The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley in Ten Volumes Including Poems and Prose Sketches Many of Which Have Not Heretofore Been Published: An ... Illustrations in Color From Paintings V. 7

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1916 Excerpt: ...of a chair. And all Was very still there for a long, long while.--Yet everything, someway, seemed restful-Yike And homy and old-fashioned, good and kind, And sort of kin to him!--Only too still! If somebody would say something--just speak--Or even rise up suddenly and come And lift him by the ear sheer off his chair--Or box his jaws--Lord bless 'em!--anything!--Was he not there to thankfully accept Any reception from parental source Save this incomprehensible voicelessness? O but the silence held its very breath! If but the ticking clock would only strike And for an instant drown the whispering, Lisping, sifting sound the katydids Made outside in the grassy nowhere! Far Down some back street he heard the faint halloo Of boys at their night-game of "Town-fox," But now with no desire at all to be Participating in their sport.--No; no;--Never again in this world would he want To join them there!--he only wanted just To stay in home of nights--Always--always--Forever and a day! He moved; and coughed--Coughed hoarsely, too, through his rolled tongue; and yet No vaguest of parental notice or Solicitude in answer--no response--No word--no look. O it was deathly still!--So still it was that really he could not Remember any prior silence that At all approached it in profundity And depth and density of utter hush. He felt that he himself must break it: So, Summoning every subtle artifice Of seeming nonchalance and native ease And naturalness of utterance to his aid, And gazing raptly at the house-cat where She lay curled in her wonted corner of The hearth-rug, dozing, he spoke airily And said: "I see you've got the same old cat!" BEWILDERING EMOTIONS THE merriment that followed was subdued--As though the story-teller's attitude Were dual, in a sen...