36

date:

names-on-the-page: Patience; Mrs. H

transcription: Patience: "Ah glittering frost and Spring's warm dew;
ah, Winter's blast and Summer's breeze; ah, tiny
hut and marble hall, as like as ye are my
brother and I. Ah, lion's lair and chip-munk's
hole; ah, mighty wave and dimpled stream, as
like as ye are we. Ah, dimpled palm, oft
kissed by me, and little home among the green,
our love is here -- and here, alike are we!
Draw I a pattern for my brother's life? Nay,
liken not his life to mine but share alike,
though he be unalike."

Because the sitters didn't grasp the meaning of
this immediately and fell to discussing this last
one Patience came with this:

"Revel the yarn of perfect knitting and find thee
hast but a ball."

Mrs. H: "She will not permit a criticism but I think
anyway that she should have said 'thou hast
but a ball' instead of 'thee hast.'"

Mrs. H. found fault with the use of "thee" in
the foregoing.

Patience: "Ah, take ye a turnip for a russet if thee
wisheth."

Mrs. H: "I wasn't finding fault. I just wanted to
know if it was customary in her day to use it
that way."

Patience: "In my day the turnip tasteth full as well."

"Pullest thou the teat of Wisdom, like ye, she
oft drieth."

Mrs. P: "I am sorry we interrupted the other messages.
When Patience herself starts in it is 'good-by'
to poetry."

Patience: "Call ye to the lark for a song only to find
thee hast the goose's quack."

Mrs P: "Don't be cross, Patience, but tell me what I can
do to be happy."

Patience: "Search for lentils in the ashes."

----------------------------

Jan. 31 1914

Mrs. C. Speak ye a true tongue,
Mrs. H. Or waste ye with words the soul's song?
A damning evidence is with wasted words;
For need I prate to yonder star when hunger
Fills the world wherein I dwell? (34)