The Old Country StoreAnd the bag of green coffee that sat by the door; The barrel of sorghum with plug driven in it, That leaked every hour a few drops on the floor. The barrel of crackers with cover beside it, The cheese, where a patron could pilfer a bite. The jugs and the jars with the straw in between them, When I was a boy 'twas a source of delight. Piled up on the counter, the "hickory shirting"___ A stripe and a plaid for the patrons to choose. Some featherproof ticking, some ducking for "breeches," Some calicos, ginghams, a few pairs of shoes, A barrel of kraut never spoiled in the making, How good it did taste when I tiptoed a wee, And the "gingersnap cookies" that came in the boxes, What a treat to have one of them given to me. The old country store, what a charm to the young- ster The hogshead of sugar (sometimes mixed with sand), And if I was there when the "store man" was opening, A lump of its sweetness was placed in my hand. The coffee pots stood in a row on the shelving, The old iron boilers and tubs down below, A can of gunpowder and shot for the hunters And the "waterproof" caps that ofttimes wouldn't go. Oh, the old country store, what a joy there to visit With postoffice boxes, 'mong cobwebs galore, That gave us the letters and papers on Monday, That rode in the mails for a fortnight or more. Oh, never a city with street cars and bridges And viaducts, factories--yea, all of these, Can e'er beat the store at the cross roads on Cow creek Where first I bought candy and crackers and cheese. __Ed Blair. |
Sunflower Siftings
Ed Blair
(Boston: The Gorham Press. 1914)
Pages 125-126
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