 | Songs of two centuries |  |
39
THE THANKSGIVING DANCE.
Wall, November's on us now—such as up to date is livin'—
An' it won't be many sunsets 'fore we've got a new Thanksgivin'.
Mebby with ungrateful heart an' a prayin' mouth to screen it:
Sometimes form is better'n nothin'—even when they do not mean it.
[Thus said Ahab Adams, merchant, quiet 'mid the city's Babel,
Lounging in his inner office, while his feet adorned a table.]
An' it won't be many sunsets 'fore we've got a new Thanksgivin'.
Mebby with ungrateful heart an' a prayin' mouth to screen it:
Sometimes form is better'n nothin'—even when they do not mean it.
[Thus said Ahab Adams, merchant, quiet 'mid the city's Babel,
Lounging in his inner office, while his feet adorned a table.]
Well, we boys looked forward fur it—used to long to give it greetin'—
Half the day inside a pew—half a-guzzlin' an' a-eatin'.
We was then ungrateful scamps—all religious joys a-shirkin';
But we yelled fur any minute that would let us loose from workin'.
Most of us is lab'rers now—with our feelin's much amended;
Fur we're maybe at the work that the Lord fur us intended!
[Then he hugged his elder brother, with a motion kind but bearish:
He was the devoted pastor of a first-class city-parish.]
Half the day inside a pew—half a-guzzlin' an' a-eatin'.
We was then ungrateful scamps—all religious joys a-shirkin';
But we yelled fur any minute that would let us loose from workin'.
Most of us is lab'rers now—with our feelin's much amended;
Fur we're maybe at the work that the Lord fur us intended!
[Then he hugged his elder brother, with a motion kind but bearish:
He was the devoted pastor of a first-class city-parish.]
Yes, we mostly liked Thanksgivin', or the day we used to call so,
When we used to eat an' eat till the stomach-ache came also!
But the best one I remember was, most ev'ry hour an' minute,
One Thanksgivin'-party with no Thanksgivin'-dinner in it!
When we used to eat an' eat till the stomach-ache came also!
But the best one I remember was, most ev'ry hour an' minute,
One Thanksgivin'-party with no Thanksgivin'-dinner in it!
Recollect in '53? how the crops come in, that season!
Everything bobbed up as ef it possessed some special reason;
Corn-ears looked like clubs of gold—wheat made faces at the measure;
Oats an' rye an' punkin vines seemed as if they growed for pleasure.
Round-eyed grape-stems 'twas a joy even just to hev a sight of;
Apples mebby like the one Eve went wrong to get a bite of.
An' I recollect you said, as you dug a two-pound tater,
“Ef there's anything that's failed, surely 'tisn't old Mammy Natur!”
Everything bobbed up as ef it possessed some special reason;
Corn-ears looked like clubs of gold—wheat made faces at the measure;
Oats an' rye an' punkin vines seemed as if they growed for pleasure.
40
Apples mebby like the one Eve went wrong to get a bite of.
An' I recollect you said, as you dug a two-pound tater,
“Ef there's anything that's failed, surely 'tisn't old Mammy Natur!”
Then, to make the whole concern more entrancin' an' delightin',
Nations far across the sea fell to bickerin' an' to fightin';
Killed each other for the sake of their boundaries enlargin';
An' we Yankees hed to feed 'em—an' we didn't forgit the chargin'.
After all the lean lank years, now hed come a fine an' fat one;
An' we capered round as ef all the rest would be like that one.
So we said, “There's fun ahead”: our hard days' works we would sof'n
With a dinner in our minds such as didn't come very of'n.
Nations far across the sea fell to bickerin' an' to fightin';
Killed each other for the sake of their boundaries enlargin';
An' we Yankees hed to feed 'em—an' we didn't forgit the chargin'.
After all the lean lank years, now hed come a fine an' fat one;
An' we capered round as ef all the rest would be like that one.
So we said, “There's fun ahead”: our hard days' works we would sof'n
With a dinner in our minds such as didn't come very of'n.
But there's one thing you can bank on: earthly joys is few an' fleetin':
Dad and Mam went off that week to a 'Sociation'l meetin'!
Dad and Mam went off that week to a 'Sociation'l meetin'!
Well, seven brothers in one house, with no women-folks to aid 'em
Couldn't make vict'als utter thanks—though we worked hard to persuade 'em:
Flour an' dough for us wouldn't go; fire had ruther roast our fingers;
Gracious! how that cookin'-bee in the mem'ry lurks an' lingers!
