I sagged on the paddle and drove it deep, But it snapped like a pudding-stick, Then I staked my soul on my steel-shod pole, And the pole smashed just as quick. There was nothing to do but to clutch the thwarts And crouch in that birchen shell, And grit my teeth as I viewed beneath The boil of that watery hell. I may have cursed I don t know now I may have prayed or wept, But I yelled halloo to Connor s crew As past their camp I swept. I yelled halloo and I waved adieu With a braggart s shamming mien, Then over the edge of the foaming ledge I dropped in the " Hulling Machine." io8 PINE TREE BALLADS (A driver hates a coward as he hates diluted rye; Stiff upper-lip for living, stiff backbone when you die! They cheered me when I passed them; they followed me with cheers, That, as bracers for a dying man, are better far than tears.) The " Hulling- Place " spits a spin of spume Steaming from brink to brink, And it seemed that my soul was cuffed in a bowl Where a giant was mixing his drink. And twas only by luck or freak or fate, Or because I m reserved to be hung, That I found myself on a boulder shelf Where I flattened and gasped and clung. To left the devilment roared and boiled, To right it boiled and roared; On either side the furious tide Denied all hope of ford. So I clutched at the face of the dripping ledge And crouched from the lashing rain, While the thunderous sound of the tumult ground Its iron into my brain. BALLADS OF DRIVE AND CAMP 109 I stared at the sun as he blinked above Through whorls of the rolling mists, And I said good-by and prepared to die As the current wrenched my wrists. But just as I loosened my dragging clutch, Out of the spume and fogs A chap drove through one o Connor s crew Riding two hemlock logs. He was holding his pick-pole couched at Death As though it were lance in rest, And his spike-sole boots, as firm as roots, In the splintered bark were pressed. If this be sacrilege, pardon me, pray; But a robe such as angels wear Seemed his old red shirt with its smears of dirt, And a halo his mop of hair; And never a knight in a tournament Rode lists with a jauntier mien Than he of the drive who came alive Through the hell of the "Hulling Ma chine." He dragged me aboard with a giant swing, And he guided the rushing raft Serenely cool to the foam-flecked pool Where the dimpling shallows laughed. And he drawled as he poled to the nearest shore, While I stuttered my gratitude: no PINE TREE BALLADS " I jest came through to show that crew I m a match for a sportsman dude." There are only two who have raced those falls And by lucky chance were spared : Myself dragged there in a fool s despair And he, the man who dared ! I make no boast, as you ll understand, And there s never a boast from him; And even his name is lost to fame I simply know twas " Jim." If Jim was a fool, as I hear you say With a sneer beneath your breath, So were knights of old who in tourneys bold Lunged blithesomely down at Death. And if I who was snatched from the jaws of hell Am to name a knight to you, Here s the Knight of the Firs, of the Spike- S ole Spurs, That man from Connor s crew ! " BOARD FOR THE ALLEGASH " A hundred miles through the wilds of Maine You soon may ride on a railroad train. Some Yankee hustlers have planned the scheme To take the place of the tote-road team. BALLADS OF DRIVE AND CAMP in They have the charter, the grit and cash To stretch their tracks to the Allegash. Along the length of the forest route The woodland creatures will hear the hoot Of the bullgine s whistle, where up to now The big bull moose has called his cow. And old Katahdin s long fin-back Will echo loud with the clickity-clack Of wheels that merrily clatter and clash Through the sylvan wastes toward the Alle gash. Sing hey ! for the route to Churchill Lake, But oh, for the chap who twists the brake. His buckskin gloves will save the wear On his good stout palms, you know, but where Will he find relief when his throat is lame With the wrench of a yard-long Indian name? Tis something, friend, of a lingual trick To say " Seboois " and " Wassataquoick," " Lunksoos," is tame and " Nesourdneheunk," But what do you say to a verbal chunk To chew at once of the size of this : " Pok-um-kes-wango-mok-kessis " ? I don t believe twould phase a man To bellow out " Lah-kah-hegan "; His windpipe scarcely would get a crook By spouting forth, " Pong-kwahemook," 112 PINE TREE BALLADS And even " Pata-quon-gamis " Is easy. But just look at this : Ah, where is he who wouldn t run From " Ap-mo-jenen-ma-gamm "? E en " Umbazookskus " scratches some, But doesn t this just strike you dumb? " Nahma-juns-kwon-ahgamoc " ? Just think of having that to sock Athwart the palpitating air Straight at a frightened passengaire. Hot bearings can be swabbed with oil, And busted culverts yield to toil, One can replace a broken rail But larynxes are not on sale. So, while it s hey for Churchill Lake It s oh, for the chap who twists the brake. THE WANGAN CAMP * The wangan camp! The ivangan camp! Did ye ever go a-shoppin in the wangan camp? You can get some plug tobacker or a lovely corn-cob pipe, *The wangan is the woods store that most of the Maine lumber camps maintain. BALLADS OF DRIVE AND CAMP 113 Or a pair o fuzzy trowsers that was picked before they s ripe. They fit ye like your body had a dreadful lookin twist ; There is shirts that s red and yaller and with plaids as big s your fist; There are larrigans and shoe-packs for all makes and shapes of men, As yaller as the standers of a Cochin China hen, The goods is rather shop-worn and purraps a leetle damp, But you take em or you leave em either suits the wangan camp. The wangan camp! The wangan camp! There is never any mark-downs at the wangan camp. The folks that knit the stockin s that they sell to us, why say They d git as rich as Moses on a half of what we pay. I haven t seen the papers, but I jedge this Bower war Is a-raisin Ned with prices they are wust I ever saw. ii4 PINE TREE BALLADS I was figg rin t other ev nin what I d bought, -by Jim, I ll bet That a few more pairs o larrigans will fetch me out in debt. For I ve knowed a stiddy worker to go out as poor s a tramp Cause he traded som at reg lar at the com- p ny s wangan camp. The wangan camp! The ivangan camp! They tuck it to you solid at the wangan camp. PLUG TOBACCO AT SOURDNAHUNK Now just for a moment I ll let the machine, Grind lyrical praise of the base nicotine. An ode of a sort of a commonplace stripe Addressed to plebeian cut-plug and the pipe. Oh, answer me now, gentle friends of the line, Who have sought the blest haunts of the spruce and the pine, Have you found in the woods that a fragrant cigar Tastes worse than an elm-root slopped over with tar? Queer thing, that, my friend, but it s none the less true, BALLADS OF DRIVE AND CAMP 115 This quirk of tobacco I ll leave it to you ! But there s savor in wreaths from the brier and cob, In the depths of the forest afar from the mob; And an incense that s sweet to ecstatic degree Curls up from the bowl of the ancient T. D. While choicest Perfectos smell ranker than punk In the shade of the hemlocks of Sourdnahunk. Ah, here do the tables most wondrously turn ! The city olfactories sniff if you burn Aught else than the finest Havana in rolls; Folks turn up their noses at cut-plug in bowls ; You may roam where you like with the base cigarette But you can t smoke your pipe in the house, now you bet. For curtains and pictures and hangings and lace All flutter rebukingly there in your face; And wife and the daughters and neighbors all cough And wish that the pipe-smoking man would break off. But ah, gentle fisher, the woods shout to thee, With fervent request that you bring the T. D. For the reek that the flavored tobacco roll pours n6 PINE TREE BALLADS Belongs back in town and not here out-of- doors. Leave there city manners, creased trousers, your " job," Bring here to the woods your tobacco and cob, The hemlocks above you will tenderly sigh As the incense from pipe bowls drifts past to the sky. Ah, human magician, the secret is yours ! Would you work mystic charms in the world out-of-doors ? Take you the alembic of chastened brown bowl, Touch fire and visions will comfort your soul, As you gaze out at Life through the wreaths from a junk Of good plug tobacco at Sourdnahunk. O CONNOR FROM THE DRIVE Men who plough the sea, spend they may and free! But nowhere is there prodigal among those careless Jacks, Who will toss the hard-won spoil of a year of lusty toil, Like the Prodigals of Pick-pole and the Ish- maels of the Axe. BALLADS OF DRIVE AND CAMP 117 You could hear him when he started from the Rapogenus Chutes, You could hear the cronching-cranching of his swashing, spike-sole boots, You could even hear the colors in the flannel shirt he wore, And the forest fairly shivered at the way O Connor swore. Twas averred that in the city, full a hundred miles away, They felt a little tremor when O Connor drew his pay. Though he drew it miles away, When O Connor drew his pay, The people in the city felt the shock of it that day. And they said in deepest gloom, " The drive is in the boom, And O Connor s drawn his wages; clear the track and give him room." He rode two giant spruces thro the smother of the Chutes, He rode them, standing straddled, shod and spurred in spike-sole boots; And just for exhibition, when he struck Che- suncook Rip ii8 PINE TREE BALLADS He rolled the logs and ran them with never miss or slip. For a dozen miles thro rapids did he balance on one log, And he shot the Big Seboomook at a mighty lively jog. He reached Megantic Landing where he nim bly leaped ashore, And he bought some liquid fire at the Bemis wangan store. For, O Connor d drawn his pay, He was then upon his way For a little relaxation and a day or two of play. The drive was in the boom, Safely past Seboois flume, And all O Connor wanted was rum enough and room. O Connor owned the steamboat from Megantic to the Cove: Whatever there was stavable, he forthwith calmly stove. He larruped crew and captain when they wouldn t let him steer, Sat down upon the smoke-stack smoked out the engineer. Of course he was arrested when the steamer got to shore; BALLADS OF DRIVE AND CAMP 119 A justice fined O Connor and he paid the fine and more! He had drawn his season s pay, He had cash to throw away, He had cash to burn! O Connor d spurn for clemency to pray. The drive was safely down, He was on his way to town ; He was doing up the section and proposed to do it brown. O Connor owned the railroad, as O Connor d owned the craft. He cronched from rear to engine, and he chaffed and quaffed and laughed. He smashed the plate-glass windows, for he didn t like the styles. He smashed and promptly settled for a dozen stove-pipe tiles ; They took him into limbo right and left along the line, He pulled his roll and willingly kept peeling off his fine. With his portly wad of pay He paved his genial way, He d had no chance to spend it on the far-off Brass-u-a. 120 PINE TREE BALLADS But now the drive was in, As he d neither kith nor kin, There seemed no special reason why he shouldn t throw his tin. O Connor reached the city and he reached it with a jar, He had piled up all the cushions in the center of the car. Had set them all on fire, and around the blaz ing pile He was dancing " dingle breakdowns " in a very jovial style. And before they got him cornered they had rung in three alarms, And it took the whole department to tie his legs and arms. He had spent his last lone copper, but they sold his spike-sole boots For enough to pay his freightage back to Rapo- genus Chutes. They put him in a crate, And they shipped him back by freight, To commence his year of chopping up in Town ship Number Eight. And earnestly he swore, When they dumped him on the shore, BALLADS OF DRIVE AND CAMP 121 He had never spent his wages quite so pleas- urably before. Men who plough the sea, spend they may and free! But nowhere is there prodigal among those careless Jacks, Who will toss the hard-won spoil of a year of lusty toil, Like the Prodigals of Pick-pole and the Ish- maels of the Axe. JUST HUMAN NATURE BALLAD OF OZY B. ORR Here s a plain and straight story of Ozy B. Orr A ballad unvarnished, but practical, for It tells how the critter he wouldn t lie down When a Hoodoo had reckoned to do him up brown. It shows how a Yankee alights on his feet When folks looking on have concluded he s beat. Now Ozy had money and owned a good farm And matters were working all right to a charm. When he " went on " some papers to help his son Bill Who was all tangled up in a dowel-stock mill. Now Bill was a quitter, and therefore one day Those notes became due and his dad had to pay. So he slapped on a mortgage and then buckled down To pay up the int rest and keep off the town. Oh, that mortgage, it clung like a sheep-tick in wool, And the more she sagged back, harder Ozy would pull; 122 JUST HUMAN NATURE 123 But a mortgage can tucker the likeliest man, And Ozy he found himself flat on hard pan. He dumped in his stock and his grain and his hay, He scrimped and he skived and endeavored to pay; He sold off his hay and his grain and his stock Till the ricky-tick-tack of the auctioneer s knock Kept up such a rapping on Ozy s old farm That the auctioneer nigh had a kink in his arm And it happened at last, long o Thanksgiving time, Old Ozy was stripped to his very last dime. And he said to his helpmeet : " Poor mummy, I van I guess them ere critters have got all they can. For they ve sued off the stock till the barns are all bare, Cept the old turkey-gobbler, a-peckin out there ; They d a lifted him, too, for those lawyers are rough, But they reckoned that gobbler was rather too tough. So they ve left us our dinner for Thanksgivin Day; 124 PINE TREE BALLADS Just remember that, mummy, to-night when you pray. Now chirk up your appetite, for, with God s grace, We ll eat all at once all the stock on the place." But Ozy he was a cheerful man, A goodly man, a godly man He didn t repine at Heaven s plan, but he took things as they came; And cheerfully soon he whistled his tune That he always whistled twas Old Zip Coon, And he whistled it all the afternoon with never a word of blame. While all unaware of his owner s care, The gobbler pecked in the sunshine there, With a tip-toe, tip-toe Nancy air, and ruffled like dancing dame; Till it seemed to Ozy, whistling still To the ripity-rap of the turkey s bill, That the prim old gobbler was keeping time To the sweep and the swing of the wordless rhyme : Pickety-peck, With arching neck, The turkey strutted with bow and beck. JUST HUMAN NATURE 125 And a Yankee notion was thereby born To Ozy Orr ere another morn. A practical fellow was Ozy B. Orr, As keen an old Yankee as ever you saw A bit of a platform he made out of tin, With a chance for a kerosene lantern within; He took his old fiddle and rosined the bow And took the old turkey and there was his show ! You don t understand? Well, I ll own up to you The crowds that he gathered were mystified, too. For he advertised there on his banner unfurled " A Jig-dancing Turkey Sole one in the World." And the more the folks saw it, the more and the more They flocked with their dimes, and jammed at the door; For it really did seem that precocious old bird At sound of the fiddle was wondrously stirred. In stateliest fashion the dance would commence, Then faster and faster, with fervor intense, Until, at the end, with a shriek of the strings And a furious gobble and whirlwind of