At Laurey's

"Benjamin" comes 'round my house 'bout three, sittin' in her pa's surrey. I'm waitin' out on the front porch, my basket right near me. I told my folks 'bout the little scheme I got up my sleeve, so's they don't worry too much 'bout their l'il girl goin' off with some Claremore boy. T' tell the truth, it's a big, big lie. I ain't been to Claremore but once, an' I didn't see no boys who'd want me the whole time I was there.

Playin' their part, my ma and pa wave me off, sayin' they'll see me later t'night at the box social. I wave 'em back as I prance down t' Eliza's surrey, swingin' my basket, hopin' I look pretty as can be. My folks said so- but they sorta hafta say that.

On the way over t' Laurey's house, we rehearse our story. She's called Benjamin, an' she's from Claremore, where her pa owns at the hotel. She's nineteen, two years older than me, an' someday she's gonna take over ownin' the hotel. Talkin' ain't a problem; Eliza can talk low like a boy an' always has been able to. She can sing real low too, which'll sure come in handy, as our town has a habit of breakin' out in song. Sorta one of our l'il quirks, I guess you'd say.

The only people that know our plan are our parents, Victor, an' Emily. We had t' tell Victor an' Emily so's "Benjamin" would have some boy t' talk with an' not look like a right fool, an' so Emily could spread the word through all the girls that I'm comin' to the box social with a Claremore boy. Now if that ain't excitin', I don't know what is! 'Sides, if'n we didn't tell somebody, I do think we might just combust!

We pull up t' Laurey's house just as everyone else is. 'Fore anyone sees us, I hiss in Eliza's ear, "'Member, just act like you's a fellow," then straighten up real fast an' start gigglin' like she just said somethin' real funny. She helps me outta the surrey real gentleman-like, an' I hop out daintily, carryin' my basket. I stuck some real pretty flowers in it, and ribbons 'round the handle, so's it looks real nice.

True t' their word, Victor an' Emily wave us over as they're gettin' out of their buggy. Victor an' Eliza/Benjamin shake hands like boys are known t' do while Emily an' I gossip like girls oughta.

Everyone comes strollin' up t' Laurey's house, laughin' an' talkin' with each other. I spot Ado Annie an' Will, lookin' like they're 'bout ready t' kiss each other, an' I'm leanin' in t' whisper this t' Emily, when they're interrupted by a loud, unfamiliar laugh. Startled, they run off behind Laurey's house just as she an' Aunt Eller're comin' out the front door. I turn to see who the laugh b'longs to- it's a tall, fashionably dressed girl hangin' on Curly's arm, parasol in hand. Oh, no! Laurey must'a accepted Jud's invitation 'stead 'f Curly's, cause now he's here with this girl, whoever she is.

Oh! I know! It must be that Cummings gal everyone's talkin' about. Gertie. Her pa owns the store in Bushyhead, an' she's just about as fashionable an' obnoxious as can be, not t' mention a bigger flirt than Ado Annie. Can't believe Curly's takin' her to the box social, when he an' Laurey're so perfect for each other.

As we stroll up the lawn, we all begin to sing, the low voices 'f the fellows mixin' with the high ones of the gals. "Oh, what a beautiful mornin', oh, what a beautiful day. I got a beautiful feelin' everythin's goin' my way.Oh, what a beautiful mornin', oh, what a beautiful day. I got a beautiful feelin' everythin's goin my way."

As we finish singin', we settle ourselves on Laurey's lawn in l'il clumps. Eliza an' Victor an' Emily an' I are sittin' with Naomi an' Sam an' Lynette an' Chalmers an' a cowgirl named Victoria who's 'bout fourteen, I'd say, an' Laurey's friends Kate, Ellen an' Vivian. As Aunt Eller an' Curly talk 'bout horses an' wagons, Vivian whispers t' me, "Who's the fellow?"

Smilin', I whisper back, "His name's Benjamin, an' he's from Claremore."

Her eyes goin' wide, she repeats, "Claremore? What a long way!"

Quickly realizin' my slight accident in sayin' he's come from s' far away, I cover, "Well, his pa's in town fer some business. He runs th' hotel up there, y'know."

