A Nest-Egg | |
Author | James Whitcomb Riley |
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Published |
1913
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Language | English |
Nationality | American |
Genre | Hoosier Poet, Poetry |
1913 Short Story
A Nest-Egg
A Nest-Egg is an English Hoosier Poet, Poetry short story by American writer James Whitcomb Riley. It was first published in 1913. A Nest-Egg was retrieved from The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley (1913).
A Nest-Egg
by James Whitcomb Riley
But a few miles from the city here, and on the sloping banks of the stream noted more for its plenitude of chubs and shiners than the gamier two- and four-pound bass for which, in season, so many credulous anglers flock and lie in wait, stands a country residence, so convenient to the stream, and so inviting in its pleasant exterior and comfortable surroundingsbarn, dairy, and spring-housethat the weary, sunburnt, and disheartened fisherman, out from the dusty town for a day of recreation, is often wont to seek its hospitality. The house in style of architecture is something of a departure from the typical farmhouse, being designed and fashioned with no regard to symmetry or proportion, but rather, as is suggested, built to conform to the matter-of-fact and most sensible ideas of its owner, who, if it pleased him, would have small windows where large ones ought to be, and vice versa, whether they balanced properly to the eye or not. And chimneyshe would have as many as he wanted, and no two alike, in either height or size. And if he wanted the front of the house turned from all possible view, as though abashed at any chance of public scrutiny, why, that was his affair and not the publics; and, with like perverseness, if he chose to thrust his kitchen under the publics very nose, what should the generally fagged-out, half-famished representative [70]of that dignified public do but reel in his dead minnow, shoulder his fishing-rod, clamber over the back fence of the old farmhouse and inquire within, or jog back to the city, inwardly anathematizing that very particular locality or the whole rural district in general. That is just the way that farmhouse looked to the writer of this sketch one week agoso individual it seemedso liberal, and yet so independent. It wasnt even weather-boarded, but, instead, was covered smoothly with some cement, as though the plasterers had come while the folks were visiting, and so, unable to get at the interior, had just plastered the outside.
I am more than glad that I was hungry enough, and weary enough, and wise enough to take the house at its first suggestion; for, putting away my fishing-tackle for the morning, at least, I went up the sloping bank, crossed the dusty road, and confidently clambered over the fence.
Not even a growling dog to intimate that I was trespassing. All was opengracious-lookingpastoral. The sward beneath my feet was velvet-like in elasticity, and the scarce visible path I followed through it led promptly to the open kitchen door. From within I heard a woman singing some old ballad in an undertone, while at the threshold a trim, white-spurred rooster stood poised on one foot, curving his glossy neck and cocking his wattled head as though to catch the meaning of the words. I paused. It was a scene I felt restrained from breaking in upon, nor would I, but for the sound of a strong male voice coming around the corner of the house:
Sir. Howdy!
Turning, I saw a rough-looking but kindly featured man of sixty-five, the evident owner of the place.
I returned his salutation with some confusion and much deference. I must really beg your pardon for this [71]intrusion, I began, but I have been tiring myself out fishing, and your home here looked so pleasantand I felt so thirstyand
Want a drink, I reckon, said the old man, turning abruptly toward the kitchen door, then pausing as suddenly, with a backward motion of his thumbjest foller the path here down to the little brickthats the springand youll find at youve come to the right place fer drinkin-worter! Hold on a minute tel I git you a tumblertherere nothin down there but a tin.
Then dont trouble yourself any further, I said, heartily, for Id rather drink from a tin cup than a goblet of pure gold.
And sod I, said the old man, reflectively, turning mechanically, and following me down the path. Druther drink out of a tiner jest a fruit-can with the top knocked offererer a gourd, he added in a zestful, reminiscent tone of voice, that so heightened my impatient thirst that I reached the spring-house fairly in a run.
Well-sir! exclaimed my host, in evident delight, as I stood dipping my nose in the second cupful of the cool, revivifying liquid, and peering in a congratulatory kind of way at the blurred and rubicund reflection of my features in the bottom of the cup, well-sir, blame-don! ef it dont do a feller good to see you enjoyin of it that-a-way! But dont you drink too much o the worter!cause therere some sweet milk over there in one o them crocks, maybe; and ef youll jest, kindo keerful-like, lift off the led of that third one, say, over there to yer left, and dip you out a tinful er two o that, wy, itll do you good to drink it, and itll do me good to see you at itBut hold up!hold up! he called, abruptly, as, nowise loath, I bent above the vessel designated. Hold yer hosses fer a second! Heres Marthy; let her [72]git it fer ye.
