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Soldier, Maiden, and Flower by Eugene Field

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An old man reminisces about his adventurous, golden days at a Colorado mining camp named Red Hoss Mountain, focusing his nostalgia on a cherished Irish-run restaurant called Casey's table d'hôte.

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Eugene Field
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Soldier, Maiden, and Flower

Eugene Field

THIRTY-NINE CASEY'S TABLE D'HÔTE 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 still A-lyin', like it loved it, on that big 'nd warty hill; And I feel a sort of yearnin' 'nd a chokin' in my throat When 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 show When one is old 'nd feeble 'nd it's nigh his time to go; The money that he's got in bonds or carries to invest Don'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 days When all us Western fellers got the Colorado craze,-- And _that_ is why I love to set around all day 'nd gloat On thoughts of Red Hoss Mountain 'nd of Casey's tabble dote. This Casey wuz an Irishman,--you'd know it by his name And 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 note By 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 shame To 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 wrote A 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 sass That 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 pies Brings a yearnin' to my buzzum 'nd the water to my eyes; 'Nd seems like cookin' nowadays ain't what it used to be In 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 smote For 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.

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Sourced from Project Gutenberg

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§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

An old man reminisces about his adventurous, golden days at a Colorado mining camp named Red Hoss Mountain, focusing his nostalgia on a cherished Irish-run restaurant called Casey's table d'hôte. The poem carries a humorous and warm tone for much of its duration, yet the final stanza uncovers the true source of his sorrow: his brother is buried there, and all the chatter about food and good times serves as a means of navigating the grief he struggles to express. It's a poem about loss disguised as a poem about dinner.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. 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!

    Editor's note

    The speaker starts by reminiscing about the Colorado gold-rush camp with a wave of nostalgia. The dialect spelling ('wuz,' ''nd') instantly brings us into the perspective of an old Western prospector. The line 'money flowed like likker' captures the essence of the time: it was a place filled with excess, freedom, and rugged friendships. The repeated mention of 'brave 'nd true' folks will echo throughout the poem, each instance highlighting the stark difference from the speaker's solitary present.

  2. Wal, yes; it's true I struck it rich, but that don't cut a show / When one is old 'nd feeble 'nd it's nigh his time to go;

    Editor's note

    Here, the speaker acknowledges that he built his wealth, but quickly downplays its value. For an old man facing death, money holds little significance. What he truly longs for is the *feeling* of that vibrant life — the connections, the adventures, and the thrill of youth. This stanza establishes the emotional core of the poem: material success feels empty when compared to genuine experiences and a sense of belonging.

  3. This Casey wuz an Irishman,--you'd know it by his name / And by the facial features appertainin' to the same.

    Editor's note

    Field introduces Casey with a warm sense of humor, playfully tapping into Irish-immigrant stereotypes that were prevalent and generally lighthearted in the popular verse of the 1890s. Casey is a wanderer who has dabbled in various pursuits before settling into his role as a restaurant owner in the new camp. He embodies the very essence of the West: restless, adaptable, and ultimately entrepreneurial.

  4. The bar wuz long 'nd rangy, with a mirrer on the shelf, / 'Nd a pistol, so that Casey, when required, could help himself;

    Editor's note

    This stanza sets a humorous scene. Field affectionately describes the saloon-restaurant's decor: the mirror, the self-defense pistol, the whiskey barrel, and the images of horses and fast women on the walls. The punchline about both the horses and the girls being 'mighty fast' delivers the poem's biggest laugh. The rich detail brings the memory to life, making it feel vivid and authentic.

  5. There wuz half-a-dozen tables altogether in the place, / And the tax you had to pay upon your vittles wuz a case;

    Editor's note

    A 'case' referred to a five-cent piece, meaning the meal cost a dime (two 'cases'). Other boarding houses accused Casey of being a robber, but he brushed off their claims and kept at it until they all went out of business. A traveling newspaper editor later penned a glowing review. This stanza tells a compact business tale with a humorous touch, celebrating Casey's quiet determination and skill.

  6. A tabble dote is different from orderin' aller cart: / In _one_ case you git all there is, in _t' other_, only _part_!