"Really!" Vivian says, soundin' surprised. "What a catch!"

'Fore I can continue this conversation, Lynette pokes me in the shoulder an' Vivian an' I turn to see Gertie hangin' all over Curly, tellin' him she "jist love to watch the way he handle horses". It's all I can do t' keep from burstin' out laughin'- till Curly looks over at Laurey, real sad like, an' says, "'At's about all I can handle, I guess." Oh, poor Curly... an' poor Laurey. Poor both of 'em.

"Oh, I cain't believe that, Curly- not from whut I heared about you!" Gertie exclaims, flirtin' with him like nobody's business, lettin' loose with that laugh again as she pulls him off in the direction 'f the horses. Mischievously, Emily imitates her laugh, gettin' a rise outta the whole crowd. Eliza, actin' like a true beau, takes a hold of my hand real sweetly as we sit on the lawn.

"Looks like Curly's done tuck up with that Cummings girl!" Lucy and Lurlene cry impishly, lookin' in Laurey's direction t' see if she'll say somethin'.

Sure enough, she exclaims, "Whut'd I keer about that?" Everyone breaks out in whispers.

"Why's she insist on actin' so coy 'bout it?" Naomi whispers. "Everyone knows she an' Curly like each other." The rest of our little cluster nods with agreement.

Savin' Laurey's feelin's in a quick move, Aunt Eller says, "Come on boys, better git these hampers out under the shade where it's cool." All the fellows pick up their girl's hamper, an' if the girl ain't got a fellow some fellows – like "Benjamin", such a gentleman, takin' Vivian's an' mine – take theirs too, an' make an exit. She pats my shoulder as she leaves, smilin' at me real nice, causin' Vivian t' nudge me with approvin' glances. All th' girls gather in two clumps, me sittin' on th' ground in front 'f Laurey's bench with Victoria an' Naomi on th' bench an' Lurlene standin' behind us. Kate an' Ellen an' Vivian an' Emily're standin' near Laurey's porch.

Laurey walks through the two groups 'a girls, singin' real nicely 'bout her love life. The greatest thing 'f all 'bout when our town breaks out in song 's that all've us can sing, an' there just happens 't be music n'matter where we are or when we sing. "Why should a womern who is healthy an' strong blubber like a baby if her man goes away? A-weepin' an' a-wailin' how he's done her wrong, that's one thing you'll never hear me say!"

Laurey weaves between girls, as if t' say, "Don't worry if your romance life's a dud! It'll get better, I promise!" in that way she so often has. All th' girls listen t' Laurey cause when she's got somethin' t' say it's usually pretty smart advice. "Never gonna think that the man I lose is the only man among men.I'll snap my fingers t' show I don't care." She snaps her fingers, her arm raised in the air. "I'll buy me a brand-new dress to wear. I'll scrub my neck and I'll brush my hair and start all over again."

With admirable confidence, Laurey whips a handkerchief out from her dress and begins sashayin' with it, back and forth in front of us. Kate, Ellen, Vivian, Virginia, Aggie, Lucy, an' Lurlene have gathered in the center, an' they begin swayin' their handkerchiefs with Laurey as she sings. The rest of us, in two circles, me, Emily, Lynette, Naomi, an' Victoria on one side an' Susan, Nancy, Grace, Susanna, Lydia, an' Marthaon th' other, rock from side t' side.

"Many a new face will please my eye, many a new love will find me. Never have I once looked back t' sigh over th' romance behind me. Many a new day will dawn before I do." All us girls put our hands on our hips an' bounce up an' down a bit in syncopation with the mysteriously appearin' background music, then resume swaying as we had been doing before.

"Many a light lad may kiss and fly, a kiss gone by is bygone, never've I asked an August sky 'Where has last July gone?' Never've I wandered through the rye, wonderin' where has some guy gone- Many a new day will dawn before I do!"

