r\ t ORUL iLLUSTRATED ^«M««aate«»»w««w»Mww«i«ia«t» LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. fSi74S Slielf._A.Gl5- DOTTED STATES OF AMERICA. ^^^^ ^^^$m. f Echoes of Childhood. I Old Friends in New Costumes. /'"cr f/ie Risen and the Rising Generation. BY L. A. GOBRIGHT, Author of "Recollections of Men and Things at Washington," Etc. " Let us now With graver air our serious themes pursue, And yet preserve our moral full in \\ft^."— Francis. %\\ j(IIusfr.itidits. VVSS^ PITIL.ADELPHIA: ^^Of WASH»J^^^^ CLAXTON, REMSEN & HAFFELFI^nit; 624, 626 & 628 Market Street. 1879. ^^) i ^^ I -^^^i^^^TkA Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1878. by L. A. GOBRIGHT, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. ELECTROTYPEU BY J. PAGAN & SON, PHILADELPHIA. t i '^ti^^^-. :,»sft^^ -"^8^; ^(!is ^Ot\ Is Inscribed to His Little Family MRS. LOU. E. McFALLS, HIS DAUGHTER, AND HIS GRANDCHILDREN, MARY LAWRENCE AND THADDEUS BRUCE McFALLS; AND ALSO TO MRS. ELIZABETH THOMPSON — A GENEROUS LADY, ALWAYS ENGAGED IN GOOD WORKS TO BE>EFIT MANKIND — BY THE AUTHOR. i 7 ->#*fia-' CONTENTS. PAGE Introduction v Invocation viii Original Story of Jack and Jill ix Preface x Jack and Jill; their Domestic Life 13 The Reign of Hearts 28 Mr. and Mrs. Spratt 36 Little Miss Muffit and the Spider 43 The Old Woman Under the Hill 47 Little Polly Flinders 50 The Lancashire Boy 54 Domestic Contention 57 The Three Wise Men of Gotham 59 Music for the Million 65 The Little Boy and the Owl 71 The Equestrienne of Banbury Cross 74 The Dyspepsia Cure 78 Courtship — Love's Argument 82 The Wise-Foolish Man 85 Little Jack Horner ^j Joe, the Crow-Killer 89 The Cat and the Fiddle 91 :,?!^^^ >^i^^^ INTRODUCTION. AS children, we have all hstened to Mother Goose's Melodies. Their repetition now recalls many happy hours. We then lived in a world of our own. What occurred to us will continue to happen to others. These "jingles," as they have been called, will never cease to delight. The nearer we return to youth, the nearer we reapproach a healthier moral atmosphere than surrounds us in our adult condition. Children, though impulsive, are seldom, if ever, deceitful. They are not included in the exclamation : " Oh ! what a tangled web we weave When first we practise to deceive." Peter Parley says : " By a beautiful alchemy of the heart, the clouds of early life appear afterward to be only accessories to the universal springtide of pleasure. In early life all nature is poetry. Childhood and youth are indeed one continuous poem. In most cases this ecstasy of emotion and conception passes away without our special notice. A large portion of it dies out from the memory, but pages are written upon the heart in lines of light and power that cannot be effaced. These become woven into the texture of the soul, and give character to it for time, perchance for eternity. The whole fountain of the mind, hke some mineral spring reaching to the interior elements of the earth, is imbued with ingredients which make its current sweet or bitter forever." Such men as Thackeray and W^ashington Irving did not regard stories for the nursery as beneath their " distinguished consideration." Thackeray says : " A hterary man of the humoristic turn is pretty sure to be of a philosophic nature, to have a great sensibility, to be early moved to pain or pleasure, keenly to appreciate the varieties of temper ,?.^ssi INTRODUCTION. of people round about him, and sympathize in their laughter, love, amusement, tears. Such a man is philosophic, man-loving by nature, as another is irascible, or red-haired, or six feet high. Popular fun is always kind. It is the champion of the humble against the great. In all popular parables, it is little Jack that conquers, and the Giant that topples down. I think that our popular authors are rather hard upon the great folks. Well, well, their lordships have all the money, and can afford to be laughed at." Washington Irving, in his "Life of Oliver Goldsmith," says: "The world is probably not aware of the ingenuity, humor, good sense, and sly satire contained in many of the English nursery tales. They have evidently been the sportive productions of able writers, who would not trust their names to productions that might be considered beneath their dignity. The ponderous works