San Marcos Free Press

LIKE HIS MOTHER USED TO MAKE.

"I was born in Indiana,"

Says a stranger,

Lank and slim,

As us fellers in the restaurant was kind o'

Gaying him,

And uncle Jake was slidin' him another punkin' pie

And a extra cup of coffee, with a twinkle in

His eye—

"I was born in Indiana—more'n forty year

Ago—

And I hain't been back in twenty—and I'm

Working back'ards slow;

But I've et in every restaurant 'twixt here

And Santy Fee,

And I want to state this coffee seems like gittin' home to me!

Pour us out another, daddy," says the feller,

Warmin' up,

A-spenkin' 'crost a saucerful, as Uncle tuck

His cup—

"When I seed your sign out yonder,"

He went on, to Uncle Jake—

"'Come in and git some coffee like your

Mother used to make'—

I thought of my old mother, and the Posey

County farm,

And me a little kid agin', a-hangin' on her

Arm,

As she set the pot a-bilin'—broke the eggs

An' poured 'em in—

And the feller kind o' halted, with a tremble in his chin—

And Uncle Jake ho fetched the feller's coffee back, and stood

As solemn, fer a minute, as an undertaker would—

Then he sort o' turned and tiptoed to'rds

The kitchen door—and next,

Here comes his old wife out with him, a-

Rubbin' of her specs—

And she rushes for the stranger, and she hollers out it's him! Thank God we've met him comin'! Don't

You know your mother, Jin?"

And the feller, as he grabbed her, says:

"You bet I hain't forgot—

But, wipin' off his eyes, says he:

"Your

Coffee's mighty hot!"

James Whitcomb Riley