Living up the Moyea with plenty of small chores to distract him, he forgot he was a sad man. When the hymns began, he remembered.
The character in Denis Johnson's "Train Dreams" momentarily escapes his sorrow by engaging in numerous small tasks around his home. These mundane activities provide a temporary distraction, allowing him to lose sight of his underlying sadness. This illustrates how domestic chores can serve as a refuge from deeper emotional troubles, at least for a while.