Classic and Contemporary Poetry
A VERMONT 'DONATION', by DANIEL LEAVENS CADY Poet's Biography First Line: It's funny how our ancestors Last Line: With some deliberation. Subject(s): Charity; Churches; Dinners & Dining; Food & Eating; Preaching & Preachers; Vermont; Philanthropy; Cathedrals | ||||||||
IT'S funny how our ancestors Of good old stock and station, Would gather at the minister's Without an invitation, And eat him out of house and home And call it "A Donation!" The pastor in his study sets, His wife repairs a stocking, When towards the parsonage they see A parish army flocking, And next upon the door they hear The general a-knocking. The parson's wife, she opes the door, Her being all a-flutter, And in they file with paper bags And pans and cans and clutter Before they halt, Leftenant X Upsets a plate of butter. Upstairs they march and throw their duds Upon the beds and bedding; The fascinators, hoods and clouds And caps they all was shedding More kinds of wraps than Charmian watched At Cleopatra's wedding. Then towards the dining room the girls Debouch to set the table; Almira tears the papers off And hands the stuff to Mabel, And even she 'twas bed-rid May Does all the child is able. You never saw so many kinds Of pork and beans and pickle, And ketchup, mustard sauce and things That make your tonsils tickle; But all the beef and ham there was, It never cost a nickel. But everyone was asked to eat And every one acceded, And when the pastor slipped away, Unnoticed and unheeded, He simply went to buy some cheese And other things 'twas needed. At dark the children all swarmed in, And every child was ready To eat a piece of bread and jam, A-fixed by Aunt McCready; The bread crumbs soon was everywhere, Like Mattie Mason's "steady." They lit an unused fireplace last And broiled the chimbly swallers, And, Heavens! 'twas days before that house Was fit again for callers; The preacher figured he was out From six to fourteen dollars. And yet, them hours was bright for all The army got its ration And hoped it wouldn't be so long Before the next "Donation," To which the parson said Amen! With some deliberation. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...VIRGIN IN GLASS by JOSEPHINE JACOBSEN THE HOUR BETWEEN DOG AND WOLF: 3. FEEDING THE RABBITS by LAURE-ANNE BOSSELAAR EXPLICATION OF AN IMAGINARY TEXT by JAMES GALVIN DOMESDAY BOOK: FATHER WHIMSETT by EDGAR LEE MASTERS HALF-AND-HALF by NAOMI SHIHAB NYE AT THE CHURCH DOOR by GEORGE SANTAYANA A VERMONT AUCTIONEER by DANIEL LEAVENS CADY |
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