on which they relied for immortality have perhaps sunk into oblivion, and carried their names down with them, while their unacknowledged offspring. Jack the Giant-killer, Giles Gingerbread, and Tom Thumb, flourish in wide-spreading and never- ceasing popularity." While the author of the " Echoes of Childhood " admits the improb- ability of some of the events described in the Nursery Melodies, he nevertheless gives to the narrators due credit for their literary genius, and especially for the affecting story of Jack and Jill, which was several years ago published in a separate volume, and which the author of these pages claimed the right to elaborate, showing the true history of these celebrated personages, and giving the moral to be drawn from their un- pretentious lives. So as to the Queen of Hearts, whose lovely character has not heretofore been fully presented to the world. The index to this work will, of course, be consulted, and therefore the author need not specifically call attention to all the characters about whom he speaks with as much sincerity as the facts permit. He has explained many things which are obscure in the original poetry, but has not attempted to improve the text. ■'So- -^SlJ^j' 0rs.'-^ g^ =="^=^^^^s«^ IN TR ODUCTION. Thus much is due to the intelligent and appreciative reader as an in- troduction to the historic, traditional, and supposititious things to follow. The author, with the good-nature which inspires him, permits the public to form its own estimate of the character of this work, while he himself, unaided by modern sons of genius, will seriously discharge his duty to the best of his ability. To him some of the trifles in the Melodies of Mother Goose seem to be innovations ; but as it would be difficult to draw a distinctive line between the genuine and the apocryphal productions, he may be spared from a task involving so much (perhaps fruitless) labor. Therefore he boldly selects from the poetic gems, as texts for his sermons, those which have the greater charm for himself, without attempting to bias the minds of others concerning the simple melodies which have for so many years delighted the young, and which to adults often return as the " Echoes of Childhood " with all their innocent and pleasant memories. L. A. GOBRIGHT. Washington, D. C, October, 1878. ^^&^ ^^: AN INVOCATION! Now listen to the laughter wild Of little girls and boys, And to the noise of moving feet — The chorus of their joys. If you 're disposed to interfere With chilling look or word, Remember that in childhood you Were with like passions stirred. You can't expect these little folk Should be as grave as you, And their behavior quite as good In all they say and do. A.lowance you must make for them, And in their sport take part, And happiness you thus will add To many a tender heart. ^ ^k 'i ^b^ ^^- s THE Story of Jack and Jill Is usually rendered thus in the modern nursery editions : Jack and Jill went up the hill To fetch a pail of water, When Jack fell down, and broke his crown, And Jill came tumbling after. Jack up got and home did trot, As fast as he could caper; His brother Bob plastered his knob With vinegar and brown paper. And in the earlier editions the following verses appeared : Little Jane ran up the lane To hang the clothes a-drying ; She called for Nell to ring the bell, For Jack and Jill were dying. Nimble Dick ran up so quick He stumbled over a timber ; He bent his bow to kill a crow, ^ And shot a cat in the window. ^r^ ^^P^' PREFACE. " Because the beginning seemeth abrupt, it needs that you know the occasion of these several adventures, for the method of a poet historical is not such as of an historiographer." — Spenser. ^jj^HE Nursery Melodies which the author has consuUed do not give "Sjife such information concerning the hves of Jack and Jill as he de- @^[^ sired to obtain, in order to write their history with the particularity the subject seemed to demand. Mr. Spofford, the chief of the Library of Congress, extended all the facilities in his power to aid the author, who regrets that he is compelled to assert that the literature in that library, though abundant in other respects, is deficient in the matter of Jack and Jill. Therefore, it became necessary to make inquiries else- j where — among the private, though