McAuley, James J

English

University of Montana

CutBank Volume 1 Issue 6 CutBank 6 Article 16 Spring 1976 Deposition of Harold M--,Gardener, at the Inquest of the Hon. Miss Gloria Madeline Hastings, 21ist April, 1936. James J. McAuley Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/cutbank  Part of the Creative Writing Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits you. Recommended Citation McAuley, James J. (1976) "Deposition of Harold M--,Gardener, at the Inquest of the Hon. Miss Gloria Madeline Hastings, 21ist April, 1936.," CutBank: Vol. 1 : Iss. 6 , Article 16. Available at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/cutbank/vol1/iss6/16 This Poetry is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in CutBank by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact scholarworks@mso.umt.edu. James J. McAuleyDEPOSITION OF HAROLD M —, GARDENER, AT THE INQUEST OF THE HON. MISS GLORIA MADELINE HASTINGS, 21st APRIL, 1936.IThe topiaries were just my pastime. Clipping holly or laurel In the shape of a begging dog Or a crowing cock amused me During slack times. Miss Hastings Praised me for these fancies,But hardly noticed the trellis Of climbing hybrid roses Outside her study window That gave me so much trouble Before the right kind of yellow,Dark as gold, took the graft.The croquet lawn was her whim,And tiresome work, on my knees Over every inch weeding Dandelions and scutch,And every day for weeks With the roller to get it as flat As a table. I kept it that way For years, though no one used it.At first there was plenty to do,The elms on the drive to rescue from fungus, the walks to rake,The banks of perennials To thin out and make neat.By the second Spring, there was time To try new things in the hothouse, And clip topiaries in the hedges.35James J. McAuleyIIShe gave me a free hand,Never a word of the cost,N or of praise for the work,W hen she strolled the grounds in good weather, S tooping a bit on her cane.But when she saw the shapes O f the peacock and unicorn T hat I cut from  the privet between The hothouse and the old stable,I had to tell her my name Before she could praise me.She sold the parklands for taxes W hen the new governm ent took  over,And paid off the indoor staff,But kept me on.A day’s work a week took  care O f the lawn and the flower gardens Down to the road th a t she kept W ith the house, though she seldom  walked Those paths any more. I learned A new trade by taking the bricks From  the ruined stable to build A wall. On her side,I planted a haw thorn  hedge And let it grow wild.After she sold the lodgeW here I’d lived from  the day she hired me,She moved me to a roomBy the kitchen, and taught me to cookPlain meals. We never ateTogether. In the eveningsShe had me read to  her.I stum bled often at first Over the strange words.36Jam es J. M cA u leyThe house now stood in a suburb,The elms on the land she’d sold Replaced by bungalows.From  behind the four high hedges We could hear the shouts of children,The ham m ers and mowers a t weekends.I l lWe were reading Vanity Fair.I thought she’d fallen asleep,As she often did, holding the cane W ith the gold band, sitting Across from  me in her study.I stayed there w atching her Till first light surprised me.I m ade a coffin from  boardsT hat I took  from  the ballroom  floor,And dug a grave, not deep,On the croquet lawn.I was in her serviceOne week short of thirty  years.I spent th a t week carving her nameOn the hearthstone I hauled from  the houseToThe lawn. Ju st her nameAnd the year she died. I knewNone of the o ther details.

Deposition of Harold M--,Gardener, at the Inquest of the Hon. Miss Gloria Madeline Hastings, 21ist April, 1936.

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Deposition of Harold M--,Gardener, at the Inquest of the Hon. Miss Gloria Madeline Hastings, 21ist April, 1936.

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