    Editor's note

    Field takes a moment to clarify the difference between *table d'hôte* (a fixed-price set menu) and *à la carte* for readers who might not be familiar with these French terms, doing so in a very straightforward manner. The stanza goes on to detail the menu, featuring a complete range of dishes from French-named courses to various meats and birds, finishing with cake, pie, and coffee ('demy tass' refers to *demi-tasse*). 'Floatin' Ireland' playfully reimagines the dessert 'floating island,' giving it a name that reflects Irish pride.

  7. The very recollection of them puddin's 'nd them pies / Brings a yearnin' to my buzzum 'nd the water to my eyes;

    Editor's note

    The speaker's emotions peak here, yet they still seem tied to food. The tears and the 'yearnin'' blend a touch of humor with authenticity. Field is skillfully leading up to the final revelation: while the speaker insists his feelings revolve around the food, the reader begins to pick up on a deeper significance lurking beneath the surface.

  8. And you, O cherished brother, a-sleepin' 'way out west, / With Red Hoss Mountain huggin' you close to its lovin' breast,--

    Editor's note

    The final stanza shifts away from comedy completely. The speaker speaks directly to his deceased brother, who lies buried on that mountain. Suddenly, everything in the poem becomes clear: the nostalgia, the "chokin' in my throat," the desire to return — all of it is grief for his brother, redirected onto food and good times because the pain of grief feels too intense to confront head-on. In the last two lines, when he claims to blame it all on Casey's table d'hôte, it serves as both a light-hearted joke and a heartfelt act of emotional deflection.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

Warm, funny, and filled with nostalgia for most of its length, the poem delivers a gut-punch of quiet grief in the final stanza. Field uses a broad vernacular voice that maintains a light and humorous tone, featuring dialect, food jokes, and playful jabs at boarding-house rivals. However, the emotional intensity builds gradually until the poem unveils its true nature as a lament. The overall effect resembles a tall tale that ultimately transforms into a eulogy.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Casey's table d'hôte
On the surface, it's just a fixed-price meal at a frontier restaurant. But in the poem's emotional depth, it symbolizes everything the speaker has lost: his youth, community, brother, and sense of belonging. By the final stanza, blaming his grief on the food serves as both a joke and a heartfelt admission.
Red Hoss Mountain
The mountain represents Eden in the poem — a symbol of freedom, abundance, and brotherhood that remains forever out of reach. At the same time, it serves as a grave, cradling the speaker's deceased brother in its 'lovin' breast.' Thus, the mountain embodies both paradise and a burial site.
The chokin' in my throat
This phrase appears both at the beginning and end of the poem. Initially, it feels like a sentimental longing for delicious food and happy memories. By the final stanza, it transforms into a deeper grief — the raw feeling of holding back tears for a deceased brother. This repetition unifies the entire poem.
Money / striking it rich
The speaker's financial success today contrasts sharply with his emotional emptiness. He clearly states that having money in old age means nothing compared to the vibrant life he experienced when he was young and struggling. In this sense, wealth represents everything that truly doesn’t matter.
The brother's smile
The image of the brother dying with a smile on his face stands out as the most haunting detail in the poem. It conveys a sense of peace, acceptance, and even relief — the speaker mentions he would feel the same. This subtly hints that the speaker is also weary and prepared to depart, suggesting that death might not be entirely unwelcome.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Eugene Field wrote this poem in the early 1890s, at the peak of his fame as a newspaper columnist and poet in Chicago. He was often called the 'poet of childhood,' but he also produced a significant amount of comic verse in Western dialect, inspired by the mythology surrounding the Colorado gold rush that captivated the nation from the 1850s onward. By the time Field was writing, the frontier was closing — the Census Bureau announced the frontier line had disappeared in 1890 — and nostalgia for the Wild West was already becoming a commercial and literary phenomenon. Field's dialect poems tap into that nostalgia while also reflecting something deeper: he lost his brother Roswell in 1883, and the grief expressed in the poem's final stanza carries genuine personal significance. The poem appeared in *Poems of Childhood* and other anthologies of Field's work, and it was widely reprinted in American newspapers throughout the 1890s.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

What is a 'table d'hôte' and why does it matter to the poem?

