The Poetry Corner

The Hired Man And Floretty

By James Whitcomb Riley

The Hired Man's supper, which he sat before, In near reach of the wood-box, the stove-door And one leaf of the kitchen-table, was Somewhat belated, and in lifted pause His dextrous knife was balancing a bit Of fried mush near the port awaiting it. At the glad children's advent - gladder still To find him there - "Jest tickled fit to kill To see ye all!" he said, with unctious cheer. - "I'm tryin'-like to he'p Floretty here To git things cleared away and give ye room Accordin' to yer stren'th. But I p'sume It's a pore boarder, as the poet says, That quarrels with his victuals, so I guess I'll take another wedge o' that-air cake, Florett', that you're a-learnin' how to bake." He winked and feigned to swallow painfully. - "Jest 'fore ye all come in, Floretty she Was boastin' 'bout her biscuits - and they air As good - sometimes - as you'll find anywhere. - But, women gits to braggin' on their bread, I'm s'picious 'bout their pie - as Danty said." This raillery Floretty strangely seemed To take as compliment, and fairly beamed With pleasure at it all. - "Speakin' o' bread - When she come here to live," The Hired Man said, - "Never ben out o' Freeport 'fore she come Up here, - of course she needed 'sperience some. - So, one day, when yer Ma was goin' to set The risin' fer some bread, she sent Florett To borry leaven, 'crost at Ryans' - So, She went and asked fer twelve. - She didn't know, But thought, whatever 'twuz, that she could keep One fer herse'f, she said. O she wuz deep!" Some little evidence of favor hailed The Hired Man's humor; but it wholly failed To touch the serious Susan Loehr, whose air And thought rebuked them all to listening there To her brief history of the city-man And his pale wife - "A sweeter woman than She ever saw!" - So Susan testified, - And so attested all the Loehrs beside. - So entertaining was the history, that The Hired Man, in the corner where he sat In quiet sequestration, shelling corn, Ceased wholly, listening, with a face forlorn As Sorrow's own, while Susan, John and Jake Told of these strangers who had come to make Some weeks' stay in the town, in hopes to gain Once more the health the wife had sought in vain: Their doctor, in the city, used to know The Loehrs - Dan and Rachel - years ago, - And so had sent a letter and request For them to take a kindly interest In favoring the couple all they could - To find some home-place for them, if they would, Among their friends in town. He ended by A dozen further lines, explaining why His patient must have change of scene and air - New faces, and the simple friendships there With them, which might, in time, make her forget A grief that kept her ever brooding yet And wholly melancholy and depressed, - Nor yet could she find sleep by night nor rest By day, for thinking - thinking - thinking still Upon a grief beyond the doctor's skill, - The death of her one little girl. "Pore thing!" Floretty sighed, and with the turkey-wing Brushed off the stove-hearth softly, and peered in The kettle of molasses, with her thin Voice wandering into song unconsciously - In purest, if most witless, sympathy. - "'Then sleep no more: Around thy heart Some ten-der dream may i-dlee play. But mid-night song, With mad-jick art, Will chase that dree muh-way!'" "That-air besetment of Floretty's," said The Hired Man, - "singin - she inhairited, - Her father wuz addicted - same as her - To singin' - yes, and played the dulcimer! But - gittin' back, - I s'pose yer talkin' 'bout Them Hammondses. Well, Hammond he gits out Pattents on things - inventions-like, I'm told - And's got more money'n a house could hold! And yit he can't git up no pattent-right To do away with dyin'. - And he might Be worth a million, but he couldn't find Nobody sellin' health of any kind!... But they's no thing onhandier fer me To use than other people's misery. - Floretty, hand me that-air skillet there And lem me git 'er het up, so's them-air Childern kin have their popcorn." It was good To hear him now, and so the children stood Closer about him, waiting. "Things to eat," The Hired Man went on, "'s mighty hard to beat! Now, when I wuz a boy, we was so pore, My parunts couldn't 'ford popcorn no more To pamper me with; - so, I hat to go Without popcorn - sometimes a year er so! - And suffer'n' saints! how hungry I would git Fer jest one other chance - like this - at it! Many and many a time I've dreamp', at night, About popcorn, - all busted open white, And hot, you know - and jest enough o' salt And butter on it fer to find no fault - Oomh! - Well! as I was goin' on to say, - After a-dreamin' of it thataway, Then havin' to wake up and find it's all A dream, and hain't got no popcorn at-tall, Ner haint had none - I'd think, 'Well, where's the use!' And jest lay back and sob the plaster'n' loose! And I have prayed, whatever happened, it 'Ud eether be popcorn er death!.... And yit I've noticed - more'n likely so have you - That things don't happen when you want 'em to." And thus he ran on artlessly, with speech And work in equal exercise, till each Tureen and bowl brimmed white. And then he greased The saucers ready for the wax, and seized The fragrant-steaming kettle, at a sign Made by Floretty; and, each child in line, He led out to the pump - where, in the dim New coolness of the night, quite near to him He felt Floretty's presence, fresh and sweet As ... dewy night-air after kitchen-heat. There, still, with loud delight of laugh and jest, They plied their subtle alchemy with zest - Till, sudden, high above their tumult, welled Out of the sitting-room a song which held Them stilled in some strange rapture, listening To the sweet blur of voices chorusing: - "'When twilight approaches the season That ever is sacred to song, Does some one repeat my name over, And sigh that I tarry so long? And is there a chord in the music That's missed when my voice is away? - And a chord in each heart that awakens Regret at my wearisome stay-ay - Regret at my wearisome stay.'" All to himself, The Hired Man thought - "Of course They'll sing Floretty homesick!" ... O strange source Of ecstasy! O mystery of Song! - To hear the dear old utterance flow along: - "'Do they set me a chair near the table When evening's home-pleasures are nigh? - When the candles are lit in the parlor. And the stars in the calm azure sky.'"... Just then the moonlight sliced the porch slantwise, And flashed in misty spangles in the eyes Floretty clenched - while through the dark - "I jing!" A voice asked, "Where's that song 'you'd learn to sing Ef I sent you the ballat?' - which I done Last I was home at Freeport. - S'pose you run And git it - and we'll all go in to where They'll know the notes and sing it fer ye there." And up the darkness of the old stairway Floretty fled, without a word to say - Save to herself some whisper muffled by Her apron, as she wiped her lashes dry. Returning, with a letter, which she laid Upon the kitchen-table while she made A hasty crock of "float," - poured thence into A deep glass dish of iridescent hue And glint and sparkle, with an overflow Of froth to crown it, foaming white as snow. - And then - poundcake, and jelly-cake as rare, For its delicious complement, - with air Of Hebe mortalized, she led her van Of votaries, rounded by The Hired Man.