The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-29
By JOHN C. ROGERS

We SAT on the porch and looked
W across the meadows at the bulk
Of the mountains before us. The
mellow green and purple shadows
Of the masses Of oaks, and poplars,
we're broken by patches Of pines
with their deeper color and shade
There was the old sawmilI engine
with its stack a dark line against
the mountain, and the green Of
bottomland was broken by long fur
rows turning the red earth to dry
and brown in the sun. I let nv
arm hang over the rail and the sun
burning it was like a warm fire that
1 could not see. Splotches of white
wash came off the rail to lie on
my arm like frost on a clod. and
the hairs on my arm we're Ike
small field of broomstraw curling
in the sun. There was Old Man
Bob, his son Bill; and Bills uncle
Oscar, and Dan, who cropped on
the Jameson place, and Bills wife.
and myself.
We just sat there listening to Uncle
Oscar tell some big tales about the
old days. and every so often some
one would tell joke, and we would
laugh, and Bill would pick at his
teeth with a straw and grin like the
big peasant he was. Just when
Uncle oscar was all set to tell about
the time he went to the carnival
and the carnival-lady tried to vamp
him for his watch-chain, Old Man
Bob's wife, and Dams wife came UP
the path and put stop to it. Dams
wife was Juggling the kid along and
sat down on the step to nurse it.
I wasn't much better than a
stranger to Dams wife but she
nursed the kid there on the step
like I was one of the family. and
pretty soon we had lot of talk
going on between us. Bills wife
kept looking at Uncle Oscars watch
chain that was almost big enough
to snake logs, and she had to say
something about it. I saw her grin
ming to herself and I was certain
she was going to kid about it.
1uOW come little man like YOU
IL wears such a big chain. Uncle
Oscar" she says. Uncle Oscar tust
looks at her and snuffles his mus
tache.
How big do men grow where you
come fromP" he says.
big as I am" says Bills wife.
But that amt no answer to my
question"
Uncle Oscar sits there grinning
and playing with the chain.
I'm a pretty old man." he SAYS.
IT gotta wear this chain SOS women
will look at me what wouldn't look
II didn't have it. I get a heap
Of women to look at me by wearing
this chain. Sometimes I think
maybe I'll get a divorce from the
old woman and run after some of
them women what always poster me
about that chain"
I guess that shut Bills wife I'D.
She Just looked at Bill and he only
picked his teeth and grinned. Uncle
Oscar snuffled through his mustache
and hit at the boards with his cane.
Uncle Oscar is pretty damn
good" says Bill, But I'll throw him
down for that chain Of his 'un."
alright, If you think you're man
enough" says Uncle Oscar, squar-
ing off at Bill.
mot today won't" says Bill. He
laughs at Uncle oscar, and you can
see he thinks Uncle Oscar a pretty
good man yet. TOO damn hot to
roll In the dust with an old man
like you"
II amt old as you think" SAYS
Uncle oscar. IF it wasn't for nv
old woman I'd be a-calling on the
Widow Nelson right now"
"God-dog, god-dog," says Dams
kid, looking up from the breast he
was nursing.
you hadn't ought to let that kid
be accusing like he is" says Old
Man Bob's wife, Hit amt no
trouble to break EN- when they is