Little Jack Janitor

And there, in that ripe Summer-night, once more     A wintry coolness through the open door     And window seemed to touch each glowing face     Refreshingly; and, for a fleeting space,     The quickened fancy, through the fragrant air,     Saw snowflakes whirling where the roseleaves were,     And sounds of veriest jingling bells again     Were heard in tinkling spoons and glasses then.     Thus Uncle Mart's old poem sounded young     And crisp and fresh and clear as when first sung,     Away back in the wakening of Spring     When his rhyme and the robin, chorusing,     Rumored, in duo-fanfare, of the soon     Invading johnny-jump-ups, with platoon     On platoon of sweet-williams, marshaled fine     To bloomd blarings of the trumpet-vine.     The poet turned to whisperingly confer     A moment with "The Noted Traveler."     Then left the room, tripped up the stairs, and then     An instant later reappeared again,     Bearing a little, lacquered box, or chest,     Which, as all marked with curious interest,     He gave to the old Traveler, who in     One hand upheld it, pulling back his thin     Black lustre coat-sleeves, saying he had sent     Up for his "Magic Box," and that he meant     To test it there - especially to show     The Children. "It is empty now, you know." -     He humped it with his knuckles, so they heard     The hollow sound - "But lest it be inferred     It is not really empty, I will ask     Little Jack Janitor, whose pleasant task     It is to keep it ship-shape."         Then he tried     And rapped the little drawer in the side,     And called out sharply "Are you in there, Jack?"     And then a little, squeaky voice came back, -     "Of course I'm in here - ain't you got the key     Turned on me!"         Then the Traveler leisurely     Felt through his pockets, and at last took out     The smallest key they ever heard about! -     It,wasn't any longer than a pin:     And this at last he managed to fit in     The little keyhole, turned it, and then cried,     "Is everything swept out clean there inside?"     "Open the drawer and see! - Don't talk to much;     Or else," the little voice squeaked, "talk in Dutch -     You age me, asking questions!"         Then the man     Looked hurt, so that the little folks began     To feel so sorry for him, he put down     His face against the box and had to frown. -     "Come, sir!" he called, - "no impudence to me! -     You've swept out clean?"         "Open the drawer and see!"     And so he drew the drawer out: Nothing there,     But just the empty drawer, stark and bare.     He shoved it back again, with a shark click. -     "Ouch!" yelled the little voice - "un-snap it - quick! -     You've got my nose pinched in the crack!"         And then     The frightened man drew out the drawer again,     The little voice exclaiming, "Jeemi-nee! -     Say what you want, but please don't murder me!"     "Well, then," the man said, as he closed the drawer     With care, "I want some cotton-batting for     My supper! Have you got it?"         And inside,     All muffled like, the little voice replied,     "Open the drawer and see!"         And, sure enough,     He drew it out, filled with the cotton stuff.     He then asked for a candle to be brought     And held for him: and tuft by tuft he caught     And lit the cotton, and, while blazing, took     It in his mouth and ate it, with a look     Of purest satisfaction.         "Now," said he,     "I've eaten the drawer empty, let me see     What this is in my mouth:" And with both hands     He began drawing from his lips long strands     Of narrow silken ribbons, every hue     And tint; - and crisp they were and bright and new     As if just purchased at some Fancy-Store.     "And now, Bub, bring your cap," he said, "before     Something might happen!" And he stuffed the cap     Full of the ribbons. "There, my little chap,     Hold tight to them," he said, "and take them to     The ladies there, for they know what to do     With all such rainbow finery!"         He smiled     Half sadly, as it seemed, to see the child     Open his cap first to his mother..... There     Was not a ribbon in it anywhere!     "Jack Janitor!" the man said sternly through     The Magic Box - "Jack Janitor, did you     Conceal those ribbons anywhere?"         "Well, yes,"     The little voice piped - "but you'd never guess     The place I hid 'em if you'd guess a year!"     "Well, won't you tell me?"         "Not until you clear     Your mean old conscience" said the voice, "and make     Me first do something for the Children's sake."     "Well, then, fill up the drawer," the Traveler said,     "With whitest white on earth and reddest red! -     Your terms accepted - Are you satisfied?"     "Open the drawer and see!" the voice replied.     "Why, bless my soul!" - the man said, as he drew     The contents of the drawer into view -     "It's level-full of candy! - Pass it 'round -     Jack Janitor shan't steal that, I'll be bound!" -     He raised and crunched a stick of it and smacked     His lips. - "Yes, that is candy, for a fact! -     And it's all yours!"         And how the children there     Lit into it! - O never anywhere     Was such a feast of sweetness!         "And now, then,"     The man said, as the empty drawer again     Slid to its place, he bending over it, -     "Now, then, Jack Janitor, before we quit     Our entertainment for the evening, tell     Us where you hid the ribbons - can't you?"         "Well,"     The squeaky little voice drawled sleepily -     "Under your old hat, maybe. - Look and see!"     All carefully the man took off his hat:     But there was not a ribbon under that. -     He shook his heavy hair, and all in vain     The old white hat - then put it on again:     "Now, tell me, honest, Jack, where did you hide     The ribbons?"         "Under your hat" the voice replied. -     "Mind! I said 'under' and not 'in' it. - Won't     You ever take the hint on earth? - or don't     You want to show folks where the ribbons at? -     Law! but I'm sleepy! - Under - unner your hat!"     Again the old man carefully took off     The empty hat, with an embarrassed cough,     Saying, all gravely to the children: "You     Must promise not to laugh - you'll all want to -     When you see where Jack Janitor has dared     To hide those ribbons - when he might have spared     My feelings. - But no matter! - Know the worst -     Here are the ribbons, as I feared at first." -     And, quick as snap of thumb and finger, there     The old man's head had not a sign of hair,     And in his lap a wig of iron-gray     Lay, stuffed with all that glittering array     Of ribbons ... "Take 'em to the ladies - Yes.     Good-night to everybody, and God bless     The Children."         In a whisper no one missed     The Hired Man yawned: "He's a vantrilloquist"                  *             *             *             *             *     So gloried all the night Each trundle-bed     And pallet was enchanted - each child-head     Was packed with happy dreams. And long before     The dawn's first far-off rooster crowed, the snore     Of Uncle Mart was stilled, as round him pressed     The bare arms of the wakeful little guest     That he had carried home with him....         "I think,"     An awed voice said - "(No: I don't want a dwink. -     Lay still.) - I think 'The Noted Traveler' he     'S the inscrutibul-est man I ever see!"