wings, 126 PINE TREE BALLADS The turkey would side-step and two-step and spin, Then larrup with ardor that echoing tin. And widely renowned, and regarded with awe, Was the " Great Dancing Turkey of Ozy B. Orr." And the mortgage was paid by the old gobbler s legs- Now Ozy is heading up money in kegs. He would calmly tuck beneath his chin The bulge of his cracked old violin, He sawed while the turkey whacked the tin, the people they paid and came; For swift and soon to the lilting tune, When he fiddled the measure of Old Zip Coon, The gobbler would whirl in a rigadoon or something about the same! While under the tin, tucked snugly in, Was the worthless Bill, that brand of Sin; And twas Bill that made the turkey spin with the tip of the lantern flame; For, as ever and ever the tin grew hot The turkey made haste for to leave that spot, Till it seemed that the gobbler was keeping time To the sweep and the swing of the fiddle s rhyme. JUST HUMAN NATURE 127 Pickety-peck, With snapping neck, The gobbler gamboled with bow and beck! Does a notion pay ? It doth it doth ! Just reckon what O. B. Orr is " wuth." THE BALLAD OF " OLD SCRATCH " They have always called him " Scratchy," Ezry " Scratch " and " Uncle Scratch," Since the time ! he cut that ding-do in a certain wrasslin match; Twas a pesky scaly caper; he deserved to get the name If he lives to be a hundred he will carry it the same. He had vummed that he could wallop any feller in the place, He allowed that as a wrassler he could sort of set the pace, And he bragged so much about it that at last we came to think. If he d lived in time o Samson could have downed Sam quick s a wink. And there wasn t nary feller in the town nor round about 128 PINE TREE BALLADS Who had grit or grab or gumption to take holt and shake him out. And he set around the gros ry keepin up his steady clack That there never was a feller who could put him on his back. So it went till Penley Peaslee s oldest boy came home from school And I tell you that s a shaver that ain t any body s fool ! He ain t tall nor big nor husky and he isn t very stout, But he s nimble as a cricket and as spry as all git out! Well, he heard old Ezry braggin and at last as cool s could be Boy says, " Uncle, shed your weskit; I will take your stump," says he. Guess twas jest about a minute fore old Ezry got his breath, Then says he, " Scat on ye, youngster ! I should squat ye ha f to death. What ye think ye know bout wrasslin ? S pose I m go n to fool with boys ? " But the crowd commenced to hoot him and they made sech pesky noise That at last they got him swearing and he shed his coat and vest JUST HUMAN NATURE 129 And commenced to stretch his muscles and to pound against his breast. " S pose I ve got to if ye say so," says he scorn ful as ye please, " But I ll throw that little shaver, one hand tied and on my knees. I can slat him galley-endways and not use one- ha f my strength. What ye want bub? Take your ch ice now; side holts, back holts, or arm s length ? Collar n elbow if ye say so. Name yer pizen! Take your pick ! " " Suit yourself," the youngster answered; " long s ye git to business quick." As I ve said the boy warn t heavy; he was spry, though, quicker n scat, And he had old Ezry spinnin fore he knew where he was at ; Hooked him solid, give a twister, doubled up the old gent s back And Ez tumbled like a chimbly smooth and solid and ker-whack! Well, he lay there stunned and breathless with his mouth jam-full o dirt And his both hands full o gingham, for he had the youngster s shirt. I 3 o PINE TREE BALLADS When the crowd commenced to holler as he staid there on the ground Grocer Weaver s old black tom-cat came on tip toe sniffin round. He was just a-gettin ready for to gnaw off Ezry s nose When the old man got his senses and he sud denly arose. Then he grabbed that old black tom-cat good and solid by the tail And commenced to welt the youngster just as hard as he could whale. Ev ry time he reached and raked him on that bare white back of his Ow! them claws they grabbed in dretful and they hurt him ah, gee whiz ! There were howls and yowls and spittin s; it was rip and slit and tear, And the air was full of tom-cat and of flyin skin and hair. Final clip that Ezry hit him it was such a tarnal clout That the cat he stuck on solid till they pried his toe-nails out. So they ve always called him " Scratchy " Ezry " Scratch " and " Uncle Scratch." JUST HUMAN NATURE 131 Since the time he cut that ding-do in a certain wrasslin match; Twas a pesky scaly caper; he deserved to get the name, If he lives to be a hundred he will carry it the same. WHEN LISH PLAYED OX Grouty and gruff, Profane and rough, Old Lish Henderson slammed through life; Swore at his workers, Both honest and shirkers, Threatened his children and raved at his wife. Yes, Lish was a waspish and churlish old man, Who was certainly built on a porcupine plan, In all of the section there couldn t be found A neighbor whom Henderson hadn t " stood round." And the men that he hired surveyed him with awe And cowered whenever he flourished his jaw. Till it came to the time that he hired John Gile, A brawny six-footer from Prince Edward s Isle. He wanted a teamster, old Henderson did, 132 PINE TREE BALLADS And a number of candidates offered a bid, But his puffy red face and the glare in his eyes, And his thunderous tones and his ominous size And the wealth of his language embarrassed them so Their fright made them foolish ; he told them to go. And then, gaunt and shambling, with good- natured smile, Came bashfully forward the giant John Gile. " Have ye ever driv oxen ? " old Henderson roared. Gile said he could tell the brad-end of a goad. Then Henderson grinned at the crowd stand ing round And he dropped to his hands and his knees on the ground. " Here, fellow," he bellowed, " you take that ere gad, Just imagine I m oxen; now drive me, my lad. Just give me some samples of handlin the stick, I can tell if I want ye and tell ye blame quick." Gile fingered the goad hesitatingly, then As he saw Uncle Lish grinning up at the men Who were eyeing the trial, said, " Mister, I swan, JUST HUMAN NATURE 133 Tain t fair on a feller this teamin a man." " I m oxen I m oxen," old Henderson cried, " Git onto your job or git out an go hide." Then Gile held the goad-stick in uncertain pose And gingerly swished it near Uncle Lish s nose. "Wo hysh," he said gently; "gee up, there, old Bright! Wo hysh wo, wo, hysh," but with mischiev ous light In his beady old eyes Uncle Lish never stirred And the language he used was the worst ever heard. " Why, drat ye," he roared " hain t ye got no more sprawl Than a five year old girl? Why, ye might as well call Your team Mister Oxen, and say to em, please! " And then Uncle Lish settled down on his knees. And he snapped, " Hain t ye grit enough, man, to say scat ? Ye ll never git anywhere, drivin like that. I ll tell ye right now that the oxen I own Hain t driven like kittens ; they don t go alone, 134 PINE TREE BALLADS There s pepper-sass in em they re r arin an hot, An I I m the r arin est ox in the lot." Then Uncle Lish Henderson lowered his head And bellowed and snorted. John Gile calmly said, " Of course oh, of course in a case such as that" He threw out his quid and he threw down his hat, Jumped up, cracked his lieels, danced around Uncle Lish And yelled like a maniac, " Blast ye, wo hysh ! " Ere Uncle Lish Henderson knew what was what His teeth fairly chattered, he got such a swat From that vicious ash stick though that wasn t as bad As when the man gave him two inches of brad, Just jabbed it with all of his two-handed might, " Wo, haw, there," he shouted, " gee up there, old Bright!" Well, Uncle Lish gee-ed there s no doubt about that Went into the air and he squalled like a cat, Made a swing and a swoop at that man in a style JUST HUMAN NATURE 135 That would show he proposed to annihilate Gile. But Gile clinched the goad-stick and hit him a whack On the bridge of his nose sent him staggering- back, And he reeled and he gasped and he sunk on his knee, "Dad-rat ye," yelled Gile, "don t ye try to hook me ! Gee up, there go long there; wo haw an wo hysh ! " And again did he bury that brad in old Lish, Then he lammed and he basted him, steady and hard, He chased and he bradded him all round the yard, Till Lish fairly screamed, as he dodged like a fox, " For heaven s sake, stranger, let s play I hain t ox." Gile bashfully stammered, " Why, course ye are not ! But ye ll have to excuse me I sort o forgot ! " With a twisted smile Lish looked at Gile, 136 PINE TREE BALLADS Then he lifted one hand from the place where he smarted; And he held it out, Gripped good and stout, " Ye re hired," said he; " I reckin I m started ! " OLD " TEN PER CENT " His mouth is pooched and solemn and he ll never squeeze a smile, He s yeller ern saffron bitters cause he s col ored so by bile; No organ in his system seems to run the way it should, He never has a hearty shake or says a word of good. He ll soften, though, a crumb or so if money s to be lent And some poor strugglin devil comes to time with ten per cent. He is flingin and is dingin first at this and then at that, And to ev ry reputation gives a cuff or kick or slat; Pretty lately he was spewin sland rous gossip he had heard, JUST HUMAN NATURE 137 And our minister was passin . Wai, the elder he was stirred And he says, " Ah, Brother Bowler, if you d lived in Jesus time When they brought to him the woman whom they d taken in her crime, That story in the Scriptures would have took a diff rent tone, For I s picion if you d been there you d a up and thrown the stone. Yes, I reckon that the woman would have sartin been a goner, For you d thrown the rock and that hain t all ! You d a thrown one with a corner ! " Wai, ye d think a dig of that sort would have shamed him ha f to death, But, Land o Goshen, neighbor, hain t no mor- tifyin Seth! Jest a waste of breath To jab at Uncle Seth, He s holler where the soul should be hain t got no human peth. He s deef to ev ry cry of want and don t know what is meant, But bet he ll hear for ha f a mile the whisper, " Ten per cent ! " 138 PINE TREE BALLADS It took a lot of practicin to work his hearin down To where he s never bothered by the troubles in our town. He never hears the sorrows of some woman who is left With orphans and a morgidge bout a thousand times her heft. He hain t the one that worries when she says she cannot pay, The morgidge holds her anchored the farm can t git away. Upon the shattered door-steps of his racked old tenements He crowds the wolf of hunger when he goes to git his rents. But he never hears the wailin of the troubled folks within, He simply wants his money and tis tenant, trot or tin ! He never hears entreaties of his neighbors in the lurch Unless there s good endorsers. He never hears the church, He never hears the knockin of a fist upon his door Unless he knows the thuddin means his ten per cent or more. JUST HUMAN NATURE 139 (His auditory organs sense no waves from wails of sorrow But they hear the faintest zephyr from the man who wants to borrow.) Now, with ears in that condition, when they re extry dulled by death, On the Resurrection mornin I ll have fears for Uncle Seth. When Gab rel toots his trump And risen spirits jump, And up before the Throne of Light forthwith proceed to hump, I reckin Seth will slumber on, not knowin what is meant Cause Gab rel won t take special pains to hol ler, " Ten per cent ! " He could tell ye what he d done, He was eloquent, my son, In puttin all his doin s into mighty lively talk. But I ve follered him around, And, by gosh, I never found That he ever lifted hard enough to Bust His Fork! 140 PINE TREE BALLADS He was always full o brag Bout how he could lift a jag That would double up a hossfork and make the horses balk. But I never see d no signs That he ever bent the tines Or ever bruk the handle of his Old Pitch Fork! MEAN SAM GREEN Old Sam Green ! What? Mean? I reckin that a meaner man was skercely ever seen. People said he d skin a fly for sake of hide an grease; He wouldn t grin it stretched the skin, an he begredged the crease. Sort o squirmed when asked to set didn t want the chance! We wondered why; we found at last twas jest to save his pants. Never used to shave himself, never combed his hair; JUST HUMAN NATURE 141 Used to sort o hate to wash, account o wear and tear. Never beau-ed the wimmen round, never spent a cent, Cept the time he bought a girl an ounce of pepperment. Allus kind o groaned o that; said the dratted dunce Set an chawnked an chawnked an chawnked an et it all to once. Said he learned a lesson then to last him all through life; Said twould take a millionaire to feed a hearty wife. So he planned an worked an saved an grubbed his little patch, Allowed he d ruther plug along, jest like he was, " old bach." Sam, though, shifted later on the pesky mean ^ old goat He struck a find; she d had a shock that par alyzed her throat ! Still, she worked most dretful spry didn t need no spurs Only " out " that woman had was that ere throat of hers. Married her ? you bet he did ! Straight right off the reel! 142 PINE TREE BALLADS Reckoned that she couldn t eat a reel, good hearty meal. Figgered he d git lots of work an only feed her slim; Wife, though, wopsed it t other way an got the laugh on him ! I reckin that a madder man was skercely ever seen, Than Green, Old mean Sam Green. Soon s she fairly placed her feet, she called the doctors in, An they commenced to work on her an tap old Green for tin. He swore an howled, but she was boss she run the whole concern- She said she d morgidge all he owned to cure that throat of her n. The high-priced doctors far an near come hustlin to the place, An fubbed an fussed an then discussed that reely puzzlin case. An each performed his little stunt with all his skill an will, An said that time would do the rest an then put in his bill. JUST HUMAN NATURE 143 Wai, Land o Goshen, Sam took on as though they drawecl his blood. He d hitch and hunch his wallet out as though twas stuck in mud. Their miss was quite a hand to tog; she used to say to us She wished that corsets laced as tight s the straps on that old puss. Mis Green at last got down reel slim; one night so nuss, she said, Old Sam come creepin , creakin in; set down longside the bed. He stooped an poked around a spell, picked up Lucindy s shoe, An then wal, nuss she vums an vows this ere is honest true: He routed round the fireplace an got a cinder- coal, An went to figgerin up expense, right there on Cindy s sole. He talked the items right out loud, but Cindy didn t kick So long s he only reckoned things she d had while she was sick. But when he got to projickin bout what twould prob ly cost To bury her in decent shape, he sort o up an crossed 144 PINE TREE BALLADS The " mean-man " line, the " tarnal mean " an even " gaul-durned mean " He formed a brand-new class himself; jest him alone, Sam Green, Stands serene! " Green mean," Signifies the meanest man that ever ye have seen. Die? What! Cindy up an die? You bet she didn t die! Got _ so mad to hear him talk she flew right up sky-high. Hopped like sixty out o bed, as hearty s Paddy s goat, An that ere kink whatever twas it came right out her throat. An talk? She hadn t talked for years, but soon s she got her breath, I swan to man, I reely b lieve she talked old Green to death. For fore she d trod around enough to wear the coal marks out, Old Sam curled up an passed away. Some said there wa n t much doubt