A table d'hôte (which Field spells as 'tabble dote' in dialect) is a fixed-price meal that offers a complete set menu from start to finish — no options to choose from. Field captures this idea in the poem: 'In one case you git all there is, in t'other, only part.' This concept is significant because it symbolizes abundance and generosity — at Casey's, you received everything, reflecting the speaker's memories of that period as a time of fullness and plenty.

Is the poem actually about grief, or is it really just about nostalgia for the frontier?

It's both, and that's the point. For seven stanzas, Field maintains a comic and nostalgic tone, centered around food, whiskey, and good times. Then, in the final stanza, we discover the brother buried on the mountain, and suddenly all that 'chokin' in my throat' clicks into place. The poem channels frontier nostalgia to hold grief that the speaker struggles to confront directly. The food is tangible; the grief is even more so.

Who is Casey, and is he a real person?

Casey is depicted as a fictional Irish immigrant who traveled west and started a restaurant on Red Hoss Mountain. Field makes it clear that Casey isn't based on a real historical figure, and Red Hoss Mountain is also a fictional or largely fictionalized Colorado mining camp. Casey represents the entrepreneurial and good-natured immigrant spirit of the frontier West.

Why does Field write in such heavy dialect? Is it meant to be funny?

Yes, partly — the dialect ('wuz,' ''nd,' 'tabble dote') serves as a humorous performance that reveals the speaker's identity as an old Western prospector. However, it also plays a significant role: it fosters intimacy, makes the speaker feel more like a genuine person instead of a mere literary creation, and anchors the poem's emotion in a distinct time and place. Field excelled in dialect verse, making readers feel as if they were listening to a story from an old friend.

What does 'floatin' Ireland' mean?

'Floating Ireland' is Field's humorous take on the classic French dessert île flottante ('floating island') — meringue resting on custard sauce. By calling it 'floatin' Ireland', he's playfully poking fun at Casey's Irish pride, implying that Casey has added his own twist to the French-style menu. This also aligns with the poem's ongoing theme of the frontier West adapting and reshaping European culture into something fresh.

What is the poem's structure and does it have a formal name?

The poem consists of eight stanzas, each with ten lines, and features a loose anapestic or ballad-like rhythm that creates a flowing, conversational tone. It doesn’t adhere to a rigid structure like a sonnet or villanelle. The lengthy lines and recurring refrain ('Casey's tabble dote') evoke the atmosphere of a spoken tale or a barroom performance—exactly as Field intended for it to be experienced.

Why does the speaker say he would be glad to be sleeping on the mountain too?

The speaker is old and weary, having outlived the world he cherished. When he says, "I'd be, too, if I wuz sleepin' so," he suggests that dying on Red Hoss Mountain, surrounded by the land and memories he treasures, would be a fitting end. It isn’t a cry of despair but rather a reflection of where his heart remains — out west, with his brother, in that lost world.

Is this poem typical of Eugene Field's work?

It highlights a significant aspect of Field — the comic dialect poet from the American West — though he is more widely recognized today for his sentimental children's poems such as 'Wynken, Blynken, and Nod' and 'Little Boy Blue.' This particular poem carries a more mature and emotionally intricate tone compared to his children's work, employing humor to mask authentic grief in a way that his lighter pieces do not. It occupies a middle ground that Field excelled in, but modern readers come across less frequently.

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

Field, Eugene. "Soldier, Maiden, and Flower." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/soldier-maiden-and-flower-eugene-field/.

APA

Field, E. (n.d.). Soldier, maiden, and flower. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/soldier-maiden-and-flower-eugene-field/

TeacherAP Lit Q1 scaffold — preview

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In Eugene Field's 'Casey's Table D'Hôte,' the speaker's nostalgic cataloguing of a frontier restaurant becomes a vehicle for mourning a vanished world and a lost brother, revealing that grief too raw to name directly is displaced onto the …

  • Row B — Evidence + Commentary4 pts
  • Row C — Sophistication1 pt
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