If I was at first surprised and confused, meeting the master of the house, I was wholly startled and chagrined in my present position before its mistress. But as I arose, and stammered, in my confusion, some incoherent apology, I was again reassured and put at greater ease by the comprehensive and forgiving smile the woman gave me, as I yielded her my place, and, with lifted hat, awaited her further kindness.
I came just in time, sir, she said, half laughingly, as with strong, bare arms she reached across the gurgling trough and replaced the lid that I had partially removed.I came just in time, I see, to prevent father from having you dip into the mornings-milk, which, of course, has scarcely a veil of cream over the face of it as yet. But men, as you are doubtless willing to admit, she went on jocularly, dont know about these things. You must pardon father, as much for his well-meaning ignorance of such matters, as for this cup of cream, which I am sure you will better relish.
She arose, still smiling, with her eyes turned frankly on my own. And I must be excused when I confess that as I bowed my thanks, taking the proffered cup and lifting it to my lips, I stared with an uncommon interest and pleasure at the donors face.
She was a woman of certainly not less than forty years of age. But the figure, and the rounded grace and fulness of it, together with the features and the eyes, completed as fine a specimen of physical and mental health as ever it has been my fortune to meet; there was something so full of purpose and resolvesomething so wholesome, too, about the charactersomething so womanlyI might almost say manly, and would, but for the petty prejudice maybe occasioned by the trivial fact of a locket having dropped from her bosom as she knelt; and [73]that trinket still dangles in my memory even as it then dangled and dropped back to its concealment in her breast as she arose. But her face, by no means handsome in the common meaning, was marked with a breadth and strength of outline and expression that approached the heroica face that once seen is forever fixed in memorya personage once met one must know more of. And so it was, that an hour later, as I strolled with the old man about his farm, looking, to all intents, with the profoundest interest at his Devonshires, Shorthorns, Jerseys, and the like, I lured from him something of an outline of his daughters history.
Therere no better girl n Marthy! he said, mechanically answering some ingenious allusion to her worth. And yit, he went on reflectively, stooping from his seat in the barn door and with his open jack-knife picking up a little chip with the point of the bladeand yityou wouldnt believe itbut Marthy was the oldest o three daughters, and hedI may sayhed more advantages o marryinand yit, as I was jest goin to say, shes the very one at didnt marry. Hed every advantageMarthy did. Wy, we even hed her educatedher mother was a-livin thenand we was well enough fixed to afford the educatin of her, mother allus contendedand we wasbesides, it was Marthys notion, too, and you know how women is thataway when they git their head set. So we sent Marthy down to Indianoplus, and got her books and putt her in school there, and paid fer her keepin and everthing; and she jestwell, you may say, lived there stiddy fer bettern four year. O course shed git back ever once-an-a-while, but her visits was allus, some-way-another, onsatisfactory-like, cause, you see, Marthy was allus my favorite, and Id allus laughed and told her at the other girls could git married if they wanted, but she was goin to be the nest-egg [74]of our family, and slong as I lived I wanted her at home with me. And shed laugh and contend at shed as lif be an old maid as not, and never expected to marry, ner didnt want to. But she had me sceart onct, though! Come out from the city one time, durin the army, with a peart-lookin young feller in blue clothes and gilt straps on his shoulders. Young lieutenant he wasname o Morris. Was layin in camp there in the city somers. I disremember which camp it was now adzacklybut anyway, it peared like he had plenty o time to go and come, fer from that time on he kep on a-cominever time Marthy ud come home, hed come, too; and I got to noticin at Marthy come home a good eal moren she used to afore Morris first brought her. And blame ef the thing didnt git to worryin me! And onct I spoke to mother about it, and told her ef I thought the feller wanted to marry Marthy Id jest stop his comin right then and there. But mother she sorto smiled and said somepin bout men a-never seein through nothin; and when I ast her what she meant, wy, she ups and tells me at Morris didnt keer nothin fer Marthy, ner Marthy fer Morris, and then went on to tell me that Morris was kindo aidgin up tords Annieshe was next to Marthy, you know, in pint of years and experience, but everbody allus said at Annie was the purtiest one o the whole three of em. And so when mother told me at the signs pinted tords Annie, wy, of course, I hednt no particular objections to that, cause Morris was of good fambly enough it turned out, and, in fact, was as stirrin a young feller as ever Id want fer a son-in-law, and so I hed nothin more to sayner they wasnt no occasion to say nothin, cause right along about then I begin to notice at Marthy quit comin home so much, and Morris kep a-comin more. Tel finally, one time he was out here all by hisself, long [75]about dusk, come out here where I was feedin, and ast me, all at onct, and in a straightforard way, ef he couldnt marry Annie; and, some-way-another, blame ef it didnt make me as happy as him when I told him yes! You see that thing proved, pine-blank, at he wasnt a-fishin round fer Marthy. Well-sir, as luck would hev it, Marthy got home about a half-hour later, and Ill give you my word I was never so glad to see the girl in my life! It was foolish in me, I reckon, but when I see her drivin up the laneit was purt nigh dark then, but I could see her through the open winder from where I was settin at the supper-table, and so I jest quietly excused myself, plite-like, as a feller will, you know, when theys compny round, and I slipped off and met her jest as she was about to git out to open the barn gate. Hold up, Marthy, says I; set right where you air; Ill open the gate fer you, and Ill do anything else fer you in the world at you want me to!
