Page:A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields.djvu/340

Rh

the Grand Pint when rough winds moan, And make the sign-board creak and groan
 * In frosty weather,

A huge log in the kitchen burns, And there the stranger's eye discerns
 * Friends met together.

An old Dutch picture! cheek by jowl Gosling and turkey, duck and fowl,
 * The turnspit garnish!

And then perchance the sun darts in, To gild the pots and pans of tin,
 * And add the varnish.

Good cheer and noise and merry song Shorten the hours when hours are long,
 * The wine flows steady;

And if one ever asks mine host, Complaisant always at his post,
 * Is dinner ready?

'Ready?' He cries, and low he bows, 'We're always ready in this house,
 * Though it be humble;

The best of all things at a word! And never, never have I heard
 * A patron grumble.'