He d reely died two years before, but hadn t let folks know, JUST HUMAN NATURE 145 Because these undertakin chaps tuck on ex penses so. Perk Todd was tellin down t the store he had a dream las week He dreamed he got in Paradise! Must been a denied close squeak! Wai, Perk he says an angel there was showin him arcund, " At last," says Perk, " I ups an asks how twas I hadn t found No people there from where I d lived. The angel says, says he : Here bub ! A cherub scooted up. Go git the storehouse key. Says Perk : " The angel took me in. An where we were, it peared That bout a billion boxed-up things was there all nicely tiered. The angel said, When folks on earth do any thing that s small Their souls git squizzled bit by bit; an when they die, then all The little, teenty souls that come are packed in here, ye know, Jes same s they box tomater plants to giv em time to grow. 146 PINE TREE BALLADS He hunted round an found a box. * There/ finally said he, We ve got about as sing lar thing as ever ye will see. Inside that box was nested clus a dozen boxes more; The last box was the smallest box I ever saw before, An in it was a teenty speck. Is that a soul ? says I. Oh, no, said he, the thing you see s the eye brow of a fly. You couldn t see the soul that s there, to save your blessed neck, Because it s one ten-millionth part as big s that leetle speck. In fact it is the smallest soul that we have ever seen; The label says he squinted hard it s one old Sam wel Green. All serene, Sam Green Is ticketed The Limit; Number billion-umpty steen. " JUST HUMAN NATURE 147 DICKERER JIM That Dickerer Jim Shenanigan Jim. I never see d boss jockey equal to him. He d rather swap hosses than eat a good meal, He d take all the chances and Jim wouldn t squeal ! He d talk like a cyclone on any old skate Take a wheezy old pelter with hopity gait And he d make you believe would that Dick erer Jim There were all kinds of pedigrees tied up in him. And you bet your old boots, if he got you in range He could touch you all right for a sale or a " change." As keen as a brier, as sharp as a knife He never got phazed except once in his life. And that was a corker, by ginger, on him, On Dickerer Jim Shenanigan Jim. He loaded a breather a reg lar old rip On a man from the city just did it by lip. Talked the man dumb and silly and giv him the hooks Till the chap forked his money just simply on looks. 148 PINE TREE BALLADS And he went back to town with a big double cross In the shape of a whoofity plug of a hoss. Jim Jim, Shenanigan Jim, Didn t you didn t you soak it to him ! Jim Jim, As a sample of " trim " That feller was pruned to the very last limb. Now Dickerer Jim Shenanigan Jim Was down in the city. His eyesight was dim ; So he couldn t keep lookout, and first thing he knew Right plumb up against him that city chap blew. He recognized Jim Jim hadn t seen him Till the feller grabbed holt; then the chances seemed slim For avoidin a scrimmage, for seldom is seen A chap that s so mad that his face is pea green. But his tongue wasn t ready as quick as his sight; Now Jim couldn t see, yet his tongue was all right, And away he went, lickity-whizzle ! Talk, talk! JUST HUMAN NATURE 149 While the feller was still scoring down in a balk With his mouth propped apart; oh, he d plenty to say, But Jim, goin steady, had levelled away. And he told that ere feller he d hunted for him, Did Dickerer Jim Shenanigan Jim. The feller allowed he d been huntin some, too, But Jim didn t hesitate slam-banged it through ! Says he, " I ve been sorry I sold you that hoss And the minit I sold him I knew twas a loss. For the very same day that you took him away I met with a chap that I figger will pay A clean and cool hundred above what you giv , I can load that ere hoss on that chap, sure s you live. That feller he wants him he s anxious to pay; Now what shall I say to him what shall I say?" Then the sucker he tore and he swore, and says he, " Go tell him the same blasted lie you told me ! He ll buy, don t you worry ! You ll tag him he s It, That s a lie you can never improve on a bit ! " 150 PINE TREE BALLADS Jim Jim, Shenanigan Jim, That was a side-windin answer for him. Jim Jim, Jest turned and he " dim For he see d there warn t stretch in the chap s t other limb. BALLAD OF BENJAMIN BRANN Oh, a positive man a positive man, So the people discovered, was Benjamin Brann. With his household and neighbors and children and hoss Old Brann allowed he would always be boss. And the most of the people they d ruther kow tow To his notions than live in the midst of a row. And whenever you d see in a faint-hearted crowd, A man who was hollerin specially loud, You could calculate suttin that positive man Was the uncontradicted old Benjamin Brann. For after a while all the folks stood in awe Of the roar of his voice and the build of his jaw; He was lookin for trouble and carried a chip JUST HUM AX NATURE 151 And chance for a tussle he never let slip ; He hated to think that the world could still go When he stood at one side and kept hollerin " whoa ! " One day he was teamin his oxen to town; He set on the cart tongue, his feet hangin down. And bein a positive kind of a chap, Pokin out o his way for the sake of a scrap Whenever he noticed a boulder or stump He d gee, and ride over the critter ker-bump ! But it happened one boulder that he came across Gave Benjamin s ox-cart too livelv a toss; He was under the broad-tired wheels, s r, before He d gathered his voice for his usual roar. But just as the ox-cart rolled over him oh, You d a-fallen down stunned at the way he yelled " whoa ! " Twas so loud and so threat nin that Brindle and Haw Who bowed to that voice as their Gospel and Law Were so eager to stop that they backed, s r, and then The wheel it rolled over the old man again. 152 PINE TREE BALLADS There s a moral to this as you notice, no doubt, But I haven t the patience to ravel it out. I ll say to reformers and dogmatists, though, It s safest to holler a moderate " whoa! " THE HEIRS They hastened to the funeral when Aunt Sa- brina died. Nephews, nieces, relatives they came from far and wide. They hurried in by boat and train; they came by stage and team, In breasts a jealous bitter greed, in eyes a hun gry gleam. I knew the most as decent men, their wives as honest dames, Who in the common run of things were careful of their names. And yet, alas, we sadly find that many who be have As cooing doves in daily life are buzzards at the grave. So while the choir softly purred, and while the parson prayed, The lids of mourning eyes were raised and sneaking glances strayed JUST HUMAN NATURE 153 From old-style clock to pantry shelf, from par lor set to rug, And knitted brows weighed soberly how much each heir could lug. Anon the lustful glances crossed and scowl re plied to scowl, And spoke as plain as though the look were voiced in sullen growl : Thus when the parson prayed, " Oh, Lord, take Thou this way-worn soul," I caught a look that plainly spoke : " I ll take that china bowl." And this look said, " I speak for that," and that look spoke for this, The while the parson droned of love and told them of the bliss That cometh after struggles here ; " The peace of rest," he said, And then each woman claimed through looks her aunt s goose- feather bed. Twas thus the kindred flocked to town when Aunt Sabrina died, Ostensibly to bury her, but really to divide. No will was left, twas catch as can; and each and every heir, Came in with desperate intent to scoop the big gest share. 154 PINE TREE BALLADS They passed around with creaking shoes and kissed the silent lip, And pressed the limp, old, withered hand from out whose jealous grip The goods of earth had slipped away to heap a funeral pyre, A tinder pile where torch of Greed would start a roaring fire. They rode behind in solemn show and stood around the grave, Until the coffin sank from sight; and then each jealous knave Hopped back with great celerity in carriage and in hack, And folks who saw averred those heirs raced horses going back. This is no fairy tale, my friend! I m giving you the facts, Tis just an instance where the heirs came round and brought an axe; Where folks of pretty honest stripe could hardly bear to wait To decently inter the corpse ere carving the estate ; All ready at the prayer s " Amen " to scratch and haul and claw JUST HUMAN NATURE 155 With nails of jealous rancor and the talons of the law. My brother, I ve a notion, that it is sinful pride When we pose before the heathen as a highly moral guide. For here in old New England are some capers that would hush ! This is strictly on the quiet put a savage to the blush. You know that when a savage leaves his rela tives bereft, There isn t any scrapping over what the heathen left. They bury all his queer stone tools, his arrows and his bow, They stuff his pack with grub for snack; put in his wampum " dough; " They kill his horse and slay his dog and then they sing a song, And kill off all his weeping wives and send them right along. There s no annoying probate court, no long, litigious fuss, No lawyer s fees, no family row, no will-de stroying cuss. 156 PINE TREE BALLADS The estate is executed in a brisk and thorough style And though some certain features suit all right a heathen isle, Some squeamish person might arise and prop erly complain There s too much execution for adoption here in Maine. So I ll not commend the custom, yet I firmly will abide In the notion that we have no right to pose as moral guide To the heathen; for it s evident, untutored though they are. The heirs at least show manners in Borrioboola Gha. A. B. APPLETON, " PIRUT " Abbott B. Appleton went to the fair (Sing hey! for the wind among his whiskers), Saw curious " dewin s " while he was down there Mongst the gamblers, the sports and the frisk- ers. He carried his bills in a wallet laid flat An old-fashioned calf-skin as black as your hat; JUST HUMAN NATURE 157 He was feeling so well he was easy to touch Then he hadn t as much; no, there wasn t as much. He noticed a crowd round a pleasant-faced man Whose business seemed based on a curious plan ; He asked for a quarter from each in the crowd, Put the coin in his hat, and he forthwith al lowed That simply to advertise he would restore His quarter to each, adding three quarters more. Now Abbott B. Appleton he did invest Anxious to share in these spoils with the rest. Man asked for ten dollars, and Abbott, said he : " Why, sartin ! And then we ll git thutty back free." But the man who was running the charity game Informed him it didn t work always the same, And Abbott B. Appleton got for his ten A smile and the man didn t play it again. Then Abbott, in order to make himself square, Got after the rest of the snides at the fair. He hunted the pea, but he never could tell When " the darned little critter " was under the shell. 158 PINE TREE BALLADS He shot at a peg with a big, swinging ball, Five dollars a shot didn t hit it at all. And he finally found himself " gone all to smash," With wisdom, a lot and two dollars in cash. Abbott B. Appleton cursed at the fair (Sing fie! for a man who tended meetin ), And he said to himself, " Gaul swat it, I swear Them games is just rigged up for beatin . I thought they was honest down here in this town ; I swow if I hadn t I wouldn t come down ; But if cheatin s their caper I guess there s idees That folks up in Augerville have, if ye please. I m a pretty straight man when they use me all square, But I m pirut myself at a Pirut-town fair. I won t pick their pockets to git back that dough, But I reckin I ll giv em an Augerville show." Abbott B. Appleton " barked " at the fair (Sing sakes! hotv the people they did gather), And his cross-the-lot voice it did bellow and blare Till it seemed that his lungs were of leather. JUST HUMAN NATURE 159 He said that he had there inside of his pen Most singular fowl ever heard of by men : " The Giant Americanized Cock-a-too," With his feathers, some red and some white, and some blue. He promised if ever its like lived before He d give back their money right there at the door. Then he vowed that the sight of the age was within. " Twill never," he shouted, " be seen here agin. . Tis an infant white annercononda, jest brought From the African wilds, where it lately was caught. The only one ever heern tell of before, All wild and untamed, that far foreign shore." Abbott B. Appleton raked in the tin. (Sing chink! for the money that he salted.) Then he opened the gates and he let em all in, And then well, then Abbott defaulted. It was time that he did, for the people had found Just a scared Brahma hen squatting there on the ground; Her plumage was decked in a way to surprise, With turkey-tail streamers all colored with dyes; 160 PINE TREE BALLADS And above, on a placard, this sign in plain sight : " There s nothin else like her. I trimmed her last night." In a little cracked flask was an angle-worm curled :< Young annercononda, sole one in the world." And another sign stated, " He s small, I sup pose, But if he hain t big enough, wait till he grows." And Abbott B. Appleton, speeding afar, Was counting his roll in a hurrying car, Saying still, " As a general rule I m all square, But I m pirut myself at a Pirut-town fair." NEXT TO THE HEART WITH LOVE FROM MOTHER There s a letter on the bottom of the pile, Its envelope a faded, sallow brown, It has traveled to the city many a mile, And the postmark names a way up country town. But the hurried, worried broker pushe? all the others by, And on the scrawly characters he turns a glis tening eye. He forgets the cares of commerce and his anx ious schemes for gain, The while he reads what mother writes from up in Maine. There are quirks and scratchy quavers of the pen Where it struggled in the ringers old and bent, There are places where he has to read again And think a bit to find what mother meant. There are letters on his table that inclose some bouncing checks; There are letters giving promises of profits on his " specs." 