not extensive libraries of children. j But even there the results were not satisfactory. It was found that the { several writers of narratives of Jack and Jill do not agree as to the char- I acter of the injury to Jack in the fall. They are, however, in harmony j on the averment that his head was repaired by the application of " vinegar j and brown paper." Taking this for granted, (and the author has, as yet, i discovered no one who doubts the truth,) it is unreasonable to suppose that a broken crown could be repaired with such simple appliances ! Therefore, the sensible conclusion is that Jack's head was not broken but merely stunned. As to Jack's " capering " to his home, this would seem to be mere poetic license, not warranted by the facts ; or, it may have been intended to cast ridicule on the event which endangered his life I By a strange mistake, which cannot be explained, the following inap propriate verse was added to the earlier editions of the history : " Nimble Dick ran up so quick, He stumbled over a timber ; He bent his bow to kill a crow. And shot a cat in the window." PRE FA CE. Evidently this verse belonged to some other story. The fact is so ap- parent that the author utterly rejects it, without passing an opinion on its poetic merit. The story of Jack and Jill is as truthfully set forth in these pages as the opportunities for obtaining information warrant ; and the author will ad- here to this belief until authentic records — not mere logical disquisitions — shall be produced to convince him of mistake ! The name of Jack is from the French Jacques, and Latin Jacobits ; and Jack is the diminutive of John, as understood among ourselves. JulieiDie was in vogue among the Norman families. It long prevailed in England as Julyn, and became so common as Gillian that Jill was the regular companion of Jack. We have from this the name of Juliana. Shakspeare, in his play of the " Midsummer Night's Dream," written about two hundred and seventy-five years ago, alludes to the characters of Jack and Jill ; and Ray, in his " Proverbs," speaks of them in a pleas- ant way ; the latter asserting, as a truth, that " a good Jack makes a good Jill ; " which fact is illustrated in these pages. Ben Jonson, in his " Gypsies," says : "I can, for I will. Here at Burley o' the hill, Give you all your fill, Each Jack with his Jill." In a note to " Specimens of Lyric Poems," composed in England during the reign of Edward the First, six hundred years ago, it is said there was an old play, now lost, called " Jack and Jill." Researches show that King James I. of Scotland, who died in 1437, wrote the poem of " Christ's Kirk on the Green," from which it appears that Gillie scorned and made mouths at Jok ; which treatment, to say the least, was unkind, and that Jok " would have loved Gillie " but " she would not let him," This statement cannot refer to our Jack and Jill, unless, by an extension of the imagination, it can be supposed that Gillie mm^'~- :^^ PRE FA CE. was finally "brought to terms " by Jok, as is sometimes the case in love adventures. It is certain, however, that the royal bard selected these two euphonic names to adorn his poetry, and has linked them with im- perishable fame ! The author affectionately requests the readers of this poem to believe that he has undertaken to reconcile probabilities with facts, while discard- ing the absurdities of compilers, his object being to restore the history to its original seriousness ! *"Tis not indeed my talent to engage In lofty trifles, or to swell my page With wind and noise." For centuries the simple story of Jack and Jill has delighted millions upon millions of children, who, in after years, did not forget the narrative. It has always been pleasant to recall the story, and so it will continue to be in coming time, as long as there is a child in Christendom with the ability to understand the oral relation of the story, or to read it without adult assistance. The author submits his poem, not to public criticism, but to the judgment of all who appreciate contributions to hterature, and especially as his production will, he is sure, fill a vacancy in the libraries of the world, provided the history of Jack and Jill be not rejected in consequence of the ridicule heretofore thoughtlessly cast upon their names ! The narrative should have a place appropriate to the merits of the humble characters never to be separated from English and American memories. The author is certain that the poem will adorn the Library of Congress, as the law requires two specimens of all copyrighted works to be placed within its sacred keeping! L. A. GOBRIGHT. )!