Noey's Night-Piece

"They ain't much 'tale' about it!" Noey said. -     "K'tawby grapes wuz gittin' good-n-red     I rickollect; and Tubb Kingry and me     'Ud kindo' browse round town, daytime, to see     What neighbers 'peared to have the most to spare     'At wuz git-at-able and no dog there     When we come round to git 'em, say 'bout ten     O'clock at night when mostly old folks then     Wuz snorin' at each other like they yit     Helt some old grudge 'at never slep' a bit.     Well, at the Pars'nige - ef ye'll call to mind, -     They's 'bout the biggest grape-arber you'll find     'Most anywheres. - And mostly there, we knowed     They wuz k'tawbies thick as ever growed -     And more'n they'd p'serve. - Besides I've heerd     Ma say k'tawby-grape-p'serves jes 'peared     A waste o' sugar, anyhow! - And so     My conscience stayed outside and lem me go     With Tubb, one night, the back-way, clean up through     That long black arber to the end next to     The house, where the k'tawbies, don't you know,     Wuz thickest. And t'uz lucky we went slow, -     Fer jest as we wuz cropin' tords the gray-     End, like, of the old arber - heerd Tubb say     In a skeered whisper, 'Hold up! They's some one     Jes slippin' in here! - and looks like a gun     He's carryin'!' I golly! we both spread     Out flat aginst the ground!         "'What's that?' Tubb said. -     And jest then - 'plink! plunk! plink!' we heerd something     Under the back-porch-winder. - Then, i jing!     Of course we rickollected 'bout the young     School-mam 'at wuz a-boardin' there, and sung,     And played on the melodium in the choir. -     And she 'uz 'bout as purty to admire     As any girl in town! - the fac's is, she     Jest wuz, them times, to a dead certainty,     The belle o' this-here bailywick! - But - Well, -     I'd best git back to what I'm tryin' to tell: -     It wuz some feller come to serenade     Miss Wetherell: And there he plunked and played     His old guitar, and sung, and kep' his eye     Set on her winder, blacker'n the sky! -     And black it stayed. - But mayby she wuz 'way     From home, er wore out - bein' Saturday!     "It seemed a good-'eal longer, but I know     He sung and plunked there half a' hour er so     Afore, it 'peared like, he could ever git     His own free qualified consents to quit     And go off 'bout his business. When he went     I bet you could a-bought him fer a cent!     "And now, behold ye all! - as Tubb and me     Wuz 'bout to raise up, - right in front we see     A feller slippin' out the arber, square     Smack under that-air little winder where     The other feller had been standin'. - And     The thing he wuz a-carryin' in his hand     Wuzn't no gun at all! - It wuz a flute, -     And whoop-ee! how it did git up and toot     And chirp and warble, tel a mockin'-bird     'Ud dast to never let hisse'f be heerd     Ferever, after sich miracalous, high     Jim-cracks and grand skyrootics played there by     Yer Cousin Rufus! - Yes-sir; it wuz him! -     And what's more, - all a-suddent that-air dim     Dark winder o' Miss Wetherell's wuz lit     Up like a' oyshture-sign, and under it     We see him sort o' wet his lips and smile     Down 'long his row o' dancin' fingers, while     He kindo' stiffened up and kinked his breath     And everlastin'ly jest blowed the peth     Out o' that-air old one-keyed flute o' his.     And, bless their hearts, that's all the 'tale' they is!"     And even as Noey closed, all radiantly     The unconscious hero of the history,     Returning, met a perfect driving storm     Of welcome - a reception strangely warm     And unaccountable, to him, although     Most gratifying, - and he told them so.     "I only urge," he said, "my right to be     Enlightened." And a voice said: "Certainly: -     During your absence we agreed that you     Should tell us all a story, old or new,     Just in the immediate happy frame of mind     We knew you would return in."         So, resigned,     The ready flutist tossed his hat aside -     Glanced at the children, smiled, and thus complied.