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Thanksgiving Street

I knew a man whose name was Horner;
Who used to live in grumble corner;
Grumble corner in crosspatch town
And he never was seen without a frown.
He grumbled at this, and he grumbled at that,
He growled at the dog. He growled at the cat.
He grumbled at morning. He grumbled at night,
And to grumble and growl was his chief delight.
He grumbled so much at his wife that she
Began to grumble as well as he.
And all the children, wherever they went,
Reflected their parents discontent.
If the sky was dark and betokened rain,
Then Mr. Horner was sure to complain.
And if there was not a cloud about,
He grumbled because of a threatened drought.
His meals were never to suit his taste,
He grumbled at having to eat in haste.
The bread was poor, or the meat was tough,
Or else he hadn't had half enough.
No matter how hard his wife would try
To please her husband, with scornful eye
He'd look around and then with a scowl
At something or other he'd begin to growl.
One day as I walked down the street,
My old acquaintance I chanced to meet;
Whose face was without the look of care
And the ugly frown that had drifted there.
"I may be mistaken" perhaps I said
As after saluting I turned my head!
"But it is, and it isn*t the Mr. Horner
Who used to live on grumble corner."
I met him next day and I met him again;
In melting weather and in pelting rain.
When stocks were up, and when stocks were down,
But a smile, somehow, had replaced the frown.
It puzzled me much, and so one day,
I seized his hand in a friendly way
and said, "Mr. Horner, I*d like to know
What can have happened to change you so?"
He laughed a laugh that was good to hear;
For it told of a conscience, calm and clear.
And he said with none of his old-time drawl,
"Why I've changed my residence,
that is all.
"Yes," said Horner,
"It wasn't healthy on grumble corner"
And so I've moved: twas a change complete,
"And you will find me now On Thanksgiving Street."