AT NOEY'S HOUSE

At Noey's house — when they arrived with him —

How snug seemed everything, and neat and trim:

The little picket-fence, and little gate —

It's little pulley, and its little weight,—

All glib as clock-work, as it clicked behind

Them, on the little red brick pathway, lined

With little paint-keg-vases and teapots

Of wee moss-blossoms and forgetmenots:

And in the windows, either side the door,

Were ranged as many little boxes more

Of like old-fashioned larkspurs, pinks and moss

And fern and phlox; while up and down across

Them rioted the morning-glory-vines

On taut-set cotton-strings, whose snowy lines

Whipt in and out and under the bright green

Like basting-threads; and, here and there between,

A showy, shiny hollyhock would flare

Its pink among the white and purple there.—

And still behind the vines, the children saw

A strange, bleached, wistful face that seemed to draw

A vague, indefinite sympathy. A face

It was of some newcomer to the place.—

In explanation, Noey, briefly, said

That it was “Jason,” as he turned and led

The little fellows‘ round the house to show

Them his menagerie of pets. And so

For quite a time the face of the strange guest

Was partially forgotten, as they pressed

About the squirrel-cage and rousted both

The lazy inmates out, though wholly loath

To whirl the wheel for them.— And then with awe

They walked‘ round Noey's big pet owl, and saw

Him film his great, clear, liquid eyes and stare

And turn and turn and turn his head‘ round there

The same way they kept circling — as though he

Could turn it one way thus eternally.

Behind the kitchen, then, with special pride

Noey stirred up a terrapin inside

The rain-barrel where he lived, with three or four

Little mud-turtles of a size not more

In neat circumference than the tiny toy

Dumb-watches worn by every little boy.

Then, back of the old shop, beneath the tree

Of “rusty-coats,” as Noey called them, he

Next took the boys, to show his favorite new

Pet‘ coon — pulled rather coyly into view

Up through a square hole in the bottom of

An old inverted tub he bent above,

Yanking a little chain, with “Hey! you, sir!

Here's comp'ny come to see you, Bolivur!”

Explanatory, he went on to say,

“I named him‘ Bolivur’ jes thisaway,—

He looks so round and ovalish and fat,

‘ Peared like no other name‘ ud fit but that.”

Here Noey's father called and sent him on

Some errand. “Wait,” he said — “I wo n't be gone

A half a’ hour.— Take Bud, and go on in

Where Jason is, tel I git back agin.”

Whoever Jason was, they found him there

Still at the front-room window.— By his chair

Leaned a new pair of crutches; and from one

Knee down, a leg was bandaged.— “Jason done

That-air with one o’ these -‘ ere tools we call

A‘ shin-hoe’ — but a foot-adz mostly all

Hardware-store-keepers calls‘ em.” — ( Noey made

This explanation later. )

Jason paid

But little notice to the boys as they

Came in the room:— An idle volume lay

Upon his lap — the only book in sight —

And Johnty read the title,— “Light, More Light,

There's Danger in the Dark,” — though first and best —

In fact, the whole of Jason's interest

Seemed centered on a little dog — one pet

Of Noey's all uncelebrated yet —

Though Jason, certainly, avowed his worth,

And niched him over all the pets on earth —

As the observant Johnty would relate

The Jason-episode, and imitate

The all-enthusiastic speech and air

Of Noey's kinsman and his tribute there:—

“THAT LITTLE DOG”

“That little dog‘ ud scratch at that door

And go on a-whinin’ two hours before

He'd ever let up! There!— Jane: Let him in.—

( Hah, there, you little rat! ) Look at him grin!

Come down off o’ that!—

W'y, look at him! ( Drat

You! you-rascal-you! ) — bring me that hat!

Look out!— He'll snap you!— He would n't let

You take it away from him, now you kin bet!

That little rascal's jist natchurly mean.—

I tell you, I never ( Git out!! ) never seen

A spunkier little rip! ( Scratch to git in,

And now yer a-scratchin’ to git out agin!

Jane: Let him out! ) Now, watch him from here

Out through the winder!— You notice one ear

Kindo’ in side-out, like he holds it?— Well,

He's got a tick in it — I kin tell!

Yes, and he's cunnin’ —

Jist watch him a-runnin’,

Sidelin’ — see!— like he ai n't‘ plum'd true’

And legs do n't‘ track’ as they'd ort to do:—

Plowin’ his nose through the weeds — I jing!

Ai n't he jist cuter'n anything!

“W'y, that little dog's got grown-people's sense!—

See how he gits out under the fence?—

And watch him a-whettin’ his hind-legs‘ fore

His dead square run of a miled er more —

‘ Cause Noey's a-comin’, and Trip allus knows

When Noey's a-comin’ — and off he goes!—

Putts out to meet him and — There they come now!

Well-sir! it's raially singalar how

That dog kin tell,—

But he knows as well

When Noey's a-comin’ home!— Reckon his smell

‘ Ud carry two miled?— You need n't to smile —

He runs to meet him, ever’ - once-n-a-while,

Two miled and over — when he's slipped away

And left him at home here, as he's done to-day —

‘ Thout ever knowin’ where Noey wuz goin’ —

But that little dog allus hits the right way!

Hear him a-whinin’ and scratchin’ agin?—

( Little tormentin’ fice! ) Jane: Let him in.

“— You say he ai n't there?—

Well now, I declare!—

Lem me limp out and look!... I wunder where —

Heuh, Trip!— Heuh, Trip!— Heuh, Trip!... There —

There he is!— Little sneak!— What-a’ - you -‘ bout?—

There he is — quiled up as meek as a mouse,

His tail turnt up like a teakittle-spout,

A-sunnin’ hisse'f at the side o’ the house!

Next time you scratch, sir, you'll haf to git in,

My fine little feller, the best way you kin!

— Noey he learns him sich capers!— And they —

Both of‘ em's ornrier every day!—

Both tantalizin’ and meaner'n sin —

Allus a — ( Listen there! ) — Jane: Let him in.

“— O! yer so innocent! hangin’ yer head!—

( Drat ye! you'd better git under the bed! )

— Listen at that!—

He's tackled the cat!—

Hah, there! you little rip! come out o’ that!—

Git yer blame little eyes scratched out

‘ Fore you know what yer talkin’ about!—

Here! come away from there!— ( Let him alone —

He'll snap you, I tell ye, as quick as a bone! )

Hi, Trip!— Hey, here!— What-a’ - you -‘ bout!—

Oo! ouch!‘ Ll I'll be blamed!— Blast ye! GIT OUT!

... O, it ai n't nothin’ — jist scratched me, you see.—

Had n't no idy he'd try to bite me!

Plague take him!— Bet he'll not try that agin!—

Hear him yelp.— ( Pore feller! ) Jane: Let him in.”