Casey's Table D'Hote
Oh, them days on Red Hoss Mountain, when the skies wuz fair 'nd blue,When the money flowed like likker, 'nd the folks wuz brave 'nd true!When the nights wuz crisp 'nd balmy, 'nd the camp wuz all astir,With the joints all throwed wide open 'nd no sheriff to demur!Oh, them times on Red Hoss Mountain in the Rockies fur away,--There's no sich place nor times like them as I kin find to-day!What though the camp hez busted? I seem to see it stillA-lyin', like it loved it, on that big 'nd warty hill;And I feel a sort of yearnin' 'nd a chokin' in my throatWhen I think of Red Hoss Mountain 'nd of Casey's tabble dote!
Wal, yes; it's true I struck it rich, but that don't cut a showWhen one is old 'nd feeble 'nd it's nigh his time to go;The money that he's got in bonds or carries to investDon't figger with a codger who has lived a life out West;Us old chaps like to set around, away from folks 'nd noise,'Nd think about the sights we seen and things we done when boys;The which is why I love to set 'nd think of them old daysWhen all us Western fellers got the Colorado craze,--And that is why I love to set around all day 'nd gloatOn thoughts of Red Hoss Mountain 'nd of Casey's tabble dote.
This Casey wuz an Irishman,--you'd know it by his nameAnd by the facial features appertainin' to the same.He'd lived in many places 'nd had done a thousand things,From the noble art of actin' to the work of dealin' kings,But, somehow, hadn't caught on; so, driftin' with the rest,He drifted for a fortune to the undeveloped West,And he come to Red Hoss Mountain when the little camp wuz new,When the money flowed like likker, 'nd the folks wuz brave 'nd true;And, havin' been a stewart on a Mississippi boat,He opened up a caffy 'nd he run a tabble dote.
The bar wuz long 'nd rangy, with a mirrer on the shelf,'Nd a pistol, so that Casey, when required, could help himself;Down underneath there wuz a row of bottled beer 'nd wine,'Nd a kag of Burbun whiskey of the run of '59;Upon the walls wuz pictures of hosses 'nd of girls,--Not much on dress, perhaps, but strong on records 'nd on curls!The which had been identified with Casey in the past,--The hosses 'nd the girls, I mean,--and both wuz mighty fast!But all these fine attractions wuz of precious little noteBy the side of what wuz offered at Casey's tabble dote.
There wuz half-a-dozen tables altogether in the place,And the tax you had to pay upon your vittles wuz a case;The boardin'-houses in the camp protested 't wuz a shameTo patronize a robber, which this Casey wuz the same!They said a case was robbery to tax for ary meal;But Casey tended strictly to his biz, 'nd let 'em squeal;And presently the boardin'-houses all began to bust,While Casey kept on sawin' wood 'nd layin' in the dust;And oncet a tray'lin' editor from Denver City wroteA piece back to his paper, puffin' Casey's tabble dote.
A tabble dote is different from orderin' aller cart:In one case you git all there is, in t' other, only part!And Casey's tabble dote began in French,--as all begin,--And Casey's ended with the same, which is to say, with "vin;"But in between wuz every kind of reptile, bird, 'nd beast,The same like you can git in high-toned restauraws down east;'Nd windin' up wuz cake or pie, with coffee demy tass,Or, sometimes, floatin' Ireland in a soothin' kind of sassThat left a sort of pleasant ticklin' in a feller's throat,'Nd made him hanker after more of Casey's tabble dote.
The very recollection of them puddin's 'nd them piesBrings a yearnin' to my buzzum 'nd the water to my eyes;'Nd seems like cookin' nowadays ain't what it used to beIn camp on Red Hoss Mountain in that year of '63;But, maybe, it is better, 'nd, maybe, I'm to blame--I'd like to be a-livin' in the mountains jest the same--I'd like to live that life again when skies wuz fair 'nd blue,When things wuz run wide open 'nd men wuz brave 'nd true;When brawny arms the flinty ribs of Red Hoss Mountain smoteFor wherewithal to pay the price of Casey's tabble dote.
And you, O cherished brother, a-sleepin' 'way out west,With Red Hoss Mountain huggin' you close to its lovin' breast,--Oh, do you dream in your last sleep of how we used to do,Of how we worked our little claims together, me 'nd you?Why, when I saw you last a smile wuz restin' on your face,Like you wuz glad to sleep forever in that lonely place;And so you wuz, 'nd I 'd be, too, if I wuz sleepin' so.But, bein' how a brother's love ain't for the world to know,Whenever I've this heartache 'nd this chokin' in my throat,I lay it all to thinkin' of Casey's tabble dote.
