Grandfather

Grandfather was a hard-working man. He used to get up so early in the morning that I was not even up yet. That's why I never saw him in the mornings. He used to say, "It is well to rise betimes." And when I asked him what 'betimes' meant, he said to me, "It is well to rise with the larks." And when I asked him what a lark was, he struck me very hard. The side of my head still smarts with the larks to this very day.

Grandfather liked to drink strong coffee, and his morning draft consisted solely thereof. He asked the maid to make it so thick that he might "walk across it", if he so wished, presumably. When I asked him what this meant he said it meant "very strong." He believed it pricked up his brain better than weak coffee, or such coffee as one could not trodden upon, but I know that this is not true. But if I ever told him that, he would strike me, and so I keep it under my hat. I once heard him tell me to "keep it under your"--i.e. my--"hat." When I asked what this was he said it was "to my self." When I asked him what my self was he struck me. But now I know better: my self is a hat.

Grandfather always wore a hat. Grandmother hated it and said it made him look too old-fashioned, meaning he was too much made long ago. It had a wide brim that drooped at the front whenever the rain struck it (just as my head drooped whenever he struck it). He would come in through the front door--I can still hear the heavy, hollow footfalls of his shoes--and he would hang the hat the hat on the hat rack. I never really knew if he was home until he hung it, and before he had done so, I was very much anxious and did not know who he was. head

Grandfather did not work much. He had other people work for him, which was hard work. He told me stories about work and I durst not ask any questions, though I didn't know any of the words he said. What's more, he never cared to tell me. Perhaps he thought because I was his grandson I should know them even from before babyhood. He didn't know that I didn't know them after babyhood and it was very frustrating for me. I don't know if it was for him.

He used to say to me, "Grandson, you must respect your grandfaither." he always said 'grandfaither' instead of 'grandfather', but when I said 'grandfaither' he struck me. Perhaps he thought I was making fun of him for saying it that way. After all, he couldn't help it if he couldn't say 'father'.