Wy, whats pleased you so? she says, laughin, as she druv through slow-like and a-ticklin my nose with the cracker of the buggy-whip.Whats pleased you?
Guess, says I, jerkin the gate to, and turnin to lift her out.
The new peanners come? says she, eager-like.
Yer new peanners come, says I; but thats not it.
Strawberries fer supper? says she.
Strawberries fer supper, says I; but that aint it.
Jest then Morriss hoss whinnied in the barn, and she glanced up quick and smilin and says, Somebody come to see somebody?
Youre a-gittin warm, says I.
Somebody come to see me? she says, anxious-like.
[76]No, says I, and Im glad of itfer this one ats come wants to git married, and o course I wouldnt harber in my house no young feller at was a-layin round fer a chance to steal away the Nest-egg, says I, laughin.
Marthy had riz up in the buggy by this time, but as I helt up my hands to her, she sorto drawed back a minute, and says, all serious-like and kindo whisperin:
Is it Annie?
I nodded. Yes, says I, and whats more, Ive give my consent, and mothers give hernthe things all settled. Come, jump out and run in and be happy with the rest of us! and I helt out my hands agin, but she didnt pear to take no heed. She was kindo pale, too, I thought, and swallered a time er two like as ef she couldnt speak plain.
Who is the man? she ast.
Whowhos the man? I says, a-gittin kindo out o patience with the girl.Wy, you know who it is, o course.Its Morris, says I. Come, jump down! Dont you see Im waitin fer ye?
Then take me, she says; and blame-don! ef the girl didnt keel right over in my arms as limber as a rag! Clean fainted away! Honest! Jest the excitement, I reckon, o breakin it to her so suddent-likecause she liked Annie, Ive sometimes thought, bettern even she did her own mother. Didnt go half so hard with her when her other sister married. Yes-sir! said the old man, by way of sweeping conclusion, as he rose to his feetMarthys the ony one of em at never marriedboth the others is goneMorris went all through the army and got back safe and sounds livin in Idyho, and doin fust-rate. Sends me a letter ever now and then. Got three little chunks o grandchildren out there, and I never laid eyes on one of em. You [77]see, Im a-gittin to be quite a middle-aged manin fact, a very middle-aged man, you might say. Sence mother died, which has benlem-me-seemothers ben dead somers in the neighborhood o ten year.Sence mother died Ive ben a-gittin more and more o Marthys notionthat is,you couldnt ever hire me to marry nobody! and them has allus ben and still is the Nest-eggs views! Listen! Thats her a-callin fer us now. You must sorto overlook the freedom, but I told Marthy youd promised to take dinner with us to-day, and it ud never do to disappint her now. Come on. And, ah! it would have made the soul of you either rapturously glad or madly envious to see how meekly I consented.
I am always thinking that I never tasted coffee till that day; I am always thinking of the crisp and steaming rolls, ored over with the molten gold that hinted of the clover-fields, and the bees that had not yet permitted the honey of the bloom and the white blood of the stalk to be divorced; I am always thinking that the young and tender pullet we happy three discussed was a near and dear relative of the gay patrician rooster that I first caught peering so inquisitively in at the kitchen door; and I am alwaysalways thinking of The Nest-egg.