Of jays and yellowhammers when the sky
Begins to redden these October mornings,
And the loons sound their melancholy warnings;
Or honk of the wild-geese that write their A
Along the horizon in the evening's gray.
Or when the squirrels look down on you and bark
From the nut trees--

_Wetherbee._ We have them in the Park
Plenty enough. But, say, you aged sinner,
Have you been out much recently at dinner?

_Morrison._ What do you mean? You know there's no one here
That dines except ourselves now.

_Wetherbee._ Well, that's queer!
I thought the natives-- But I recollect!
It was not reasonable to expect--

_Morrison._ What are you driving at?

_Wetherbee._ Oh, nothing much.
But I was thinking how you come in touch
With life at the first dinner in the fall,
When you get back, first, as you can't at all
Later along. But you, of course, won't care
With your idyllic pleasures.

_Morrison._ _Who was there?_

_Wetherbee._ Oh--ha, ha! What d'you mean by _there_?

_Morrison._ Come off!

_Wetherbee._ What! you remain to pray that came to scoff!

_Morrison._ You know what I am after.

_Wetherbee._ Yes, that dinner.
Just a round dozen: Ferguson and Binner
For the fine arts; Bowyer the novelist;
Dr. Le Martin; the psychologist
Fletcher; the English actor Philipson;
The two newspaper Witkins, Bob and John;
A nice Bostonian, Bane the archaeologer,
And a queer Russian amateur astrologer;
And Father Gray, the jolly ritualist priest,
And last your humble servant, but not least.
The food was not so filthy, and the wine
Was not so poison. We made out to dine
From eight till one A.M. One could endure
The dinner. But, oh say! _The talk was poor!_
Your natives down at Clamhurst--

_Morrison._ Look ye here!
What date does Thanksgiving come on this year?

_Wetherbee._ Why, I suppose--although I don't remember
Certainly--the usual 28th November.

_Morrison._ Novem-- You should have waited to get sober!
It comes on the 11th of October!
And that's to-morrow; and if you happen down
Later, you'd better look for us in town.

XVI

TABLE TALK

They were talking after dinner in that cozy moment when the
conversation has ripened,