161 162 PINE TREE BALLADS But he tosses all the litter by, forgets the golden rain, Until he reads what mother writes from up in Maine. At last he finds " with love we all are well," And softly lays the homely letter down, Then dashes at his eager tasks pell-mell, Once more the busy, anxious man of town. But whenever in his duties as the rushing mo ments fly That faded little envelope smiles up to meet his eye, He turns again to labor with a stronger, truer brain, From thinking on what mother wrote from up in Maine. All through the day he dictates brisk replies, To his amanuensis at his side, -The curt and stern demands and business lies, The doubting man cajoled, and threat de fied. And then at dusk when all are gone he drops his worldly mask And takes his pen and lovingly performs a wel come task; NEXT TO THE HEART 163 For never shall the clicking type or shorthand scrawl profane The message to the dear old home up there in Maine. The penmanship is rounded, schoolboy style, For mother s eyes are getting dim, she wrote; And as he sits and writes there, all the while A bit of homesick feeling grips his throat. For all the city friendships here with Tom and Dick and Jim And all the ties of later years grow very, very dim; While boyhood s loves in manhood s heart rise deep and pure and plain. Called forth by mother s homely words from up in Maine. THE QUAKER WEDDING Without, the summer silence lies Within, the meeting-house is still; The hush of First Day hovers o er All human-kind on Quaker Hill. The tethered Dobbins doze and blink In stolid calm beneath the shed; In First Day, Quaker attitude, 1 64 PINE TREE BALLADS With half-closed eyes and drooping- head. The cheeping birds, abashed and mute, Have skittered off to search for shade. Just one lone roysterer, a bee, Embarrassed at the noise he s made, Whirrs up against a staring pane And folds his wings and sits him down, To gaze with apiarian mirth On strange drab poke and shining crown. The elders sit in sober rows, Upon the long, prim, facing-seats; Each visage like an iron mask; No look of recognition greets The softened landscape out of doors. The shimmer of the summer falls On unresponsive eyes; The God Of Nature all unheeded calls. Their half-veiled gaze droops coldly down, Fixed on the dusty, worn, old floor, Unnoting that the gracious Lord Smiles in God s sunshine at the door. The Spirit has not moved the tongue; Each contrite soul has conned its own; And in the hush of silent prayer, Each worshipper has bent alone. And some are sad and some are stern NEXT TO THE HEART 165 And some are smug and others bow As though, with furtive stealth, to hide What conscience writes upon the brow. But hark ! the Meeting lifts its eyes And he who s sitting at the head Breaks on the hush with reverent tone: " If friends," says he, " have planned to wed Tis meet that now they do proceed." Forthwith upon the women s side A blushing youth stands forth in view And with him shrinks his Quaker bride. With trembling hand in shaking palm, They face the Meeting s awful hush, No minister to question them, No kindly shield to hide a blush. Alone they stand, alone must they Swear matrimony s solemn oath; A hundred noses point their way, Two hundred eyes stare hard at both. Then twice and thrice the youth s parched lips Strive hard to frame the longed-for word; And twice and thrice he tries again, Yet not a single sound is heard. There s just an upward flash of eyes Like starlight in a forest pool, 1 66 PINE TREE BALLADS She may have said, " Take heart, dear one!" She may have said, " Go on, thou fool ! " His cheeks flush dark, his lips are gray, His knees drum fast against the pew. But by a mighty gasp he speaks, The dry lips part, a croak comes through : " Here in the presence of the Lord, And in the First-Day meeting, I Take thee, my friend, Susannah Saul To be my wife. My loving eye Shall rest on thee, and till the Lord Is pleased by death to separate Our lives and loves, I ll be to thee An honest, faithful, loving mate." As one an echo of a song Thrums thinly on a single string, The Quaker maid in trembling tones Vows to her lord to likewise bring Love, truth and trust to grace their home. Their voices cease and side by side They stand abashed. One honest voice Rolls out, " Amen; " the knot is tied. NEXT TO THE HEART 167 THE MADAWASKA WOOING Petit Pierre of Attegat, Peter, the Little, round and fat, Balanced himself on the edge of a chair And gazed in the eyes of Father Claire. Without on the porch, defiant sat The prettiest maiden in Attegat. And here was trouble; for Zelia Dionne Had vowed to the Virgin she d be a nun; But Peter, who loved her more than life, Was fully as bound she should be his wife. Yet as often as Peter pressed to wed The pretty Zelia tossed her head. " I m not for the wife of man," she said. " I ve dreamed three times our Mary came And pressed my brow and spoke my name. I know she means for me to kneel And take the vows at St. Basil." Though Peter stormed, yet Zelia clung To her belief and braved his tongue. " Je t aime, mon cher," she shyly said, And drooped her eyes and bent her head; " But when our Virgin Mother calls A maiden to her convent walls, 1 68 PINE TREE BALLADS How shameless she to disobey And follow her own guilty way ! " " But dearest," Peter warmly plead, " Twould not be guilty if it led To our own home and our own love! Our Holy Mother from Above, Will pardon us I know she will " And yet the maid responded still, " I dare not, Peter, disobey, And follow my own guilty way." So thus it chanced that Zelia Dionne Had vowed herself to be a nun. Though Peter teased for many a day She pressed her lips and said him nay, And when he begged that she at least Would leave the question to the priest, Although she grudged her faint consent As meaning doubt, at last she went, Overpersuaded by Peter s prayer, To take the case to Father Clair. Peter, the Little, of Attegat Fumbled with trembling hands his hat, As breathlessly he tried to trace The thoughts that crossed the father s face. " My son," at length the priest returned, NEXT TO THE HEART 169 How Peter s heart within him burned " If truly by the maid the Queen Of Most High Heaven hath been seen, If only in her maiden dreams You must allow it ill beseems My mouth to speak. It may be sin, For well, my son, bring Zelia in ! " She stood before him half abashed Yet boldly, too; her dark cheek dashed With ruddy flame; for all her soul Burned holily. For now her whole Rich nature stirred. She was not awed For had she not been called of God? And little Peter sat and stared And marvelled how he d ever dared To lift his eyes to such a maid, Or strive to wreck the choice she d made. She told in simple terms the tale. " And do you wish to take the veil ? " The father asked. " Think long, think twice And never mourn the. sacrifice." She quivered, but she said, " I ve thought; Our Mary wills it and I ought." " And can you gladly say farewell To earth and love and friends; to dwell With perfect peace nor ever sigh 170 PINE TREE BALLADS For things behind?" She said, "I ll try." But even as she spoke the word, The old time love for Peter stirred; And mingling with her quick regret, There came a sob and Peter s wet, Sad eyes peered at her through a rain Of honest tears. She tried in vain To choke her grief, but Zelia Dionne Forgot her vow to be a nun, And crying, "Pierre, I love you best!" She flung herself upon his breast. A moment thus and then in prayer Both knelt before good Father Clair. " My daughter, did that vision speak That night when motherly and meek, She pressed her hand upon thy brow? No? Then, my child, she spoke just now; And in the promptings of thy heart Her word is clear. My child, thou art Blest in this choice, for that caress Upon thy brow was but to bless And not to call thee from thy choice. Depart in peace, wed and rejoice." Peter, the Little, of Attegat, Clapped on his curls, his fuzzy hat, And clasping the hand of his promised bride NEXT TO THE HEART 171 He trudged back home with one at his side, No longer the self-vowed, mournful nun, But laughing, black-eyed Zelia Dionne. THE SONG OF THE MAN WHO DRIVES Here s a toast to the kings and the health of the queens Of the echoing oval course; And a song of the steel that is forged for the wheel And the hoof of the blue-blood horse! There s the song of the steel that is forged for the wars The song of the long, bright sword; The chant of the weapon the patriot draws In defence of his land, in support of its laws In the cause that his heart has adored. But the sword that is bared to the glint of the sun, Who knows when that sword will be sheathed ? For strife plunges hotly when once tis begun, So the steel of the sword I forswear and I shun, And the horrors its edge has bequeathed. 172 PINE TREE BALLADS No, I vaunt the honest circlet to a worthy use applied The steel that flashes swiftly in the broad two- minute stride; The steel that clinking hammers in the forges clang and heat Have shaped with merry music for a trotter s twinkling feet. You may choose the glint of sabres or the gleam of martial arms, As for me the vibrant flashing of those hoofs has greater charms, As I ride the swaying sulky and we cleave the singing air, And I hear the merry rick-tack of the trotting of my mare. Now what are the prizes of war, my boy, Or the honors of kingdom and court To a chap that s contented with honester joy Than desperate ventures that crush and de stroy In the din of the battlefield s sport? I envy no prowess of warriors of old Astride of a mail-clad steed, And I challenge the right of the furious might That forces an innocent victim to fight For human ambition or greed. NEXT TO THE HEART 173 But ho, for the rush of the steel-shod feet When the clink of the bright shoe rings When the flickering hoofs down the home stretch beat And I on the perch of the sulky seat Drive hard in the Sport of Kings. I pledge to you the honor of the ringing, sing ing course, When the tautened reins are throbbing with the motion of the horse, When the glossy shoulders glisten with the twitching muscles play, Beating time in swift staccato to the slender sulky s sway. Let the roaring stand go crazy as we finish at the pole Tis no human acclamation that avails to stir my soul, Tis the batter and the clatter of those hoofs that ring and beat, Tis the rhythm and the music of those flashing little feet Tis the sympathy between us, all a-quiver in the reins, Till I almost feel the pulsing of the current in her veins, 174 PINE TREE BALLADS And I have no eye or hearing for the vain ac claim of man When my heart and soul are throbbing with her hoof-beats rataplan. To the king of the course! To the queen of the track! What matter their breeding or name? To all that have battled the second-hand back Here s tribute in measure the same. Here s a toast to the king and the health of the queen, Who reign on the oval course, To the stout, stout steel ! forged true for the wheel Or the hoof of the blue-blood horse. THE OLD PEWTER PITCHER I festoon for Bacchus no chaplet of roses, I will vaunt not the vat I ve no homage for wine; Panegyric of paint for convivial noses Shall never find place in a lyric of mine. Unseemly indeed were such rank exhibition Of scorn for the statutes that seek to restrain, By beneficent mandate of stern Prohibition, NEXT TO THE HEART 175 The lust for the grape in the good State of Maine. So a truce to the bowl and its fervid excitement. And down with the flagon, the goblet and stein ! My lyric exalts the more balmy enticement Of a certain old humble companion of mine. Tis addressed With a zest Springing out of vague unrest Stirring underneath my vest. I m obsessed By a guest Who has come at my behest From the misty days of boyhood, borne se renely in the van Of the friends that I d forgotten in the cares that grind the man. You were just a pewter pitcher, a demure and dull old pot With a yee-yaw to your nozzle like the grimace of a sot. The knob upon your cover had a truly rakish cant, Your paunch was apoplectic and your handle had a slant Of a most .convivial nature. But despite your seedy style 176 PINE TREE BALLADS Not a guest upon the threshold got a more benignant smile Than when upon a platter, flanked by apples and by pears, You rose splashing full of cider up the dark old cellar stairs. I m sure that the fruit that we sacrificed duly Each fall to the cruel embrace of the press Had quaffed of the honey of Nature and truly Deserved from her hand a more tender caress. I m sure that the sun kissed both fruit and the flower With all the devotion his warm heart could bring, Till Alcohol ceded his ominous power And gall lost its bitter, the adder its sting, For though round and round went the old pew ter pitcher, And chucklingly filled for us horn after horn, We never saw dragon, blue goblin or witch, or Required a hoop for our heads in the morn. Here goes! Here s to those Who sat and warmed their toes NEXT TO THE HEART 177 Drowning cares and frets and woes. No one knows How memory glows As I see that ancient nose Gleaming blandly in the circle of the friends of long ago Within, the light; without, the night and the wind and drifting snow. Then the dented pewter pitcher poured for us its amber stream While the tinkling bubbles winked upon the brink with dancing gleam, Ah, there was no guile within you as there were no gauds without Just a plain, old-fashioned fellow, with an awful homely snout; And you never left us headaches and you didn t stir the bile, And no guest upon the threshold got a more benignant smile Than when, upon a platter, flanked by apples and by pears, You rose splashing full of cider up the dark old cellar stairs. OUR GOOD PREVARICATORS OUR LIARS HERE IN MAINE There was Sinon, he of Troy, and Ulysses, too, and Cain, Who preceded many centuries the liars here in Maine. There was Gulliver, Munchausen, there was Ananias, too, A very handsome job of it those gentlemen could do. Yet look at Ananias ! Why, his story knocked him dead, But here in Maine the liar " does " the other man instead. And Sinon, he of Troy, had to plan and build his lie, But here in Maine the liar doesn t even have to try. For the pure prevarication comes cascading down his lip And he never seems to falter or to stub his toe and trip. And he walks abroad with honor, and no mortal will arraign 178 OUR GOOD PREVARICATORS 179 The pure and worthy motives of the liar here in Maine. His strongest hold is fishing, and he fixes with his eye The victim who must listen and who never dares deny. Each river and pellucid pond, each brooklet and each stream, Possesses fifty liars to preserve it in esteem. And he that owns a yaller dog, and he that owns a hoss Will never see their laurels dimmed, if words can add a gloss. Tis true the old inhabitant, narrating ancient tales, Occasionally soars to heights where homely language fails. So then, alas, he s hampered some, but note his kindling eye, And as he gets his second wind, observe how he can lie! Tis no invidious charge I bring against this worthy crew, We love the lies they tell to us and love the liars too. They hold to truth in business deals, they d never lie to cheat; i8o PINE TREE BALLADS But when the " sport " conies down from town, by gracious he s their meat. They " torch " him up with narrative until his fancy steams And swogons, yaps, and witherlicks go ramp ing through his dreams. For when our solemn ruminants describe the olden times They stimulate a state of mind I can t describe in rhymes. I pen this humble lyric and I bring a wreath of bay, For the good prevaricators doing business down this way. May their tongues be ever limber, and im agination free, With no interloping infidel to ask how such can be. May the plug from which they nibble spice a piquant, pungent tale, May words to paint the details of their fiction never fail. Let the chips from which they whittle always have an even grain, And we ll challenge all creation with our liars here in Maine. K OUR GOOD PREVARICATORS 181 THE BALLAD OF DOC FLUFF Doctor Fluff, who lived in Cornville, he was hearty, brisk and bluff, Didn t have much extry knowledge, but in some ways knowed enough; Knowed enough to doctor hosses, cows an dogs an hens an sheep, When he come to doctor humans, wal, he wasn t quite so deep. Still, he kind o got ambitious, an he went an stubbed his toe, When he tried to tackle subjects that he really didn t know. Doc he started out the fust-off as a vet rinary doc, An he made a reputation jest as solid as a rock. Doct rin bosses thro ts or such like, why, there warn t a man in town Who could take a cone of paper, poof the sul phur furder down. He could handle pips an garget in a brisk an thorough style, An there wan t a cow t would hook him when he give her castor ile. 1 82 PINE TREE BALLADS As V. S. he had us solid, but he loosened up his hold When he doctored Uncle Peaslee for his reg lar April cold. Uncle Peaslee allus caught it when he took his flannels off, For a week or two he d wheezle, sniff an snee- zle, bark an cough. An at last, in desperation, when the thing be came so tough, He adopted some suggestions that were made by Doctor Fluff. Fust o March he started early an he reg lar ev ry day From his heavy winter woolens tore a little strip away. For the doc he had insisted that the change could thus be made, Cause the system wouldn t notice such an easy, steady grade. Walsir, bout the last of April, Uncle Peaslee he had on Jest the wris ban s an the collar all the rest of it was gone. Then with Doctor Fluff advisin on a mild an pleasant day, OUR GOOD PREVARICATORS 183 He took off the collar n wris ban s, and he throwed the things away. An in lesser n thutty hours he was sudden tooken down With the wust case of pneumony that we ever knowed in town. An he dropped away in no time; it was awful kind of rough, An we had our fust misgivin s bout the skill of Old Doc Fluff. Reckoned that ere scrape would down him an he d stick to hens an cows, But he d got to be ambitious, an he tackled Iral Howes. Uncle Iral s kind o feeble, but was bound to wean a caff; Went to pull him off from suckin when the critter d had his haff. Caff he turned around an bunted made him s mad s a tyke, ye see An old Iral s leg was broken, little ways above the knee. T other doctor couldn t git there cause the goin was so rough, So they had to run their chances and they called on Doctor Fluff. 