^ir^P?i*?^ J^ ^'■V' irtTv^-risjC '•^^ W^:. 1 ^ Jack and Jill. 3> i^^^: Little Miss Muffitand the Spider "Little Miss Muffit Sat on a tuffit, Eating curds and whey; There came out a spider And sat down beside her, And frightened Miss Muffit away! QOMETIMES, when we contented are, *^ Partaking of our food, Unlooked for creatures may appear And on the feast intrude. No matter if the fare be plain, Such are bread and cheese. And curds and whey, and mush and milk The appetite to please, 43 LITTLE MISS MUFFIT. We love to eat with cheerful mind, And with no sense of fear That any form repulsively Will at the board appear. An ancient Hebrew monarch said A dinner e'en of herbs, If charity but season it, And nothing wrong disturbs, Is better than a stalled ox Served as a generous meal, If those who eat possess not love, But only hatred feel. No wonder that Miss Muffit, while Intent upon her fare. Was frightened by a spider vile That sat beside her there ! ^^^g^: The lady's dread to feel its bite Opposed her longer stay, And rather than its company keep She from it ran away ! 44 -^'l^^c=^ <^£ ^e- LITTLE MISS MUFFIT While she could have the spider killed, Thus ending its career, Perhaps she did not think of this, So potent was her fear. But if she had the insect crushed Without the least delay, She might have, without further fear, Consumed her curds and whey. Though we should never cruel be. And kill for trifling cause, The subtle prisoner should not Escape the penal laws. Are not mosquitoes sometimes killed In sultry summer night, While in the act of drawing blood. In which they take delight? Are not snakes slain that move in grass And dart the hissing tongue. In anxious gladness for the prey To be with poison stung? 45 i — LITTLE MISS MUFFIT But, if they 'd keep away, no club, Or other deadly thing, Would interrupt them in their ways Or swift destruction bring ! There 're spiders in this lower world That ever watch for prey, Both in the covert of the night And in the open day. No matter what the form may be Of all pestiferous things. Whether they upon two legs walk, Or crawl, or move with wings, The safer and the better way Is so to act our part That they shall not our bodies harm. Or vitiate the heart ! i^^: 46 i *IC "There was an old woman lived under a hill, And if she^s not gone she lives there still." T T ER home was not a mansion large, *- ^ With windows broad and high. And ample grounds and ornaments Which riches could supply. i^q But how she lived, or kind of house, The poet does not state : This Seemed a trifle in his mind That he does not relate. 'T is not narrated she 'd such kin, And therefore trouble knew. Like one who many children had And lived within a shoe. 47 :^^b Sti> OLD WOMAN UNDER THE HILL The poet briefly speaks of her As though she lived alone, With no romance upon herself Or habitation thrown. The fact that she her domicile Under the hillside made, Not in the sun's exposing blaze, But in the softened shade, Shows that she lived an liumble life. Which envy could not reach, And that her ways, unheralded. Should e'er contentment teach. Perhaps a widow's lot was hers, By loneliness oppressed, But with the wealth in faith and hope By pious hearts possessed. The flowers that grow in summer's shade Do not such hardness bear ^ As those which to the north winds bow -^ And in the sunbeams share. 48 ►5^^- OLD WOMAN UNDER THE HILL. But tender flowers their beauty have In modesty's array, Though they do not strong odors yield Nor gorgeous tints display. So, worthy deeds of human kind Performed, though in the shade, Should not be valued less than those With brighter light displayed. The poet briefly tells to us, In unpretending rhyme, Where the old nameless lady lived. But does not state the time. a^'SeM^^^^: The fact implies that all who live Must quite as surely die, And the remains of those we love Beneath the hillock lie. We can't the poet's story doubt That underneath the hill The woman old, " if she 's not gone," Has there her dwelling still ! 