Words in this poem 26
- folks n.
- In Anglo-Saxon times, the people of a group of townships or villages; a community; a tribe. [AS. folc; akin to D. volk, OS. & OHG. folk, G. volk, Icel. f, Sw. & Dan. folk, Lith. pulkas crowd, and perh. to E. follow.]
- balmy a.
- Having the qualities of balm; odoriferous; aromatic; assuaging; soothing; refreshing; mild.
- astir adv.
- Stirring; in a state of activity or motion; out of bed. [Pref. a- + stir.]
- demur v. i.
- To linger; to stay; to tarry. [OF. demurer, demorer, demourer, to linger, stay, F. demeurer, fr. L. demorari; de- + morari to delay, tarry, stay, mora delay; prob. originally, time for thinki]
- warty a.
- Having warts; full of warts; overgrow with warts; as, a warty leaf.
- dote n.
- A marriage portion. See 1st Dot, n. Wyatt. [See Dot dowry.]
- codger n.
- A miser or mean person. [Cf. Cadger.]
- gloat v. i.
- To look steadfastly; to gaz In vengeance gloating on another's pain. [Akin to Icel. glotta to smile scornfully, G. glotzen to gloat.]
- irishman n.
- A man born in Ireland or of the Irish race; an Hibernian.
- somehow adv.
- In one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated; by some means; as, the thing must be done somehow; he lives somehow.
- rangy a.
- Inclined or able to range, or rove about, for considerable distances; apt or suited for much roving, --chiefly used of cattle.
- bottled a.
- Put into bottles; inclosed in bottles; pent up in, or as in, a bottle.
- whiskey n.
- A light carriage built for rapid motion; -- called also tim- whiskey. [See Whisk, v. t. & n.]
- altogether adv.
- All together; conjointly. [OE. altogedere; al all + togedere together. See Together.]
- patronize v. t.
- To act as patron toward; to support; to countenance; to favor; to aid.
- squeal v. i.
- To cry with a sharp, shrill, prolonged sound, as certain animals do, indicating want, displeasure, or pain. [Of Scand. origin; cf. Sw. sqväla, Norw. skvella. Cf. Squeak, Squall.]
- presently adv.
- At present; at this time; now.
- wrote v. i.
- To root with the snout. See 1st Root. [OE. wroten. See 1st Root.]
- aller a.
- Of all; -- used in composition; as, alderbest, best of all, alderwisest, wisest of all. [From ealra, alra, gen. pl. of AS. eal. The d is excrescent.]
- demy n.
- A printing and a writing paper of particular sizes. See under Paper. [See Demi-.]
- hanker v. i.
- To long (for) with a keen appetite and uneasiness; to have a vehement desire; -- usually with for or after; as, to hanker after fruit; to hanker after the diversions of the town. [Prob. fr. hang; cf. D. hunkeren, hengelen.]
- nowadays adv.
- In these days; at the present time. [For now on (OE. an) days. See A-, 1.]
- maybe adv.
- Perhaps; possibly; peradventure. [For it may be.]
- jest n.
- A deed; an action; a gest. [OE. jeste, geste, deed, action, story, tale, OF. geste, LL. gesta, orig., exploits, neut. pl. from L. gestus, p. p. of gerere to bear, carry, accomplish, perfor]
- brawny a.
- Having large, strong muscles; muscular; fleshy; strong.
- heartache n.
- Sorrow; anguish of mind; mental pang. [Cf. AS. heortece.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Casey's Table D'Hote is in the public domain. This text is taken from A Little Book of Western Verse, Project Gutenberg ebook #9606; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Eugene Field, Casey's Table D'Hote, in A Little Book of Western Verse (1889), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #9606, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/field-western-verse/casey-s-table-d-hote.html, id L24621.
Form and metre
Casey's Table D'Hote is 80 lines in 8 stanzas of 10 lines each. The rhyme scheme is AABBCCDDEE, complete in 6 of its 8 stanzas. The metre is iambic heptameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 86%).