184 PINE TREE BALLADS Doc he found old Iral groanin where they d laid him on the bed, An he took his old black finger, rolled up Iral s lip an said, "Hay-teeth worn; can t chaw his vittles! Vittles therefore disagree, It s as tough a case of colic as I think I ever see." Some one started then to tell him, but the doc he had the floor, An he snapped em up so spiteful that the} didn t say no more. Then he wrinkled up his eyebrows, pursed his lips as tight s a bung, Pried apart old Iral s grinders an says he, " Le s see your tongue." " Why," says he, " I see the trouble you ve got garget of the blood, An* if symptoms hain t deceivin , you have also lost your cud." " Blame yer soul," groaned Uncle Iral, " can t ye see what s ailin me? That ere leg is broke ! " " Oh, sartin," says the doc, "I see! I see!" Then he pulled off Iral s trousers, an he spit upon his fist, OUR GOOD PREVARICATORS 185 Grabbed that leg in good old earnest an com menced to twist an twist. Iral howled an yowled an fainted, then come to an howled some more, He an doc they fit an wrassled on the bed an on the floor. Doc, though, held him to the wickin let old Iral howl an beg, Said he d got to do his duty, straight nin out his blamed old leg. When the splints come off, though, later, wal- sir, Iral was provoked, Hain t surprised it made him ugly, for he sar- tinly was soaked. Doc had set it so the kneejoint comes behind, jest like a cow s, An twould make ye die a-laughin , would that gait of Iral Howes . If that case of Uncle Peaslee wasn t damagin enough, Bet your life that job on Iral made us shy of old Doc Fluff. THE BALLAD OF HUNNEMAN TWO Now this is the story of Hunneman Two, Old Hunneman Two from Anclover town; 1 86 PINE TREE BALLADS A tub with the likeliest, heftiest crew That ever hoorayed in a hot break- er-down. And I ll give you the facts, for if any one knows It s me who was Hunneman s foreman of hose : Ev ry feller we mustered was over six feet And the gang that we brought to a fireman s meet They never was licked and they never was downed, And a crowd up against us would likely get drowned. Ev ry man in the forty was six feet and more And their shirts was the reddest that ever men wore; Whenever they hollered they d jump up a yard And when they came down they came dreffully hard. Ev ry man had a trumpet and some of them tew And twas safest to plug up your ears when they blew. They d ballast the tub with a cart-load of stone And stuff her with sody ontil she would groan Then they d spit on their fists and would gaffle that beam OUR GOOD PREVARICATORS 187 And whoop fa, la larry, my jinks what a stream ! Twas h ist on the beam till your eyeballs gog gled, Hump- jump-pump ! Give her the tar till her old sides woggled, Pump-jump-hump ! Down with the beam till it sartin would seem We were drowndin the sun in a hissin , white stream. Oh, there never was anything up with the crew That buckled the beam of old Hunneman Two. One time we were playin at Andover fair And old Uncle Boomer drove up with his mare. She cocked up an eye for to see the stream sail Then she up with her ears and her head and her tail; And whoosh ! she was off down the Bunganuck road At as livelv a clip as a mare ever hoed. Now the Bunganuck road it was right straight away, And jest for a hector we started to play Right over the tailboard, right into his team, And we followed him up with old Hunneman s stream. 1 88 PINE TREE BALLADS We followed him one mile, we followed him tew With the foreman a-swearin and all of the crew A-breakin her down and a-crackin their heels Till we lifted her plum fair and square off the wheels. We followed him three miles, we followed him four If he hadn t shied off we d a-followed him more. Old Boomer got rheumatiz out of wet feet For we kept his old waggin full, clear to the seat. Twas h ist on the beam till your eyeballs gog gled, Pump-jump-hump ! Give her the tar till her old sides woggled, Hump- jump-pump ! Down with the beam till it sartin would seem We were drownin the sun in a hissin white stream. Oh, there never was anything up with the crew That buckled the beam of old Hunneman Two. ORADUDOLPH MOODY, REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT Bring on your speechifyin runts, yes, bring your biggest gun; Trot out your high-flown orators, we don t bar nary one. From Quoddy Head to Caribou, from there to sassy York, Bring out your braggadosho chaps who think that they can talk. We ve got our man don t want no odds nd warn you fair and true So t when the Legislatoor meets you ll have your men there, too. He s jest a goin to sweep the floor, we ll have you recollect, Our Oradudolph Moody, reprusentertive- elect. When Mister Moody rises up nd hams nd clears his thro t Nd loosens up his gallowses nd lays aside his co t, I guess he ll fool the av rage man, he looks so cool nd carm, PINE TREE BALLADS A-dribblin out his words nd wavin* careless- like his arm. But pretty soon that arm goes and quivers in the air, His hand a-wrigglin up a-top, seems sif twas spinnin there. It acts as sort of windmill, pumpin langwidge I expect From Oradudolph Moody, reprusentertive-elect. When Oradudolph Moody speaks he has the durndest knack Of windin up opponents so they never an swer back. When yearly meetin comes around he alwus swings the town On anything he advocates from new school- houses down. The elerquence just bubbles up without no work at all, He almost mesmerizes everybody in the hall. Nd down there to Augusty you ll parceive the strange effect Of Oradudolph Moody, reprusentertive-elect. Magnetic! He s a dynamo, his pulley never slips, Nd eelectricity ! It runs right off his finger tips. We ve tried to send him down before, but no, he wouldn t go; He said he had no time to fool with Legisla- toors, so Our town ain t never had a man to speak, ex cept Mulkearn, Who managed once to stutter out a motion to adjourn. But now, by gosh jest set right back and wish fully expect Our Oradudolph Moody, reprusentertive- elect. TRIBUTE TO MR. ATKINS S BASS VOICE E. Perley Atkins had a low deep bass. The noise came out of his face, But the place Whence the sound sprung And bubbled toward the bung, When he sung, To come lolloping up to his tongue, In long fortissimo hoots, Or staccato toots, 192 PINE TREE BALLADS That place was suttin ly down in his^boots. Omp, omp! That was the kind of a bass That oozed from the face Of E. Perley Atkins who lived in our place. He sung at all the paring bees, the quilting teas, and parti-ees He sung at all the shindigees we had for miles around. He opened his lip and let her rip and folks were never obliged to tease, For he allowed That he was proud As well as the rest of the awe-struck crowd Of the deep, profundo timbre of that sound. Boomp, boomp ! He wended thus on his deep, bass way Ready to omp, omp night or day. He sung in the choir Sunday forenoon And an hour later furnished a tune For the Sabbath school and the Bible class, With a voice that was meller n apple sass. At evemn meetin he came around Full to the neck with that cream-rich sound, OUR GOOD PREVARICATORS 193 And the way he would lead Coronation hymn Would lift ye off n your pew, by Jim. On Monday nights he had a call To sing for the Maltys at Jackson s Hall. Tuesdays the Masons and Wednesdays he Sung like blazes for the I. G. T. Thursdays, class-meetings, Fridays, sings With Saturdays open for rackets and things. A busy week? Well, I guess, but wait, I mustn t forget, my friend, to state There warn t no fun ral for ten miles round, No dear departed tucked under ground, No mourners jammed in a settin room, Sozzled in grief and soaked in gloom, But Perley was there with his rich, cream bass To trickle like salve on the wounded place. And the tears would dry on each mourner s nose, They d perk right up and forget their woes And nudge each other and say, " Suz me, What a beautiful funeral voice that be." And in time, though he sang for all who asked, For saint and sinner, still he basked In especial favor as one whose ease And voice gave a tone to obsequies. 194 PINE TREE BALLADS It s whispered around, and I guess it s so That when he hinted he thought he d go To Rome and Paris to train that bass, A widow and three old maids in the place, Who were living along, no man knew why, Decided they d hurry up and die. They just stopped breathing and died from choice For the sake of having that funeral voice Draw copious streams from the mourner s eyes And give them a send-off toward Paradise. No man who s monkeyed with bass B-flat Got ever a compliment higher n that. He sung at all the paring bees, the quilting teas, the parti-ees, He sung at all the shindigees for twenty miles around. He opened his lip and let her rip, Admirers had no need to tease, And he sprung a bass that joggled the roof and fairly shook the ground. While the echoes of his " funeral voice " Made even the cherubim rejoice, As the melody pulsed against the skies And ushered a soul into Paradise. OUR GOOD PREVARICATORS 195 JIM S TRANSLATION Couldn t speak of nothin smart no one strong or spry Thout old Talleyrand B. Beals to grab right in an lie! All the thing he d talk about was chap by name of Jim, Ev ry story that he told was sort of hung round him. Said the critter d worked for him twenty years before, Yarn at last it got to be the by-word down t th store, When we d hear of biggish things, " That," we d say, " I swan, Beats tophet, taxes, time an tide an Bealses hired man." Beals, though, clacked right on an on; would set an chaw an spit, An tell us bout that hired man couldn t make him quit! Champyun jump or heft or swim tw r as all the same to him, He d wait till all the rest had shot, then plug the mark with Jim. 196 PINE TREE BALLADS Had to laugh the other day boys were down t th store, Talleyrand got started in the dratted, deef old bore! Silas Erskine s boy spoke up that s Ez; wal, Ez says he, "Say, Tal, what ever come o Jim?" Old Beals uncrossed his knee, Said he, " A master cur us chap, that Jim was, I must say, Seemed to like us fine as silk, but off he went one day, Went right off without a yip didn t take his clothes; Hank rin struck him all to once couldn t wait, don t s pose. Didn t even take his pay, which was some sur prise, Prob ly, though, a lord or dook, trav lin in disguise." Beals he stopped an gnawed his plug; chawed an chawed a while, Then Ben Haskell hitched around an smole a sing lar smile. " Told that hired man," said he, " I d never let it out, Guess I d better tell it, though, an settle all this doubt. OUR GOOD PREVARICATORS 197 Want to say right here an now, to back up Beals," says Ben, " His Jim did sartin wear the crown amongst all hired men." S prised us all when Ben said that, cause he us al planned All the hector, tricks an jokes t were put on Talleyrand. Ben, though, kept right on his talk. Ben says, then says he, " Here s the secret how he went for I m the man that see. Happened down in Allen s field day fie disap peared, Jim came crost the intervale; straight as H he steered To ards that silver popple tree; up that tree he clim , Set there, sort o lost in thought, a-straddle of a limb. Jest as I d got underneath he sighed an took a piece Of mutton taller give his boots a heavy co t of grease, Greased his fingers nice an slick an then an then, I swear, Grabbed them boot-straps, give a pull an up he went in air." 198 PINE TREE BALLADS Ought to heered us critters laugh gre t big " Haw, haw, haw-w- ! " Jason Britt he dropped his teeth, Erskine gulped his chaw, Talleyrand jest set there grurn fin ly snorted "Sho! Think ye re smart, ye pesky fool ! Lemme tell ye, though, Tain t so thund rin big a stretch ye made then when ye lied, Bet ye Jim could lift himself, providin he had tried. Stout? I see d him boost a rock " " Minit, Tal," says Ben, " Hain t got done my story yit ! Jest ye wait till then. Soon s I see d that critter start, hollered loud s a loon, Jeero cris mus, Jim, said I, startin for the moon ? Jim looked down an said, says he, Don t know where I ll fetch, Ner care a rap so long s I dodge old Beals, the mean old wretch ! Trouble is, consarn his soul, his feed has been so slim I ve fell away till northen s left cept clothes an name o Jim. OUR GOOD PREVARICATORS 199 Reckin then I ll h ist myself, cause, ye see, I ve found It s blame sight easier raisin up than holdin to the ground. " Then he give them straps a tug an up he went from sight, Stood an watched him till he growed to jest a leetle mite ! He s the champyun hired man, sartin sure, be cause Critter went to Paradise, prob ly jest s he was." Talleyrand he got so mad he actyal wouldn t speak, Didn t come t th store agin for more n a solid week. Soon s he edged around some more wa n t no talk from him Bout no hired men, you bet! Clack was shet on Jim. ELIPHALET JONES INVENTOR Inventor Jones Eliphalet Jones, Ah, he was the fellow for schemes ! Though critics might carp and his rivals throw stones, 200 PINE TREE BALLADS They never vexed Uncle Eliphalet Jones, Or troubled his radiant dreams. He calmly asserted that every day One hundred inventions, or so, came his way; They flocked through his mind in such myriad rout He hadn t the leisure to figure them out. But he said if a fellow should chase him around With a pencil and notebook twould surely be found That projects prolific were shed from his brain As a wet bush, when shaken, will scatter the rain. When he plowed, when he hoed, when he sowed, when he mowed He was steadily throwing off load after load Of notions, he stated each notion a mint For the chap who would take and develop the hint. But Eliphalet Jones Eliphalet Jones Was so busy with farmwork and clearing off stones, So busy with milking and errands and chores He scattered inventions by dozens and scores With a liberal hand, but with barren effect, For they dried on the cold, arid sands of neglect. OUR GOOD PREVARICATORS 201 But for all he forgot he would cheerfully say There were always as many the very next day. And he figured it up; though enormous it seems He had fashioned and fired some ten thousand schemes. Now, out of that number