by Becky Rule
A woman tartly asked about a mutual acquaintance: “Did he ever do a job of work?” Implying he was a lazy fella. Shiftless. Got me thinking. Have I ever done a job of work? If you love what you do, is that a job? Or work?
My friend Martha Barrett told of a carpenter working on an old man’s house. The owner, helping out, grabbed one end of the tape measure, but after squatting to place it, couldn’t stand. The carpenter helped him up.
“I can’t work like I used to,” the owner said, teary.
“Mr. Walker,” the carpenter said, “you’re 97 years old. You don’t have to mow in the noonday sun.”
“Job of work” and “mow in the noonday sun” fit right in with the expressions I’m collecting for a New Hampshire dictionary. But it’s the stories behind the expressions that fascinate me. In my research I discovered Country Piano Tuner: His Stupid Song by Howard Chase, who lived in Hancock and Concord and tuned pianos all over — from grand pianos at the MacDowell Colony to rickety back-room spinets. Barbara Wright, who inherited the unsold copies, said her Uncle Zowie would be pleased if I used his stories in my work. Here’s a gem:
“A grandmother on the outskirts of Concord called for me to work on the family piano, and was very insistent on my coming promptly. I found out why when I got there: She had removed the keys in order to clean out the dirt under them, had put them back in the wrong order, and had one left over. My first step was to get them back where they belonged — not difficult when one knows where to look for the consecutive numbers or witness marks. The grandmother looked on and inquired, “How come they go in place so easy for you, when I had such a hard time with them?” She had waded far beyond her depth and then hollered for help, so I felt impelled to rub it in a little and replied, ‘There’s such a thing as knowing how.’”
Country Piano Tuner: His Stupid Song was published by the author in 1971. Copies are available through Brenda Wright, 31 Hemlock Corner Loop, Henniker, NH 03242; brendawright123@gmail.com.
Becky Rule has lived all her life (so far) in New Hampshire. She has written
several popular books set in her home state, including her latest collection of stories,
“Live Free and Eat Pie” (Islandport Press), and hosts live storytelling events,
many sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council. She posts stories
regularly on her website, www.livefreeandeatpie.com.
