Edgar Lee Masters’ “Andy the Night-Watch”

Edgar Lee Masters’ “Andy the Night-Watch”

Edgar Lee Masters’ “Andy the Night-Watch” remains one of the more pleasant accounts, as Andy reports his simple duties as a Spoon River security guard.

Introduction and Text of “Andy the Night-Watch”

Edgar Lee Masters’ “Andy the Night-Watch” from the American classic Spoon River Anthology features a night watchman who mentions another Spoon River resident Doc Hill in his report.   Andy’s account is straight forward without the innuendos that accompany many of the reports.  Andy is philosophical about his lot, seeing himself in a long line of men who have performed his job of night watchman for Spoon River.

Interestingly, because Andy encounters Doc Hill in his nightly duties, he supports the physician’s claim made in his epitaph that he had gone about Spoon River both night and day caring for the sick.  Andy passes no moral judgment on the doc.  

And Andy reveals no moral turpitude as so many of these characters do. Andy’s apparent guilelessness makes him one of the most appealing characters of the Spoon River citizens.  Most want to excuse their own sins while blaming others for them.

Therefore, Andy’s epitaph surfaces as one of the more pleasant accounts, as he reports the simple duties he performed as a Spoon River security guard.   Andy’s only purpose is to offer a brief report about how he spent his time and to contrast his purpose on earth with his current tranquility, which he seems to appreciate.

Andy the Night-Watch 

In my Spanish cloak,
And old slouch hat,
And overshoes of felt,
And Tyke, my faithful dog,
And my knotted hickory cane,
I slipped about with a bull’s-eye lantern
From door to door on the square,
As the midnight stars wheeled round,
And the bell in the steeple murmured  
From the blowing of the wind;
And the weary steps of old Doc Hill
Sounded like one who walks in sleep,
And a far-off rooster crew.  
And now another is watching Spoon River
As others watched before me.
And here we lie, Doc Hill and I
Where none breaks through and steals,
And no eye needs to guard.

Commentary on “Andy the Night-Watch”

Edgar Lee Masters’ “Andy the Night-Watch” reports his simple duties as a Spoon River security guard and then makes an interesting statement of comparison between his earthly life and his after-life.

First Movement:  A Guard’s Accessories

In my Spanish cloak,
And old slouch hat,
And overshoes of felt,
And Tyke, my faithful dog,
And my knotted hickory cane,

Andy first describes his clothing and accessories, reporting that he wore a cloak which he describes as “Spanish.”  He donned a hat which was of the old and slouch variety. Finally, he wore overshoes made of felt—likely so he could amble about quietly on his nightly duties.

For company and possible security assistance, Andy kept his companion pet dog Tyke along with him.  And he also carried a cane made of “knotted hickory.”  Such are the simple necessities for a night watchman in the small town of Spoon River.  Apparently, there was no need for a weapon other than the hickory cane.  

Second Movement:  A Guard’s Duties

I slipped about with a bull’s-eye lantern
From door to door on the square,
As the midnight stars wheeled round,
And the bell in the steeple murmured  
From the blowing of the wind;

After cataloguing his accessories, Andy then proceeds to report his duties.  But before mentioning his duties, he inserts a further item, a lantern with a bull’s eye, to fill out the list of accessories that he either carried or wore.

Andy describes his movement as “slip[ping] about,” likely indicating that he moved slowly as he checked the status of each door to the businesses and offices in town.  Most nights he was fortunate that not much seemed to be happening, so he was free to notice the “midnight stars” that “wheeled around.”  

He also notes that he listened to “the bell in the steeple,” which he describes as making a murmuring sound as the wind blew past.  Again, Andy is demonstrating a calm, appreciative individual whose demeanor contrasts greatly with so many of the angry, vengeful after-life reporters from the Spoon River Cemetery.

Third Movement:    Old Doc Hill

And the weary steps of old Doc Hill
Sounded like one who walks in sleep,
And a far-off rooster crew.  

It is in the third movement that Andy mentions “old Doc Hill,” whom the reader has previously encountered among these Spoon River after-death reporters.    Andy would hear the doctor’s “weary steps,” and Andy claims that those steps made it seem that the doctor might be walking in his sleep.  Likely, the shuffling sound put Andy in mind of sleep-walkers.

Andy then mentions that he heard a far-off rooster crowing, which suggests that it is close to dawn.  The implication supports Doc Hill’s report that he went about caring for the sick all through the night.

Fourth Movement:   Now Someone Else Guards

And now another is watching Spoon River
As others watched before me.
And here we lie, Doc Hill and I
Where none breaks through and steals,
And no eye needs to guard.

Andy then returns to his present circumstances wherein he, with a touch of melancholy, avers that someone else is now performing his night job of “watching Spoon River.”   And Andy places himself in the long line of history; the new person is watching “as others watched before me,” he philosophically opines.

Both Andy and Doc Hill are now in their graves where no medical attention is required and where no one will break in to steal from rightful owners.  No one needs “to guard” anything in this final resting place.

Andy has successfully compared his earthly duties to his duties in his current circumstance by simply stating the fact that no one ever breaks into things in the after-life world to steal things.  Thus, in that place, it is not necessary to have men who watch the night, which can become a dangerous, crime infested time on earth among the living.