a limited few Eliphalet tackled and engineered through ; A few little notions right out of his head To help out the farmwork, he carelessly said. One patent, a holder to hitch a cow s tail So she couldn t keep swatting the man with the pail; A few dozen scarecrows of hellish design, Real impish constructions to jig on a line That was jerked by a water-wheel down in the brook ; All the horses that passed, if they got a good look Tumbled down stiff and dead or else, frantic with fear, Kicked the wagon in bits and spun round on one ear. And he rigged a contrivance by which ev ry morn His old Brahma rooster descending for corn, Stepped down on a lever that flipped up a lock 202 PINE TREE BALLADS And down came the fodder in front of the stock. Still, these were but puerile notions beside The thing that he hoped for his spur and his pride, His climax of schemes ere he went back to dust For he vowed that he d fathom the secret or "bust;" That if motion perpetual ever could be Discovered by mortal, that man should be he. So he fussed with his springs and his wee-jees and wings And all sorts of queer little duflicker things, And he builded queer whiz-a-jigs, then with a frown He ruthlessly, scornfully cuffed them all down. Well, the years hurried by, as the years surely will, But Eliphalet Jones he was confident still, For he constantly vowed that some thingumy spring Put somewhere " would settle the dad-ratted thing." Yet the years skittered past and his head was snow-white And he almost had solved it, but never " jest quite; " OUR GOOD PREVARICATORS 203 So the neighbors employed some satirical tones When they chanced to refer to Perpetual Jones. But hail to his name and remember his fame ! At the last at the last, friends, he won the great game ! He died at the birth of his triumph, tis true, And he left only words yet I give them to you, Convinced they re a gift to the world, without doubt, Or will be as soon as the thing is worked out. He sat in his chair by the window one day While his grandson was out with a puppy at play; And the boy hitched some meat to the tail of that pup, Then he gave him a twirl and the puppy " gee- ed up," And he spun and he spun and he spun and he spun Just as fast at the last as when he begun, But the tail and the meat ever kept just ahead Of the clamorous jaws as the puppy dog sped. " There she is," cried Eliphalet, " darned if she ain t! There s perpetual motion ! " and pallid and faint He fell prone and dying. They lifted him up 204 PINE TREE BALLADS And his eyes, glazed with death, looked their last on that pup. And through the dark shade of mortality s fog He gasped, " All you need is the right kind of dog." Inventor Jones Eliphalet Jones, Ah, he was the fellow for schemes; Though critics might carp and his rivals throw stones They never vexed Uncle Eliphalet Jones, Or troubled his radiant dreams. THE PANTS JEMIMY MADE Aunt Brown Jemimy Brown Was a spinster, spinner-weaver of merited re nown ; Our town set it down As a fact beyond disputing there was never any suiting Like the suiting that was made by Spinster Brown. She raised the wool she made it of, she even raised the sheep, She fed em on the toughest straw the hired man could reap; OUR GOOD PREVARICATORS 205 She spun the thread with double-twist and made a warp and woof So tarnal tough it really seemed twas almost bullet-proof. And when the cloth was shrunk and dyed and ready for a suit The men in town would almost fight, they d get in such dispute Concerning who had spoken first the farthest in advance And therefore had the prior claim on Aunt Jemimy s pants. The cloth that folks make nowadays is slimpsy, sleazy stuff; It s colored up in fairish style and fashionable enough ! But blame the goods! It s made to sell it isn t made to wear These trousers here I ve worn five year, and that is merely fair. But when you bought a cut of cloth of Aunt Jemimy s weave, You got some stuff to last you through, you d better just believe! Why, bout the time that modern pants are get ting worn and thin 206 PINE TREE BALLADS A pair of Aunt Jemimy s pants were scarcely broken in. I ve got a pair up attic now, made forty years ago They re just as tough as iron still and Time has made no show. They ve stood the brunt of honest work and dulled the tooth of moth, And there they stand, as stiff s a slab, good, plain, old-fashioned cloth. And so I think it s only right that tribute should be paid To those old sturdy pioneers the pants Je- mimy made. The day I first put on those pants I held a break-up plough The farmers of these later days don t have such wrassles now; I drove six oxen on ahead, a pretty hefty team, For farming in those old, old days took mus cle, grit and steam; You didn t stop for rocks and stumps, nor dodge and skive and skip, Or else you d have to lug your meals on ev ry furrow s trip, And so the only thing to do was make the oxen tread OUR GOOD PREVARICATORS 207 And hold the ploughshare deep and true, and plunk er straight ahead. So back and forth and back and forth I ploughed and ploughed that day; I tackled ev ry rock and snag that dared dispute my way, Until the only critter left was one old maple stump, And I? I gave the team the gad and took er on the jump! She split in halves and through I went, but back she slapped, ker-whack, And gripped Jemimy s pantaloons right where she d left the slack. The team was going double-quick the oxen plunged along I held the old oak handle-bars, I gripped em good and strong And there I was, the living link twixt stump and plough, because The cloth it stuck there good and tight between those maple jaws. Jemimy never planned on that, in making pants for me; She made em solid, yet of course she gave no guarantee That they would stand a yank like that but still I clung and yelled, 208 PINE TREE BALLADS Those oxen plunged and tussled and Je- mimy s pants, they held! And the stump came out a-kicking, roots and dirt and stones and all, But those pants weren t even started by that most tremendous haul, And to prove this ere is truthful, should some scoffer cast a doubt, I have saved the chips and hewings where they came and chopped me out. Aunt Brown Jemimy Brown Was a spinster, spinner-weaver of merited re nown ; Our town set it down As a fact beyond disputing there was never any suiting Like the suiting that was made by Spinster Brown. BALLADS OF "CAPERS AND ACTIONS" BALLAD OF ELKANAH B. ATKINSON Elkanah B. Atkinson s tarvun was run On a plan that was strictly his own; And he " reckoned that dudified sons of a gun " Would far better leave him alone. He allowed that he always had plenty to eat For folks that liked vitt-u-als plain; An when ye came down to pettaters and meat His house was a credit to Maine. The garding truck they raised themselves, They killed their pork; and the but ry shelves Jest fairly groaned with jells and jams ; In a shed out back they smoked their hams. And old Elkanah used to brag They laid down pickles by the kag; And they had the darndest hens to lay Got fifty eggs most ev ry day And ev ry egg was big s your fist And fresher n a whiff of mountain mist. The whole blamed house it used to shake When old Elkanah pounded steak, For he used to say what made meat tough Was cause some cooks warn t strong enough. 209 2io PINE TREE BALLADS And he piled the grub right on sky-high: Soup and meat and fish and pie All the courses on first whack And then Elkanah he d stand back And say: There, people, now hoe in; When ye ve et that grub, pass up ag in; Of course we hain t no big hotel, But some few things, why, we dew well." P. Mortimer Perkins came down from New York, A salesman for corsets and things; With his trousers all creased and a lah-de-dah walk, As if he were jiggered by strings; Arrived at the Atkinson tarvun one night And says to Elkanah, says he: " I want to be called just as soon as it s light, For I m going first train, don t ye see. It s very important I go by first train, But I find in these country hotels The service ye get gives a fellah a pain They don t even ahnswer the bells. Now I want to be called for that train, me good man, For it s very important I go; Now weally, old chappie, please see if you can Just do a thing right once, y know- BALLADS of CAPERS an d ACTIONS 211 Ye may call me at four, and at half after four I ll bweakfast; now recollect, please! Before I wetire I ll tell you once more; You ll get the idea by degwees." Elkanah B. Atkinson lowered his specs To the very tip-end of his nose; Says he : " When a feller he really expec s To go by that train, wal he goes. Jest fall right asleep and don t worry a mite; This hain t -no big city hotel, But we ll git ye to goin termorrer all right, For there s some things we dew fairly well." Elkanah B. Atkinson sat all night And kept the office fire bright. He nodded some and yawned and smoked, And at half-past three he went and poked The kitchen fire; then pounded steak And set potatoes in to bake. Started the coffee and all the rest And then went up to call his guest. Bangity, whang! on the cracked old door! Whangity, bang ! It checked a snore. P. Mortimer Perkins opened his eyes In the cold dark dawn with much surprise, And under the coverlet warm and thick On the good, old-fashioned feather tick, Felt the cold on his nose like a frosty knife 212 PINE TREE BALLADS And was never so sleepy in all his life. But still bang, whang on the cracked old door ! And Elkanah shouting, " Mos ha f-pas four! " But the louder the old man pounded and yapped The more the drummer garped and gapped. At last says he : " Is it stormy oh-h-h? " " Wall," says Elkanah, " she s spittin snow." P. Mortimer Perkins snuggled down And says he, " This isn t a blamed bad town; I say, old man, now please go way, I ve changed my mind, and I guess I ll stay." Elkanah B. Atkinson then says he : " This changin minds is a bad idee; I ve set in that office there all night So s I could git ye up all right. An breakfus is on, an the coffee s hot; Now, friend, ye can go on that train or not, But I tell ye now, right off the reel, Ye re goin to git up and eat that meal." P. Mortimer Perkins cursed and swore, But Elkanah slammed right through that door, And he pulled that drummer out of bed And brandished a chair round over his head; He poked his ribs and made him dress So sleepy still that his gait cut S As he staggered down to the dining-room And ate his meal in the cheerless gloom, Klkanah B. Atkinson sat all night And kept the office fire bright." BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 213 While over him stood the grim old man With a stick and a steaming coffee can. " Now, mister," allowed Elkanah, " sence It s a special breakfus it s thutty cents." When the feller paid, as meek s a pup, And stuttered "Now, can I be put up?" "Why, sartin, mister," Elkanah said; " Ye can go to tophet or back to bed; There hain t hard feelin s, no, none at all, But when a feller he leaves a call At the Atkinson House for an early meal, He gits it served right up genteel, An when it s served, wal, now you bet There hain t no peace till that meal s been et. Of course we hain t no big hotel, But some few things we dew quite well." BALLAD OF OBADI FRYE Twas a battered old, double-B, twisted bass horn, With a yaw in the flare at its end; A left-over veteran, relic forlorn Of the halcyon days when a band had been born To the village of Buckleby Bend. 214 PINE TREE BALLADS The band was dismembered by time and by death As the years went a-scurrying by, And only one player was left with his breath And that was old Obadi I. P. Frye. Old Obadi Isaac Pitt Frye. With a glow in his eye He would plaintively try To puff out the tune that they marched to at training; But the tremolo drone Of the brassy old tone Quavered queerly enough with his scant breath remaining. Ah, the years had been many and bent was his back, And caved was his chest and departed his knack; So, though he was filled with musicianly pride And huffed at the mouthpiece and earnestly tried To steady his palsied old lip and control The old-fashioned harmonies stirring his soul There was nothing in Buckleby quite so for lorn As the oomp-tooty-oomp of that old bass horn. BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 215 To the parties and sociables, quiltings and sings They invited old Obadi Frye; He d give em doldrums of old-fashioned things With occasional bass obligato for strings Or at least he would zealously try. The minister coaxed him to buy a cornet And chirk up a bit in his tune, But none could induce him to ever forget His love for that old bassoon, Whose tune Was the solace of life s afternoon. So he d splutter and moan With his thin, gusty tone But his empty old lungs balked his anxious en deavor. He hadn t the starch For a jig or a march, And with double-F volume he d parted forever. For he hadn t the breath for a triple note run, Twas a whoof and a pouf ! and alas, he was done; But the pride of his heart was that old double- bass, He was happy alone with its lips at his face. So he sat in his old leather chair day by day And whooped the one solo he d power to play, 216 PINE TREE BALLADS An anthem entitled, " All Hail Christmas Morn," As rendered by gulps on an old bass horn. " All hail hoomp hoomp bright Christmas morn, Hail hoomp, hoomp hoomp fair hoomp hoomp dawn ; Turn hoomp hoomp, eyes hoomp hoomp, HOOMP skies, When hoomp hoomp, hoomp HOOMP born." While a-tooting one morning his breath flick ered out With a sort of a farewell purr; Of course there are many to scoff and to scout, But twas sucked by that cavernous horn with out doubt, At least, so the neighbors aver. They laid him away in the churchyard to rest And with grief that they sought not to hide, They placed the old battered B-B on his breast And that Christmas hymn score by his side His pride, Twas the tune that he played when he died. BALLADS -of CAPERS and ACTIONS 217 Now, who here denies That far in the skies He is probably calmly and placidly winging; That his spirit new-born With his score and his horn Takes flight where the hosts are triumphantly singing. Yet it irks me to think that he s far in that Land With only the score of one anthem in hand. For the music Above must be novel and strange Too intricate far for that double-B range, But at last when the Christmastide rings in the skies There ll be some queer quavers in fair Para dise, For an humble old spirit will calmly allow " I reckin I ll give em that horn solo now." Up there we are certain there s no one to carp Because Obadiah won t tackle a harp Seraphs and cherubs will hush their refrain When a new note of praise intermingles its strain, And he ll add to the jocund delight of that morn With his anthem, " All hail," on that old bass horn. 218 PINE TREE BALLADS " All hail hoomp hoomp bright Christmas morn, Hail hoomp, hoomp hoomp fair hoomp hoomp dawn ; Turn hoomp hoomp, eyes hoomp hoomp, HOOMP skies, When hoomp hoomp, hoomp HOOMP born." AT THE OLD FOLKS WHANG Flappy-doodle, flam, flam whack, whack, whack ! Balance to the corners and forward folks and back; Gaffle holt an gallop for an eight hands round, While the brogans and the cowhides they pessle and they pound;- No matter for the figger providin there s the time. Jest cuff er out and jig er; jest hoe er down and climb! No matter bout your toes or corns; let rheu- matiz go hang, BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 219 For we re weltin out the wickin at the old folks whang. At the old folks whang Hear the cowhides bang, When we " up and down the center " at the old folks whang. Yang, tangty, yee-yah! yang, yang, yang! Old Branscomb plays the riddle at the old folks whang; And he puts a sight o ginger in the chitter of the string, It isn t frilly playin but he makes that fiddle sing. He slashes out promis cus, sort o mixin up the tune, Takes the Irish Washerwoman, slams er up agin Zip Coon; And he Speeds the Plough a minute, then he ll sort o change his mind And go off a-gallivantin with the Girl I left Behind. Oh, he mixes up his music queerest way I ever saw, For he shifts the tune he s playin ev ry time he shifts his chaw; But we never mind the changes for he keeps us on the climb, 220 PINE TREE BALLADS He may twist the tune a little but he s thun der on the time ! So line up and choose your pardners we re the old ones out for fun, You ll forgit your stiff rheumaticks jest as soon as you ve begun. Course we ain t so spry and spiffy as we used to be, but yet We can show them waltzy youngsters jest a thing or two, you bet. We will dance the good old contras as we used to years ago, Jest as long as Uncle Branscomb has the strength to yank the bow. There is no one under sixty we ve shet out the youngster gang And we re goin to welt the wickin at the old folks whang. At the old folks whang Hear the cowhides bang, When we canter up the center at the old folks whang. