A Child-World Part 9

"LITTLE JACK JANITOR"

And there, in that ripe Summer-night, once more A wintry coolness through the open door And window seemed to touch each glowing face Refres.h.i.+ngly; and, for a fleeting s.p.a.ce, The quickened fancy, through the fragrant air, Saw snowflakes whirling where the roseleaves were, And sounds of veriest jingling bells again Were heard in tinkling spoons and gla.s.ses then.

Thus Uncle Mart's old poem sounded young And crisp and fresh and clear as when first sung, Away back in the wakening of Spring When his rhyme and the robin, chorusing, Rumored, in duo-fanfare, of the soon Invading johnny-jump-ups, with platoon On platoon of sweet-williams, marshaled fine To bloomed blarings of the trumpet-vine.

The poet turned to whisperingly confer A moment with "The Noted Traveler."

Then left the room, tripped up the stairs, and then An instant later reappeared again, Bearing a little, lacquered box, or chest, Which, as all marked with curious interest, He gave to the old Traveler, who in One hand upheld it, pulling back his thin Black l.u.s.tre coat-sleeves, saying he had sent Up for his "Magic Box," and that he meant To test it there--especially to show _The Children_. "It is _empty now_, you know."-- He humped it with his knuckles, so they heard The hollow sound--"But lest it be inferred It is not _really_ empty, I will ask _Little Jack Janitor_, whose pleasant task It is to keep it s.h.i.+p-shape."

Then he tried And rapped the little drawer in the side, And called out sharply "Are you in there, Jack?"

And then a little, squeaky voice came back,-- "_Of course I'm in here--ain't you got the key Turned on me!_"

Then the Traveler leisurely Felt through his pockets, and at last took out The smallest key they ever heard about!-- It,wasn't any longer than a pin: And this at last he managed to fit in The little keyhole, turned it, and then cried, "Is everything swept out clean there inside?"

"_Open the drawer and see!--Don't talk to much; Or else_," the little voice squeaked, "_talk in Dutch-- You age me, asking questions!_"

Then the man Looked hurt, so that the little folks began To feel so sorry for him, he put down His face against the box and had to frown.-- "Come, sir!" he called,--"no impudence to _me!_-- You've swept out clean?"

"_Open the drawer and see!_"

And so he drew the drawer out: Nothing there, But just the empty drawer, stark and bare.

He shoved it back again, with a shark click.--

"_Ouch!_" yelled the little voice--"_un-snap it--quick!-- You've got my nose pinched in the crack!_"

And then The frightened man drew out the drawer again, The little voice exclaiming, "_Jeemi-nee!-- Say what you want, but please don't murder me!_"

"Well, then," the man said, as he closed the drawer With care, "I want some cotton-batting for My supper! Have you got it?"

And inside, All m.u.f.fled like, the little voice replied, "_Open the drawer and see!_"

And, sure enough, He drew it out, filled with the cotton stuff.

He then asked for a candle to be brought And held for him: and tuft by tuft he caught And lit the cotton, and, while blazing, took It in his mouth and ate it, with a look Of purest satisfaction.

"Now," said he, "I've eaten the drawer empty, let me see What this is in my mouth:" And with both hands He began drawing from his lips long strands Of narrow silken ribbons, every hue And tint;--and crisp they were and bright and new As if just purchased at some Fancy-Store.

"And now, Bub, bring your cap," he said, "before Something might happen!" And he stuffed the cap Full of the ribbons. "_There_, my little chap, Hold _tight_ to them," he said, "and take them to The ladies there, for they know what to do With all such rainbow finery!"

He smiled Half sadly, as it seemed, to see the child Open his cap first to his mother..... There Was not a ribbon in it anywhere!

"_Jack Janitor!_" the man said sternly through The Magic Box--"Jack Janitor, did _you_ Conceal those ribbons anywhere?"

"_Well, yes,_"

The little voice piped--"_but you'd never guess The place I hid 'em if you'd guess a year!_"

"Well, won't you _tell_ me?"

"_Not until you clear Your mean old conscience_" said the voice, "_and make Me first do something for the Children's sake._"

"Well, then, fill up the drawer," the Traveler said, "With whitest white on earth and reddest red!-- Your terms accepted--Are you satisfied?"

"_Open the drawer and see!_" the voice replied.

"_Why, bless my soul!_"--the man said, as he drew The contents of the drawer into view-- "It's level-full of _candy!_--Pa.s.s it 'round-- Jack Janitor shan't steal _that_, I'll be bound!"-- He raised and crunched a stick of it and smacked His lips.--"Yes, that _is_ candy, for a fact!-- And it's all _yours!_"

And how the children there Lit into it!--O never anywhere Was such a feast of sweetness!

"And now, then,"

The man said, as the empty drawer again Slid to its place, he bending over it,-- "Now, then, Jack Janitor, before we quit Our entertainment for the evening, tell Us where you hid the ribbons--can't you?"

"_Well,_"

The squeaky little voice drawled sleepily-- "_Under your old hat, maybe.--Look and see!_"

All carefully the man took off his hat: But there was not a ribbon under that.-- He shook his heavy hair, and all in vain The old white hat--then put it on again: "Now, tell me, _honest_, Jack, where _did_ you hide The ribbons?"

"_Under your hat_" the voice replied.-- "_Mind! I said 'under' and not 'in' it.--Won't You ever take the hint on earth?--or don't You want to show folks where the ribbons at?-- Law! but I'm sleepy!--Under--unner your hat!_"

Again the old man carefully took off The empty hat, with an embarra.s.sed cough, Saying, all gravely to the children: "You Must promise not to _laugh_--you'll all _want_ to-- When you see where Jack Janitor has dared To hide those ribbons--when he might have spared My feelings.--But no matter!--Know the worst-- Here are the ribbons, as I feared at first."-- And, quick as snap of thumb and finger, there The old man's head had not a sign of hair, And in his lap a wig of iron-gray Lay, stuffed with all that glittering array Of ribbons ... "Take 'em to the ladies--Yes.

Good-night to everybody, and G.o.d bless The Children."

In a whisper no one missed The Hired Man yawned: "He's a vantrilloquist"

So gloried all the night Each trundle-bed And pallet was enchanted--each child-head Was packed with happy dreams. And long before The dawn's first far-off rooster crowed, the snore Of Uncle Mart was stilled, as round him pressed The bare arms of the wakeful little guest That he had carried home with him....

"I think,"

An awed voice said--"(No: I don't want a _dwink_.-- Lay still.)--I think 'The Noted Traveler' he 'S the inscrutibul-est man I ever see!"

[Footnote 1: _Gilead_--evidently.--[Editor.]