We repeat the hands-on-hips bouncin' (me feelin' like two rather specific parts 'f my body're bouncin' the most) and the mysteriously appearin' background music changes a bit 'fore returnin' to the melody, this time all Laurey's posse singin' with her, now us girls in the circles walkin' counter-clockwise as we listen. "Many a new face will please my eye, many a new love will find me. Never have I once looked back t' sigh over th' romance behind me. Many a new day will dawn before I do."

Once again we bounce, our hands still on our hips, an' Laurey commands the attention of all've us again, singin' a new refrain. "Never've I chased a honey bee who carelessly cajoled me. Somebody else just as sweet as he cheered me and consoled me! Never've I wept into my tea over the deal someone doled me."

Almost reverently, Laurey's posse all sing, stoppin' th' rest've us from doin' anythin', "Many a new day will dawn!"

Laurey tops her friends, singin': "Many a red sun will set! Many a blue moon will shine before I do!"

Our two circles switch places, walkin' through each other and sayin' hi, as Laurey's friends begin t' sing again, as Laurey walks across in front of her posse, primping and pretending she hasn't a care in the world. "Many a new face will please my eye, many a new love will find me. Never have I once looked back t' sigh over th' romance behind me. Many a new day will dawn before I do.

Never've I chased a honey bee who carelessly cajoled me. Somebody else just as sweet as he cheered me and consoled me! Never've I wept into my tea over the deal someone doled me. Many a new day will dawn!"

Gatherin' all've us t' her like she's spreadin' the word of Jesus Christ Himself, Laurey lets her voice soar an' we all listen to her, agreein'. "Many a red sun will set! Many a blue moon will shine before I do!"

One last time, we bounce, still in that little cluster 'f Laurey-worship, then we start scatterin'. I cain't help but notice Virginia drops her handkerchief- but she's gone th' other way 'fore I can catch her. As I'm leavin', Lynette grabs my arm an' starts askin' me questions 'bout "Benjamin". Oh, glory, the attention sure feels good.

Y'know, I think it's real great Laurey's sayin' all this stuff 'bout how women don't need men- but I know it's just t' cover fer bein' upset 'bout Curly bringin' Gertie t' the box social, an' her havin' t' go with Jud. But really, whut else c'n she do t' save face?

While walkin' 'bout Laurey's yard, I've regaled the story 'f mine an' "Benjamin"'s meetin' t' first Lynette, then Nancy an' Grace an' Susan, then Victoria an' Martha an' Susanna an' Lydia an' the twins, then Laurey's posse, till I'm nearly tired 'f tellin' it. I cain't help but wonder 'f I'm settin' myself up fer more trouble than I want.

Well, too late now. I told Virginia she left her handkerchief back at Laurey's front lawn, an' she asked if I could be a dear an' go fetch it for her. 'Course I would, figurin' I'd use the opportunity t' see how Eliza's copin' with bein' a boy. I told her just t' stick with Victor, an' he'll make her fit in. Lynette an' Naomi an' Emily an' Grace an' Nancy agree t' go with me, figurin' they'll check up on their beaus too, make sure they ain't carryin' on with a cowgirl or nothin'. We're all walkin' round the side of the house an' we hear th' boys singin', with more 'a that mysterious background music, "It's a scandal! It's an outrage! Any farmer will tell you it's true!"

An' then Ali Hakim, the peddler, starts sayin', " A rooster in a chicken coop is better off than men. He ain't the special property of just one hen!" All us girls look at each other, thinkin', Well, well, are our little farmer boys rebellin' or somethin'? We sneak up behind 'em as all the boys sing, "It's a scandal! It's an outrage! It's a problem we must solve! We gotta start a revolution!"

Our hands on our hips, we smirk at 'em an' belt, "All right, boys, revolve!" They turn 'round, startled, an' one by one we chase off our fellows. Eliza dashes off when Victor does, so I'm left desperately chasin' Slim, who I know came with Susanna the cowgirl. I always say Slim's a very well adjusted farmer- he's in love with a cowgirl, an' he don't let it bother him none, an' he's always helpin' out cowboys. He looks quite startled as I chase him behind Laurey's house, so I make sure t' tell him it was just cause all the other fellows already ran off an' he was the only one left. Poor Slim, I think I skeered him silly.