The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-11-08
DOBLEY'S MAN
WITH A HOE.

simply can't do it."
"What do they want you to do, my
dear?'' asked Mr.. Dobley. "a song
and dance or a cakewalk? I wouldn't
mind a little thing like that You can
pick it up in no time"
sIt's nothing like that" said Mrs.
Dobley, passing typewriter docu-
ment over the breakfast table. And
you needn't make any fun Of the mat
ter, either. The frivolous way In which
you look at everything is tiresome.
Now, what am I to do?"
81 am sure, my dear" began Dob
ley
"Just read tread itF' commanded
Mrs. Dobley, and her husband read:
"Honora COombs Dobley. - Dear
Madam: At the next meeting Of the
Literary club the topic of discussion
will be Markham's poem, The man
with the Hoe Asyou have been select
ed as chief speaker of the evening, you
will kindly be prepared to recite the
poem and give a sketch Of the authors
career. Also to give your opinions
as to the idea contained in the work as
well as the general style and literary
Of the poem"
"weIl, my dear" said Mr.. DObley,
trying to conceal the fact that he was
quite as perturbed as his wife by the
letter. "Well?"
"Well? Why didn't they select you?
What did they send that to me for
What do know about farming?"
"You forgot, my dear, that this is not
an agricultural club, but literary so
ciety. OF course they refer to the IA
nous poem ?''
"What poem?
"Is it possible that you haven't heard
OF markham's masterpiece, The Man
with the Hoep" asked DObley, with
a reproachful look over the top of his
egg.
"Why, haven't read anything but
Quo Vadis' this summer, and | only
half read that. You see it hurts my
eyes, and besides that Pm too busy.
Who was he 90
"'The Man with the HoeT He has
become one Of the most typical Of"
"What was the matter with him
Why didn't he hoe? Where did il
happen%
at began with picture my dear.
An artist made picture ofa man in 8
field with hoe"
"Hoelng corn, suppose, well, what
ofit?"
"Well, 1t was q great picture-filled
with depth and feeling and life"
'I suppose it seemed as though be
were really hoeing, did it? I've seen
picture like that-a girl gathering
roses-you could just see the stems
snap"
"No, it wasn't exactly that. The
man had stopped
stopped hOeing? What did he dc
that for ?"
"He'd stopped to rest and was lean,
ing on the hoe"
"Graciousl A hoe isn't a bit com
Portable to lean upon. Why didn't be
sic DOWN."
"Why-er-it was just the artists
idea, you see. The man stopping tc
lean on his hoe-the laborer in the field
don't you see-typifying the work
man Of the ages-the empty ages,
Markham wrote"
"Was it Markham had the hoe ?"
"Oh, no. Markham was poet and
he saw the picture and saw the poetry
init. Then ne wrote the poem and
called it, The Man with the Hoe"
"Was it pretty?"
SIT was 8 magnificent idea-the fig
ure Of that man as typical Of the work
man-the patient slave plowing tbs
field"
"You don't understand. Don't yO'
catch the idea ? Labor-the farmer a
work-plodding along without an ide'
sweating over his work"
"You just said he'd stopped to rest.
"Er-yes-but when you read it
you'll see the splendid picture Mark
ham drew"
Excuse me, John; was MARKHAM
the artist or was he the man who haC
the hoe, or the man who just wrot'
about it?'
she was the poet, my dear; he wrote
the verse"
81 suppose he was paid for it, WASH
he?n
al suppose 50, my dear"
"Then, what was the trouble? Real
ly, John, I can't seem to understand
what all the fuss was about"
MARKHAM wanted to show the mis-
erable condition Of the hard-workinl
fArmer-the slavery Of the toiler-th'
-the-fetters-'
"Why, John Dobley, you know yoV
have often said you'd like to be farm
er because they have everything 81
easy. HOeing and raking is child''
play, aud as for blowing it's just like
riding bicycle nowadays You sit il
= sort of a suIky and the horses knoS
just where to go. / suppose they viii
have automobiles after awhile"
"He spoke" went on Mr.. Dobley
"of the emptiness Of ages There's
grand thought The empti-"
What did he mean By that2"
"Why-er-sO much of that is meta
phor-you see. The main idea is thAi
the lot of the working man Is hopeless
The Man with the Hoe was a poo
wretch bent with toil-a farmer who's
life was"
"Why didn't he get one OF the farm
hands to do the hoeing7"
"He probably was farm hand him
self working for a pittanee-"
"Well, he ought to have been glaG
he was working. think. The idea
What did he want? A steam hoe p
"No, my dear; but the idea is wha
did life hold for him? or what was h'
thinking as he stood there leaning OF
the hoe-that humble implement o
toll ?'
Probably he was thinking Of hi
dinner. I'm not a bit sorry for tina