49 -y^^^S^ ''^^^'^^^^T. Little Polly Flinders. •'Little Polly Flinders Sat among the cinders, Warming her pretty little toes ; Her mother came and caught her, And whipped her little daughter For spoiling her nice new clothes 1 " M ISS Polly Flinders, being cold, The warming cinders sought, Not thinking that her conduct was With castigation fraught. She sat the cinders bright among, Regardless of her clothes, Because her object was to warm Her pretty little toes ! 50 ■^/N.i/^aj^^-?- :**a^^ "^^; LITTLE POLLY FLINDERS. ^m The mother had with care and taste Her only daughter dressed; The clothes were new she gave to her, From stinted means the best. Poor Polly, like a thoughtless child, Did not perceive, though vain, The sacrifice the mother made The garments to obtain. Like children of a larger growth, She loved to take her ease ; Nor dreamed warmth from the cinders' glare The mother would displease. But she was waked to consciousness By her dame's startling voice, Which did not to her comfort bring Nor make her heart, rejoice ! The clothing formed in fashion's mould Was by the cinders soiled And partly burned, as were her shoes, And thus completely spoiled! LITTLE FOLLY FLINDERS. As heedlessness oft trouble brings From which there 's no relief, Poor little Polly felt with force The measure of her grief. This was not all ; the angry dame To her full height arose, And Polly whipped because she spoiled Her nicely fitting clothes. Now, Conscience may apart from this All evil-doers chide, And this is more severe than blows With stick or hardened hide ! I 53 ^M^y^' w '^^^.^ The Lancashire Boy. "Little boy, little boy, Where wast thou born ? Far off in Lancashire, Under a thorn, Where they sup sour milk in a ram's horn. T T matters little where a child -*" First sees the solar light. For this alone no difference makes. If other things are right. We know the training of a child Controls his future days, Whether it be in ignorance Or wisdom's pleasant ways. 54 S^^^ THE LANCASHIRE BOY. All men look back, but not with shame, To certain parts of earth, Because an interest always clings • To places of their birth. The boy of whom the poet speaks In Lancashire was born : Not in a palace or an inn, But underneath a thorn. No silver spoon within his mouth Accompanied his advent. For this is not the implement With humble offspring sent. No cup or bowl of precious ware Was seen where he was born. But for imbibing sour milk A ram supplied a horn. Men are not worse for sour milk, Which none perhaps suppose. No more than they are injured by The color of their clothes. 55 i ^ THE LANCASHIRE BOY. While some men may select with care The food on which they live, 'Tis folly if the food they eat Sound bodies does not give. Every one should eat and drink What best with him agrees, Not asking whether certain fare Would all his neighbors please. If others turn from sour milk, Let them drink milk that's sweet; And if they don't love pork or lamb Take other kinds of meat. All to their taste in everything, Minding their own affairs, And this would save them from distress And many trifling cares. 56 ^Jt^^^i^ ^ ,:^^^1 *s ^g': P Domestic Contention about Money. >X»^c My little old woman and I fell out; I '11 tell you what 't was all about : I had money and she had none, And that's the way the noise begun.* A MAN'S good-natured while his wife •^ ^ Yields her will to his own ; 111 words and loud complaints not then Are to the household known. But he cannot expect her e'er To bow a willing head, And hold her tongue, nor contradict What ■ may by him be said ! 57 ID <(V CONTENTION ABOUT MONEY. Now if he venture very far, And think he owns his wife. She, in assertion of her rights, May cause a mournful hfe. A couple close in social bonds, An aged man and wife, Forgetful bf their marriage vows, Engaged in noisy strife. 'Tis said that money she possessed. And he not e'en a cent, Because he all his currency In dissipation spent. He sought to draw upon his wife. By her to be supplied With cash, but this she valiantly And earnestly denied. If 'twas her own, she had the right To him refuse the pelf; And if he wanted some, he should Have earned it for himself! 58 ^<^ ,-?