See other poems in iambic heptameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 AABBCCDDEE blueA · trueA · astirB · demurB · awayC · dayC · stillD · hillD · throatE · doteE
- 2 AABBCCDDEE showA · goA · investB · westB · noiseC · boysC · daysD · crazeD · gloatE · doteE
- 3 AABBCCDDEE nameA · sameA · thingsB · kingsB · restC · westC · newD · trueD · boatE · doteE
- 4 AA--BBCCDD shelfA · himselfA · wine · — · girlsB · curlsB · pastC · fastC · noteD · doteD
- 5 AABBCCDDEE placeA · caseA · shameB · sameB · mealC · squealC · bustD · dustD · wroteE · doteE
- 6 AABBCCDDEE cartA · partA · beginB · vinB · beastC · eastC · tassD · sassD · throatE · doteE
- 7 AA--BBCCDD piesA · eyesA · be · — · blameB · sameB · blueC · trueC · smoteD · doteD
- 8 AABBCCDDEE westA · breastA · doB · youB · faceC · placeC · soD · knowD · throatE · doteE
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic heptameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Oh, them days on Red Hoss Mountain, when the skies wuz fair 'nd blue, | 15 | ······/˘······· |
| When the money flowed like likker, 'nd the folks wuz brave 'nd true! | 15 | ··/˘··········· |
| When the nights wuz crisp 'nd balmy, 'nd the camp wuz all astir, | 15 | ······/˘·····˘/ |
| With the joints all throwed wide open 'nd no sheriff to demur! | 15 | ······/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| Oh, them times on Red Hoss Mountain in the Rockies fur away,-- | 15 | ······/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| There's no sich place nor times like them as I kin find to-day! | 14 | ·············· |
| What though the camp hez busted? I seem to see it still | 13 | ·····/˘······ |
| A-lyin', like it loved it, on that big 'nd warty hill; | 14 | ·····˘·····/˘· |
| And I feel a sort of yearnin' 'nd a chokin' in my throat | 15 | ··············· |
| When I think of Red Hoss Mountain 'nd of Casey's tabble dote! | 15 | ······/˘··/˘··· |
| Wal, yes; it's true I struck it rich, but that don't cut a show | 14 | ·············· |
| When one is old 'nd feeble 'nd it's nigh his time to go; | 14 | ·····/˘······· |
| The money that he's got in bonds or carries to invest | 14 | ·/˘······/˘·˘/ |
| Don't figger with a codger who has lived a life out West; | 14 | ·····/˘······· |
| Us old chaps like to set around, away from folks 'nd noise, | 14 | ········˘/···· |
| 'Nd think about the sights we seen and things we done when boys; | 14 | ·············· |
| The which is why I love to set 'nd think of them old days | 14 | ·············· |
| When all us Western fellers got the Colorado craze,-- | 14 | ···/˘/˘···˘/˘· |
| And that is why I love to set around all day 'nd gloat | 14 | ·············· |
| On thoughts of Red Hoss Mountain 'nd of Casey's tabble dote. | 14 | ·····/˘··/˘··· |
| This Casey wuz an Irishman,--you'd know it by his name | 14 | ·/˘··/˘˘······ |
| And by the facial features appertainin' to the same. | 14 | ···/˘/˘······· |
| He'd lived in many places 'nd had done a thousand things, | 14 | ···/˘/˘····/˘· |
| From the noble art of actin' to the work of dealin' kings, | 15 | ··/˘··/˘······· |
| But, somehow, hadn't caught on; so, driftin' with the rest, | 13 | ·/·/˘········ |
| He drifted for a fortune to the undeveloped West, | 14 | ·/˘··/˘···˘/˘· |
| And he come to Red Hoss Mountain when the little camp wuz new, | 15 | ······/˘··/˘··· |
| When the money flowed like likker, 'nd the folks wuz brave 'nd true; | 15 | ··/˘··········· |
| And, havin' been a stewart on a Mississippi boat, | 14 | ·/˘··/˘···˘/˘· |
| He opened up a caffy 'nd he run a tabble dote. | 14 | ·/˘··········· |
| The bar wuz long 'nd rangy, with a mirrer on the shelf, | 14 | ·····/˘······· |
| 'Nd a pistol, so that Casey, when required, could help himself; | 15 | ··/˘··/˘·˘/··˘/ |
| Down underneath there wuz a row of bottled beer 'nd wine, | 14 | ··˘/·····/˘··· |
| 'Nd a kag of Burbun whiskey of the run of '59; | 12 | ······/˘···· |
