The night was warm as summer
    And the wold was wet with dew,
      And the moon rose fair,
      And the autumn air
    From the flowery prairies blew;
  You took my arm, ol’ Nompy,
    And measured the lonely street,
      And you said, “Let’s walk
      In the gloom and talk—­
    ’Tis too pleasant to-night to eat!”

  And you quoth:  “Old Field supposin’
    Hereafter we two agree;
      If it’s fair when we’re through
      I’m to walk with you—­
    If it’s foul you’re to eat with me!”
  Then I clasped your hand, ol’ Nompy,
    And I said:  “Well, be it so.” 
      The night was so fine
      I didn’t opine
    It could ever rain or snow!

  But the change came on next morning
    When the fickle mercury fell,
      And since, that night
      That was warm and bright
    It’s snowed or it’s rained like—­well. 
  Have you drawn your wages, Nompy? 
    Have you reckoned your pounds and pence? 
      Harsh blows the wind,
      And I feel inclined
    To banquet at your expense!_

The “Friar Terence” of Field’s note was the Edward J. McPhelim to whom reference has already been made, who often joined us in our after-theatre symposiums, but could not be induced to walk one block if there was a street-car going his way.

As bearing on the nature of these “banquets,” and the unending source of enjoyment they were to both of us, the following may throw a passing light: 

  Discussing great and sumptuous cheer
  At Boyle’s one midnight dark and drear
      Two gentle warriors sate;
  Out spake old Field:  “In sooth I reck
  We bide too long this night on deck—­
  What, ho there, varlet, bring the check! 
      Egad, it groweth late!”

  Then out spake Thompson flaming hot: 
  “Now, by my faith, I fancy not,
      Old Field, this ribald jest;
  Though you are wondrous fair and free
  With riches that accrue to thee,
  The check to-night shall come to me—­
      You are my honored guest!”

  But with a dark forbidding frown
  Field slowly pulled his visor down
      And rose to go his way—­
  “Since this sweet favor is denied,
  I’ll feast no more with thee,” he cried—­
  Then strode he through the portal wide
      While Thompson paused to pay._

Speaking of “the riches that accrued” to Field it may be well to explain that when he came to Chicago from Denver he was burdened with debts, and although subsequently he was in receipt of a fair salary, it barely sufficed to meet his domestic expenses and left little to abate the importunity of the claims that followed him remorselessly.  He lived very simply in a flat on the North Side—­first on Chicago Avenue, something over a mile from the office, later on in another flat further north, on La Salle Avenue, and still later, and until he went to Europe, in a small rented house on Crilly Place, which is a few blocks west of the south end of Lincoln Park.