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD O, the sleddin s gettin ragged and it s dodge and skip and skive, Till it s jest an aggravation for to try to start and drive. Fust to this side, then to t other here some ice and there some snow, Just continyal gee and holler; fust " Gid- dap," and then it s "Whoa!" Takes a half a day to git there, round by way o Robin Hood; Like as not ye ll bust your riggin haulin out your hay and wood. Tain t no way o doin bus ness; tain t no way to haul a load, You must do your hefty haulin in the mid dle of the road. If ye want to keep a-hoein Better wait for settled goin , For twice the heft goes easy in the middle of the road. O, in dealin s with your neighbors, brother, sure as you re alive, It s better to go straight ahead and never skip or skive. For the man who keeps a-dodgin back and forth across the way Like enough will find his outfit in the gutter, stuck to stay. Till the road is clear and settled, till with can dor in your heart You can see your way before you, guess ye hadn t better start; 222 PINE TREE BALLADS For to get there square and easy; and to lug your honest load, You ll find it s best to travel in the middle of the road. So s to make an honest showin Better wait for settled goin , Then, s r, hustle brisk and stiddy in the mid dle of the road. DRIVIN THE STAGE Drivin the stage, Oh, drivin the stage, With the wind fairly peelin your hide with its . aidge ! Jest got to git through with the Nited States mail For the contract provisions don t have the word " Fail." So it s out and tread drifts while the snow howls and sifts For a dollar a trip and no extrys no gifts. For them star-route contractors they rigger it fine And take it right out of the chaps on the line. They set in an office and rake in their slice While the drivers are tusslin the snow and the ice. BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 223 It may howl, it may yowl, it may snow, it may blow But that Nited States mail, wal, it jest has to go- So it s out and unhitch, leave the pung where it s stuck, Lo d the bags on the hosses and then, durn ye, huck ! And it s waller and struggle, walk stun -walls and rails For they don t stand no foolin them Nited States mails. And at last when ye git there, jest tuckered and beat, And sling in the bags and crowd up to the heat, The gang round the stove they don t give ye no praise But set there and toast themselves side of the blaze; And ev ry old, wobble-shanked son of a gun Sets up there and tells ye how he would have done ! If there s any one job gives your temper an aidge, It s drivin the stage, It s drivin the stage. 224 PINE TREE BALLADS " DOC " In his big, fur coat and with mittens big as hams, With his string of bells a-jingling, through the country side he slams. There are lots of calls to make and he s always on the tear, A-looming in his cutter like an amiable bear. And it s hi-i-i, there! Johnny don t ye care, Though tis aching something awful and is most too much to bear. Just be gay ! As soon as it is day, That pain will go a-flyin , for the doctor s on the way. There are real, true saints; there are angels all around, But there isn t one that s welcomer than he is, I ll be bound. When he bustles in the bed-room and he dumps his bufFler coat, And sticks a glass thermometer a-down the suff rin throat. BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 225 And it s chirk, cheer up! Mother, bring a cup ! You re going to like this bully when you take a little sup. There there why, There s a twinkle in your eye ! You ll be out again to-morrow, bub ; gid-dap, gid-dap, good-bye! ANOTHER " TEA REBELLION " When Mis Augusty Nichols joined the Tufts Minerva Club, She polished up on manners and she then com menced to rub At the hide of Mister Nichols who, while not exactly rude, Was hardly calculated for a howling sort of dude. Now when Augusty Nichols got to see how style was run, You bet she went for Nichols and she dressed him down like fun; And the thing in all his actions that she couldn t bear to see Was to have him fill his saucer and go whoof- ling up his tea. 226 PINE TREE BALLADS After more n a month of stewing; making mis able his life, She taught him not to shovel all his vittles with his knife. And after more n a volume of pretty spicy talk She got him in the hang of eating pie with just his fork. She trained him so s he didn t slop the vittles round his plate, She plagued him till he wouldn t sit in shirt sleeves when he ate, And then she tried her Waterloo, with faith in . high degree That she could revolutionize his way of drink ing tea. He drank it as his father always quaffed the cheering cup, He poured it in his saucer, raised the brimming puddle up And gathered in the liquid with a loud re sounding " Swoof " That now at last inspired Mrs. Nichols fierce reproof. But here was where the victim ah, here was where the worm Arose and fairly scared her by the vigor of his squirm, BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 227 Sat down his steaming saucer and with a dangerous light A-gleaming in his visage, he upbore a Yan kee s right. From the days of Boston s party up to now I think you ll see That a Yankee s independent when you bother with his tea. " Consarn your schoolmarm notions," thun dered Mrs. Nichols spouse, " You ve kept a dingin at me till I m meechin round the house. I ve swallered that and t other for I didn t like to row But ye ain t a-going to boss me in the thing ye ve tackled now. I m durned if I ll be scalded all the time I m being stung So I ll cool my tea, Mis Nichols, while ye jab me with your tongue." There are rights ye cannot smother, tyrants, whoso er ye be, And the good, New England Yankee s mighty touchy, sir, on tea. 228 PINE TREE BALLADS " LIKE AN OLD COW S TAIL " When I was a youngster and lived on the farm It sickened my heart did that morning alarm ! When dad came along to the foot of the stairs And summoned me back to my duties and cares; Put all of my glorious visions to rout With " Breakfast is ready ! H ist out there, h ist out!" And when I came yawningly, sleepily down, My eyes " full of sticks " and my face all a- frown, I got for a greeting this jocular hail, " Wai, always behind like an old cow s tail." I ll own to you, neighbor, that work on the farm Had features not wholly surrounded by charm. And when I am fashioning lyrical praise For matters bucolic of earlier days. You ll note that my lyre, sir, operates best When I tune up and sing of the blessings of rest. I ve stood in the stow-hole and " tread " on the load, And waltzed with a bush scythe and worked on the road, BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 229 But somehow or other the language won t spring When prowess of muscle I venture to sing. But when I am piping of " resting " or fun Or lauding the time after chores are all done, Why, somehow why, blame it, as sure as you re born, I mentally feel that my trolley is on ! And a trolley, you know, would be certain to fail, Unless twas behind like an old cow s tail. PASSING IT ALONG The elephant he started in and made tremen dous fuss Alleging he was crowded by the hippopotamus; He entertained misgivings that the earth was growing small, And arrived at the conclusion that there wasn t room for all. Then the hippo got to thinking and he was frightened too And so he passed the word along and sassed the kangaroo. The kangaroo as promptly took alarm and talked of doom 230 PINE TREE BALLADS And ordered all the monkeys off the earth to give him room. And the monkeys jawed the squirrels and the squirrels jawed the bees, While the bees gave Hail Columby to the minges and the fleas, In the microscopic kingdom of the microbes, I will bet That word of greedy jealousy is on its travels yet; All just because the elephant got scared and made a fuss Alleging he was crowded by the hippopotamus. A SETTIN HEN When a hen is bound to set, Seems as though tain t etiket Dowsin her in water till She s connected with a chill. Seems as though twas skursely right Givin her a dreadful fright, Tyin rags around her tail, Poundin on an old tin pail, Chasin her around the yard. Seems as though twas kind of hard Bein kicked and slammed and shooed Cause she wants to raise a brood. BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 231 I sh d say it s gettin gay Jest cause natur wants its way. While ago my neighbor, Penn, Started bustin up a hen; Went to yank her off the nest, Hen, though, made a peck and jest Grabbed his thumb-nail good and stout, Almost yanked the darn thing out. Penn he twitched away and then Tried again to grab that hen. But, by ginger, she had spunk Cause she took and nipped a junk Big s a bean right out his palm, Swallered it, and cool and calm Hi sted up and yelled " Cah-dah," Sounded like she said " Hoo-rah." Wai, sir, when that hen done that Penn he bowed, took off his hat, Spunk jest suits him, you can bet, " Set," says he, " gol darn ye, SET." BALLAD OF DEACON PEASLEE There was Uncle Ezry Cyphers and Uncle Jonas Goff, And Deacon Simon Peaslee, with his solemn vestry cough; 232 PINE TREE BALLADS Mis Ann Matilda Bellows and Aunt Almiry Hunt, At all the social meetings they performed their earnest stunt. They were strong in exhortation, and pro foundly entertained The belief that talking did it if a Heavenly Home were gained. So they rose on Tuesday evening, at Friday meeting, too, And informed their friends and neighbors what the sinners ought to do; They explained the route to Heaven and ex horted all to go In the straight and narrow pathway through the blandishments below; They were good and they were earnest, but, alas, a little tame, For month by month and year by year their talks were just the same, Until the folks who d listened all those many years could start And declaim those exhortations, for they had em all by heart. And those old folks talked so constant there was scarcely time to sing, BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 233 For they just let in regardless and monopolized the thing. Now, benign old Parson Johnson died at last. There s scarcely doubt That those prosy dissertations sort of wore the old man out. And he promptly was succeeded ere the church had dried its tears By a cocky, youthful pastor, who was full of new ideas. Now, he sized the situation ere he d been in town a week, And he set to work to fix it by a plan that was unique, For he saw unless he did so and the Lord allowed them breath, Those devoted saints would surely talk that wearied church to death. So he came to Tuesday meeting and upon his desk he placed A nickeled teacher s call-bell and blandly then he faced An astonished congregation and explained he thought it best To condense the exhortations so as not to crowd the rest; 234 PINE TREE BALLADS For he said that in the worship all the members ought to share, And monopoly of talking by the elders wasn t fair; Therefore, each could have five minutes, and he d ring to let each know When twas time to cut the discourse and give t other one a show. There were scowls from Uncle Ezry there were grunts from Uncle Goff, And Deacon Simon Peaslee gave a scornful vestry cough. Then he laid his cane beside him and he strug gled to his feet And commenced his regular discourse in re gard to tares and wheat. He was scarcely fairly going on the punish ments of hell When the pastor smiled and nodded and ding- clink-ling went the bell ! All the old folks gasped in horror and a titter soft and low Ran along the youthful sinners who were back on Devil s Row; And for just a thrilling instant Deacon Simon lost his force, BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 235 With astonished jaws a-gaping then continued on his course. To the pastor s youthful visage swept a sudden flush of wrath, As the obstinate old deacon brushed him calmly from his path, And with all the college muscle that he had at his command The parson cuffed the call-bell with a swift and steady hand. There was riot in the vestry deacon vieing with the bell, As he strove to paint the terrors of the hot, John Wesley hell, Till at last he balked and stuttered, gasped a while and tried to speak, Then sat down with tears a-dropping through the furrows on his cheek. There he bent in voiceless anguish with his old gray head bowed low, While the hushed and pitying people mourned to see him grieving so; And the parson left the platform and contritely crept across To the side of Deacon Simon and expressed his deep remorse. 236 PINE TREE BALLADS r- But the deacon raised his visage, and, with tears still streaming down, Glared upon his trembling pastor with a fierce and scornful frown. " Drat yer hide," roared Deacon Simon, " do ye think that leetle bell Scart a warrior sech as I am out of talking truths on hell? Tain t no passon sets me down, sah! Tain t no bell ye ever saw, But ye went and got me narvous and ye ve made me eat my chaw." Then the deacon, stern and angry, arm in arm with Jonas Goff, And with Uncle Cyphers trailing, stalked in righteous dudgeon off, And the sympathizing parish held a meeting there and then, And extolled the absent deacon as the most abused of men; And the parson s walking papers hit his neck below the jaw In about the same location that the deacon lost his chaw. BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 237 THE WORST TEACHER That teacher was the worst we ever tackled, He warn t so very tall, and he zvas light. // is best to lay your egg before you ve cackled, Though ive never had a notion he could fight. He acted sort of meechin when he opened up the school, We sort of got the notion he was " It " and we tagged gool, We gave him lots of jolly in a free and easy way, And showed him how we handled guys as got to acting gay. We showed him where the other one had torn away the door When we lugged him out and dumped him in the snow the year before. And soon s we thought we d scared him, we sat and chawed and spit, And kind o thought we d run the school con- cludin he was " It." It worked along in that way, sir, till Friday afternoon. 