So we dumped into a ditch all our culinary labors;
An' you says, “Le's hev a shindig an' invite the nearest neighbors!”
Couldn't make vict'als utter thanks—though we worked hard to persuade 'em:
Flour an' dough for us wouldn't go; fire had ruther roast our fingers;
Gracious! how that cookin'-bee in the mem'ry lurks an' lingers!
So we dumped into a ditch all our culinary labors;
An' you says, “Le's hev a shindig an' invite the nearest neighbors!”
Gracious! how we took the word 'mong the misters, maids, an' madams,
“There will be a dance tonight at the house of Deacon Adams!”
What surprise was in all eyes; how with questions they would work us!
'Twouldn't hev rattled folks much more ef we'd hed a three-ring circus.
But they come at candle-lightin'—scores of 'em with curious greetin';
First time Deacon Adams' house ever hed that sort of meetin'!
“There will be a dance tonight at the house of Deacon Adams!”
What surprise was in all eyes; how with questions they would work us!
'Twouldn't hev rattled folks much more ef we'd hed a three-ring circus.
But they come at candle-lightin'—scores of 'em with curious greetin';
First time Deacon Adams' house ever hed that sort of meetin'!
Cross-eyed Baker worked the fiddle: though no sweet professional beauty,
Couldn't he make a dancin'-tune skip aroun' an' do its duty?
Wasn't his head chock full o' notes! yellin', moanin', cooin', glancin'—
Ef he'd tried, I almost think he could set a graveyard dancin'!
Broke one string, the first dumbed thing; but he rose to that superior
In a way that made our cat tremble fur its own interior!
What a voice he hed, besides!—half a roar an' half a ripple:
He could “call off” in a way that would give legs to a cripple.
Not a dance he undertook, but he made us all go through it;
Folks went trippin' 'mongst the figgers that I never thought could do it.
People that was sick abed when they got the invertation,
Now was with us in the shindig, dancin', too, like all creation;
Skippin' o'er the hard-wood floor—all its cracks an' j'ints an' hummocks—
Givin' thanks there with their heels, ef they couldn't with their stomachs.
Couldn't he make a dancin'-tune skip aroun' an' do its duty?
Wasn't his head chock full o' notes! yellin', moanin', cooin', glancin'—
Ef he'd tried, I almost think he could set a graveyard dancin'!
Broke one string, the first dumbed thing; but he rose to that superior
In a way that made our cat tremble fur its own interior!
What a voice he hed, besides!—half a roar an' half a ripple:
He could “call off” in a way that would give legs to a cripple.
41
Folks went trippin' 'mongst the figgers that I never thought could do it.
People that was sick abed when they got the invertation,
Now was with us in the shindig, dancin', too, like all creation;
Skippin' o'er the hard-wood floor—all its cracks an' j'ints an' hummocks—
Givin' thanks there with their heels, ef they couldn't with their stomachs.
Recollect old Nathan Davis?—how he made the windows rattle!
Couldn't hev caused a bigger racket ef he'd brought a drove of cattle!
Recollect Cordelia Close, of the spinsterette pursuasion?
Little thing hadn't danced before, maybe, sence the Dutch invasion.
Recollect Lycurgus Straw?—local preacher, full o' feelin':
Looked on: said he didn't think it was half as bad as stealin';
Recollect old Gran'pa Purdy?—worked up by that fiddle's mockin's,
He jest jerked off both his boots, prancin' roun' in white-toed stockin's;
Oh, I tell ye it was fine! full o' music joy an' clatter!
Not a morsel fur to eat, but a pile to make us fatter!
Couldn't hev caused a bigger racket ef he'd brought a drove of cattle!
Recollect Cordelia Close, of the spinsterette pursuasion?
Little thing hadn't danced before, maybe, sence the Dutch invasion.
Recollect Lycurgus Straw?—local preacher, full o' feelin':
Looked on: said he didn't think it was half as bad as stealin';
Recollect old Gran'pa Purdy?—worked up by that fiddle's mockin's,
He jest jerked off both his boots, prancin' roun' in white-toed stockin's;
Oh, I tell ye it was fine! full o' music joy an' clatter!
Not a morsel fur to eat, but a pile to make us fatter!
An' when everything was gorgeous, an' our blood was still a-heatin',
Dad an' Mam come happenin' in—unexpected home from meetin'.
Dad an' Mam come happenin' in—unexpected home from meetin'.
| Songs of two centuries | |