| Upon the walls wuz pictures of hosses 'nd of girls,-- | 13 | ·····/˘·/˘··· |
| Not much on dress, perhaps, but strong on records 'nd on curls! | 14 | ····˘/···/˘··· |
| The which had been identified with Casey in the past,-- | 14 | ····˘/˘··/˘··· |
| The hosses 'nd the girls, I mean,--and both wuz mighty fast! | 14 | ·/˘········/˘· |
| But all these fine attractions wuz of precious little note | 14 | ····˘/˘··/˘/˘· |
| By the side of what wuz offered at Casey's tabble dote. | 14 | ······/˘·/˘··· |
| There wuz half-a-dozen tables altogether in the place, | 15 | ····/˘/˘·˘/˘··· |
| And the tax you had to pay upon your vittles wuz a case; | 15 | ··········/˘··· |
| The boardin'-houses in the camp protested 't wuz a shame | 15 | ···/˘···˘/˘···· |
| To patronize a robber, which this Casey wuz the same! | 14 | ·/˘··/˘··/˘··· |
| They said a case was robbery to tax for ary meal; | 14 | ·····/˘˘···/˘· |
| But Casey tended strictly to his biz, 'nd let 'em squeal; | 14 | ·/˘/˘/˘······· |
| And presently the boardin'-houses all began to bust, | 14 | ·/˘˘···/˘·˘/·· |
| While Casey kept on sawin' wood 'nd layin' in the dust; | 13 | ·/˘··/˘······ |
| And oncet a tray'lin' editor from Denver City wrote | 14 | ······/˘·/˘/˘· |
| A piece back to his paper, puffin' Casey's tabble dote. | 14 | ·····/˘/·/˘··· |
| A tabble dote is different from orderin' aller cart: | 14 | ·····/˘····/˘· |
| In one case you git all there is, in t' other, only part! | 15 | ··········/˘/˘· |
| And Casey's tabble dote began in French,--as all begin,-- | 14 | ·/˘···˘/····˘/ |
| And Casey's ended with the same, which is to say, with "vin;" | 14 | ·/˘/˘········· |
| But in between wuz every kind of reptile, bird, 'nd beast, | 14 | ·····/˘··/˘··· |
| The same like you can git in high-toned restauraws down east; | 14 | ·············· |
| 'Nd windin' up wuz cake or pie, with coffee demy tass, | 14 | ·········/˘˘/· |
| Or, sometimes, floatin' Ireland in a soothin' kind of sass | 14 | ·/···/˘······· |
| That left a sort of pleasant ticklin' in a feller's throat, | 14 | ·····/˘····/˘· |
| 'Nd made him hanker after more of Casey's tabble dote. | 14 | ···/˘····/˘··· |
| The very recollection of them puddin's 'nd them pies | 14 | ·/˘·˘/˘······· |
| Brings a yearnin' to my buzzum 'nd the water to my eyes; | 15 | ··········/˘··· |
| 'Nd seems like cookin' nowadays ain't what it used to be | 14 | ···/˘/˘······· |
| In camp on Red Hoss Mountain in that year of '63; | 11 | ·····/˘···· |
| But, maybe, it is better, 'nd, maybe, I'm to blame-- | 13 | ·/˘··/˘·/˘··· |
| I'd like to be a-livin' in the mountains jest the same-- | 14 | ·····/˘··/˘··· |
| I'd like to live that life again when skies wuz fair 'nd blue, | 14 | ······˘/······ |
| When things wuz run wide open 'nd men wuz brave 'nd true; | 13 | ·····/˘······ |
| When brawny arms the flinty ribs of Red Hoss Mountain smote | 14 | ·/˘··/˘····/˘· |
| For wherewithal to pay the price of Casey's tabble dote. | 14 | ·/˘······/˘··· |
| And you, O cherished brother, a-sleepin' 'way out west, | 14 | ···/˘˘/˘······ |
| With Red Hoss Mountain huggin' you close to its lovin' breast,-- | 14 | ···/˘······/˘· |
| Oh, do you dream in your last sleep of how we used to do, | 14 | ·············· |
| Of how we worked our little claims together, me 'nd you? | 14 | ····//˘·˘/˘··· |
| Why, when I saw you last a smile wuz restin' on your face, | 14 | ·············· |
| Like you wuz glad to sleep forever in that lonely place; | 14 | ······˘/˘··/˘· |
| And so you wuz, 'nd I 'd be, too, if I wuz sleepin' so. | 15 | ··············· |
| But, bein' how a brother's love ain't for the world to know, | 14 | ·/˘··/˘······· |
| Whenever I've this heartache 'nd this chokin' in my throat, | 14 | ˘/˘··/········ |
| I lay it all to thinkin' of Casey's tabble dote. | 13 | ·····/˘·/˘··· |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.