238 PINE TREE BALLADS We hadn t lugged him out that week, but lowed to do it soon. That Friday, long about three o clock, he said there d be recess, And said, " The smaller kids and girls can go for good, I guess." And he mentioned smooth and smily, but with kind of greenish eyes, That the big boys were requested to remain for exercise. And when he called us in again he up and locked the door, Shucked off his co t and weskit, took the mid dle of the floor, And talked about gymnastys in a quiet little speech, Then he made a pass at Haskell, who was nearest one in reach. Twas hot and stiff and sudden and it took him on the jaw, And that was all the exercise the Haskell feller saw. Then jumpin over Haskell s seat, he sauntered up the aisle, A-hittin right and hittin left and wearin that same smile. BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 239 And when a feller started up and tried to hit him back, Twas slipper-slapper, whacko-cracker, whango- bango-crack ! ! And never, sir, in all your life, did you see flippers whiz In such a blame, chain-lightnin style as them ere hands of his. And though we hit and though we dodged or rushed by twos and threes, He simply strolled around that room and licked us all with ease. And when the thing was nicely done, he dumped us in the yard, He clicked the padlock on the door and passed us all a card. And this was what was printed there : " Pro fessor Joseph Tate, Athletics made a specialty and champion mid dleweight." That teacher was the ivorst we ever tackled, He ivarn t so very tall and he ivas light. It is best to lay your egg before you ve cackled, Though we never had a notion he could fight. 240 PINE TREE BALLADS THE TUCKVILLE GRAND BALL Orig-en Dickerson called the figgers With a voice like a cart ex that needed some grease. He and his partner would fiddle like niggers For supper an dollar an fifty apiece. With forty couple upon the floor There wasn t an inch for no one more, We done the honors for all three towns At the high, old Tuckville spanker-downs. Yeak, yawk, Grab for your pardners ! Yawk, yawk, Wo hi-i-ish inter line! Yankity, yump-de, Yankity, yah-h de! For a fife and two fiddles that music was fine. And we pelted the floor and sashayed through the door, And balanced to pardners and sashayed some more. And when we got orders to " all hands around ! " Warn t half of the girls that could stay on the ground. BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 241 For-rud and back! Wo haw, there, to Ella. Wo buck inter line and balance to Grace. Grab holt o hands, there, and swing by yer feller, Clek clek, gid-dap-along, git inter place. And the dust would rise and the lamps would shake Till ye d think their chimblys was goin to break. For we tended to dancin right up brown At a high old Tuckville spanker-down. Squeak, squawk, Pick out yer feller ! Raw-w-wk, raw-w-wk, Form on your set ! High-deedle, do-o-o de, High-deedle, dah-h-h-de! We swung by the waist in them dances, you bet. There wasn t kid slippers, there wasn t tight boots, There wasn t silk dresses, there wasn t dude suits, There wasn t no banquet ten dollars for two But a good brimmin bowlful of hot oyster stew. 242 PINE TREE BALLADS We d darnce twenty numbers and all the en cores, Get home in the mornin bout time for the chores And all the next day the work was like play, The girls doin housework would waltz and sashay; The boys would astonish the stock in the yard By forgettin and yellin , " Hi, all promunard ! " Hi-i-i, yah-h-h! Ladies to center, there! Hi-i-i, yah-h-h! Balance ye all! Wo hi-ish up the middle, bear down on the fiddle, By ginger, twas fun at the Tuckville Grand Ball. THE ONE-RING SHOW The street parade was gorgeous and the show was mighty fine Them fellers on the trick trapeze was cork ers in their line, And all the lady riders was as pretty as they re made, And kept the climate fully up to ninety in the shade. BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 243 The chaps that did the tumbling acts and every funny clown Was just as slick an article as ever came to town. I ve got to tell you, neighbor, that it all was up in G, Including all the things I saw and what I didn t see. But though I did a master sight of rubber- neckin round, A-lookin here and gawpin there, why, gra cious, me, I found From what the folks have told me since, I missed the finest things, I hadn t eyes and neck enough for all them three big rings. And honest, if I had my choice, I d good deal ruther go To just a good, old-fashioned sort of hayseed, one-ring show. The people used to gather when Van Amburgh came to town With a lion and an elephant, a camel and a clown. There wasn t " miles of splendor," as the cir cus programs say, 244 PINE TREE BALLADS But folks got up at daylight, drove in early in the day; And they perched along the fences while the dozen carts or so Came trailin through the village with the old Van Amburgh show. It wasn t just " stupendous," but the people didn t jeer And say it wasn t up to what the circus was last year ! O, no, they crunched their peanuts and they took things as they d come, And heard a lot of music in the rump-rump of the drum. For things, you know, seemed fresher in the days when we were young, And tinsel passed for solid stuff when lady riders sprung Through papered hoops, or danced and frisked upon their charger s rump And vaulters spun to dizzy heights with one jer-oosly jump. They did those ding-does master fine some twenty years ago And you never missed a wiggle at a one ring show. I won t pick flaws with modern ways of doing all these things, BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 245 For folks have got to living on the gauge of three big rings. But while the whirl is going on, it seems, my friend, to me That half of what goes past your nose is things that you don t see. And when the angel cries, " All done," and when the lights go out, You ll jostle to the dark Beyond amidst a diz zied rout. And life that s lived at three ring pace I fear will only seem A useless sort of patchwork thing a mixed- up fruitless dream. Why wasn t " father s way " the best? Though there was less array, Though men had less of creeds and cults than what they have to-day, The old folks then from Life s great tent went slowly thronging out With calm, well-ordered years behind, unvexed by care or doubt. And though in old Van Amburgh s days the thing moved rather slow, You didn t sprain your moral neck in looking at Life s Show. 246 PINE TREE BALLADS THE SWITCH FOR HIRAM BROWN That Hiram Brown he come to school and brung in seven ticks; He picked them off his father s sheep jes like his dratted tricks ! One day that critter put a toad right in our teacher s chair, She squatted down and then got up! And warn t she mad for fair? He brung in crawly bugs and things, a mouse and onct a rat, An then he sort o wound things up with suthin wusser n that. The teacher cotched him that time, though, and my! she combed him down An I was sent to cut the switch that walloped Hiram Brown. Them ticks was in a pill-box doctor left when Bill was sick, An they was measly lookin things; say, j ever see a tick? While we was readin testermunt Hi stirred em w r ith a pin, We all was wond rin what he d got, for he was on the grin. BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 247 Then when the teacher turned her back, Hi made for Ozy Blair An turned the whole blamed seven ticks right loose in Ozy s hair. Then Ozy had a spasm fit like what he s sub- jick to; He squalled and clawed and bumped around till he was black an blue. An teacher took her fine-toothed comb an raked an scraped his head, It come nigh bustin up the school that way that he raised Ned ! The teacher made us all set up as stiff and straight as sticks, An then says she, all raspy-like, " Who was it brung them ticks ? " We couldn t help it swow to man! We looked at Hiram Brown An Hi he set there redd nin up and sort o lookin down. An teacher sniffed an then she scowled an giv her sleeves a twitch, An turned to me an then says she, " Ike, go an cut a switch." Twas dretful nice outdoors that day it set a feller wishin 248 PINE TREE BALLADS That he could cut an run from school an put his time in fishin . Twas one them soft nin sort of days an while I was a-pickin A switch, it come acrost me what a shame to git a lickin On such a mighty pleasant day. So I shinned up a tree An cut a slimpsy popple switch that wouldn t hurt a flea. Then I went in there teacher was, a-waitin by the door, The scholars set as still as death an Bill stood in the floor. But how they snickered when they see that dinky little switch, The teacher broke it up on me an giv my ear a twitch, Says she, " You try that on agin, you ll git it worse, you clown! Now go, an see f you know enough to cut that switch for Brown." Seems s if it warn t so nice outdoors. It kind o stirred my mad To divvy up that way with Hi Cause twasn t me twas bad! BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 249 Says I, " By jing, I ll even up." I took my biggest blade An cut a switch that, honest true, it almost made me fraid. I didn t trim it very clus by snummy, I felt wicked, I left the knobs all stickin out an some of em was pick-ed. I passed er in. The teacher she ker-wished it through the air, An Hi he shivered; twas enough to fairly curl his hair. She fixed her hairpins so s her pug it couldn t tumble down, An then says she, like bitin nails, " Take off your coat, Hi Brown." Then Hiram Brown he got right down an begged an teased an prayed, She hit him once an easy clip an then he fairly brayed. He acted out in master style; why, sence he s come of age He s makin money like all sin, plav-actin on the stage. Our teacher was an easy mark the tender hearted kind 250 PINE TREE BALLADS When Hiram got to takin on she went and changed her mind. Says she, " You ve been a naughty boy but if you now repent I ll spare the rod but punish you in this way." Jee, she went An sent that Hi acrost the room to sit with Helen Dean, The girl I liked the best in school ; an Hi was jest serene! That warn t the wust, for after school he licked me like the deuce Because I left them knobs all on. Oh, thun der, what s the use Of tryin to be good, sometimes? I know it s wicked talk To intimate that vice may ride when virtue has to walk ; To hint that folks of honest ways but moderate in wits May have their noses rubbed in dirt by rascal hypocrites, But truly, friends, it does appear that only mar tyrs crowns Are passed to worth clown here on earth; the rest to Hiram Browns. BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 251 THE JUMPER Ba gor! J jomp an jomp all tarn Bot jos can t halp clat dere she am ! Cos vv en som fellaire he say " Boo! " Morgee ! I jomp an holler, too. Long tarn , way back ma broder, Joe, Hav gon roun house, an off she go. Go bang, r-rat clos op side ma ear; Sence w en I ac dis way dat queer ! I tak med ceen don t geet som cure. Gass I got jomp-ops now for sure. An mos all tarn som son er gon T ink mak me jomp wal, dat ban fon. I ll tal yo wan t ing dat ban true Las spreeng dey beelcl dat r-ra ltrack t rough R-rat pas ma house, an w at yo s pose? Dem ra ltrack fellaircs, wal, he goes Sot pos for whees-el side ma door, An den wal, p rap I didn t swore ! Wan tra n com pas long jos bout noon, An go " whoot-toot ! " Wal, bamby, soon, Wa n t no whol deeshes round for why? Cos , sacre, I jomp op sky-high An keeck dat table roun dat plac An lat som howl com off ma face. 252 PINE TREE BALLADS Dat vife he skeer mos near on death, An all dem shildreen hoi deir breath For saw deir fadder ac lak dat An geeve dose dinnaire wan beeg slat. An wan tra n she go pas on night, Long bout de tarn I sle p mos tight. An w en she whees-el, " Whoot-too-too ! " I jomp lak wil cat, I tal you. I heet ma vife gre t beeg hard slams An black her eye mos seexteen tarn s. Till las she go off sle p down stair, She say I worse as greezly bear, Bot w at yo t ink ? I swore dis true, I nevaire know w at t ing I do. Wai, w en t ings geet bos op dat way, I ban saw ra ltrack boss wan day. I tal heem bout I poun ma vife, Can t halp dat t ing for save ma life An he he blor-rt, lak wan gre t caff, An lean way back an laff an laff. I don t saw nottin s dere for fon Bout havin dat ol ra ltrack ron Op pas ma house an hav dem car Mak me bos op ma home, ba gar! I tol heem dat bam-by dat soun Ban mak me keeck dat whol house down. BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 253 " I ll tal yo w at," say he bam-by, He wap hees eye off lak he cry " I ll tol yo w at dees ro d weell do: We ll send op our construckshong crew, We ll beeld, to show dat we hain t mean, Wan good, beeg cage an pot yo een." Ba gar ! Dat all I geet off heem ! I weesh dey not fin out dat steam! ISHMAEL S BREED Horde of the Great Unwashed! Hobo and moucher and bum, Vag and yag and grafter and tramp, we care lessly go and come. Of the morrow we take no heed, no care infests the day, Plenty of gump and a train to jump a grip on the rods and away ! To the grab for the gear of greed we give no thought or care, We own with you the arch of blue our share of God s good air; A coin to clear the law, a section of rubber hose To soften the chafe of the truss and rod our portion of cast-off clothes; 254 PINE TREE BALLADS And ours the world the world! a heritage won by right, By tacit deed to the nomad breed with the taint of the Ishmaelite. Some from the wastes of the sage-brush, some from the orange land, Some from " God s own country," dusty and tattered and tanned. Wherefore? Tis idle to tell you you d never understand. Hither and fro, We come we go, Old Father Ishmael s band. Yags-will sometimes walk, a tramp will hit the grit, But a hobo never will count the ties so long as he keeps his wit. There s the truss of the Wagner freight, the rods and the jolting truck, You can grab and swing at the yard-line post if you ve muscle enough and pluck. There s the perch of the pilot, too, where you re target for lumps of coal, For a shack or a fireman never thinks we ve either nerves or soul. If you ve taken the full degrees and have cov ered the " Honey Route," BALLADS of CAPERS and ACTIONS 255 Have fired a rock at the " Fox Train crew," and knocked a Doughface out, You are man for the king-pin act ! Here s hop ing you have success When you risk your neck on the smoke-swept " deck " of the Limited Express. Some from the slopes of the Rockies, some from the Ogden route, Where the meek old Mormon matrons hand the milk and honey out, West and south and northward and t other way about, On tank and wall, You ll find the scrawl Of the tramp s monarka-scout. Taint of the nomad s blood ! God, if we could but burst From the thrall of vags and drop our rags and cleave to the best not worst ! Each day on a town s main-drag, as we re flaggin some house for prog, The smile of a child or a maiden s face will give our hearts a jog. And I yes, even I, have flicked at a sudden tear And have turned my back on Smoky Jack lest he see the thing and jeer. 256 PINE TREE BALLADS Spur of the nomad s taint! Back to the ring ing rails That coaxingly curve to the far unknown! Confusion to courts and jails ! The "goat" is coughing the grade; grab for the rods, there, Jack, Look out for your grip, for a bit of a slip will toss you to grease the track. Bound for the Greasers sage-brush, under the roaring train, Decking the fast expresses from Texas north to Maine, Grimy and tattered and blinded, Ishmael s blood our bane, We ride we ride, To hope denied, Cursed with the curse of Cain. 12171 DATE DUE A 000 568 961 7