-^:^^^ ^~^^SB % The Three Wise Men o>»ic "Three wise men of Gotham Went to sea in a bowl. If the bowl had been stronger, My story would have been longer." The narrative shows that the example of wise men is not always worthy of imitation. THREE men of Gotham, ere had clouds From steamer swept the main, Resorted to a novel plan Their object to attain. Perhaps they searched for knowledge rare Found in aquatic lore, And wished to gaze on ocean's face t Unbounded by the shore! fe 59 ^) J^^-^^^^-^-^ l^^^-' TII£ THREE WISE MEN! They were not foolish men, because We 're told that they were wise, And hence their travelling means should be No matter of surprise. These three wise men could never have. With all their learning, heard About the pot launched on the stream, And what to it occurred. 'Twas made of iron, and had been used The dinner fare to cook ; Though bright within, its outside had A thickly-blackened look. The owner, seeking t' other shore. Entered the rotund shell, Which foundered with its human freight. And to the bottom fell! The question need not be discussed, Though 'tis a serious theme, Whether a pot to reach the sea Was quite as good a scheme 6i ^;^2^:^ ^&^^^' cf ? TUB THREE WISE MEN! As was the bowl the wise men used Without a canvas wing, Depending on the favoring waves To waft their fragile thing! It is, however, a settled fact. That he who tries the feat Of travelling in a dinner-pot Will no more dinners cat! Attempts like this to reach the sea Can't with success be crowned ; And such a man, if he can't swim, Must certainly be drowned! Beyond all cavil and dispute. Liquids will e'er control Not only that known to the sea, But in the pot or bowl, I And when men much indulge in drink. They venture on a wave Which with their bowl will float them on To early fill a grave. 62 ^^S* THE THREE WISE MEN! Experimenters oft receive Affliction for their pay, And sometimes in schemes dangerous Their life is ta'en away. All men would better fare if they Would recollect one thing: The breach of Nature's laws wmU e'er Chastisement surely bring. The ignorant should not condemn The actions of wise men, For 't is supposed that men who 're wise All useful knowledge ken. 'T would have been folly in a tar To his experience give, Because these wise men thought a bowl Could on the ocean live ! That mountain waves could only move The shell which they employed, And that by floods and winds combined It could not be destroyed! ^ % 63 ^"^ ;:ti(£y^j2:«.S: »^il#J f I «^^^^^z THE THREE WISE MEN! While these wise men by going out A lasting record earned, The story does not say that they Home in the bowl returned. They learned the truth when 'twas too late, That they could not control The winds, nor save from surging sea Themselves within the bowl! So thus went down beneath the waves Wise men of Gotham three; And none have since employed a bowl In which to cross the sea. 64 ^ ■^^w^i Music for the Million. ^>»<<: The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils ; The motions of his spirit are dull as night, And his affections dark as Erebus. Let no such man be trusted." — Shakspeare. "Tom, Tom, the piper's son, Stole a pig, and away he run ; The pig was eat And Tom was beat, And Tom ran cr>'ing down the street. QHAKSPEARE, whose works will ever be *^ A treasure to mankind. Because they wise instruction ^v^^ And elevate the mind, 65 i '^^^ ^p MUSIC FOR THE MILLION. Relates the mournful state of those, With callousness of soul, Who ne'er are moved by melody Or feel its sweet control. A piper lived — we don't know where — But he his music played, And by this unpretentious means An humble living made. The sounds were simple, yet they could Admiring tongues command, So good were the selected airs And skilled the player's hand. The village boasted that it had An instrumental voice; A pipe, though speaking to the ear, Could make the heart rejoice. There was among the listeners One being only found. Who had no taste for harmony Or pipe's melodious sound. 66 *^^^^s MUSIC FOR THE MILLION. Alas! but the most serious thing That could be said or done, Was this exception to the rule Was in the piper's son ! Tom had no music in his soul — 'Tvvas not congenial soil — Therefore he was prepared for theft, Qr other kind of spoil ! His tastes were of the lowest kinds, His thoughts with plunder big, To the extent he stooped to mire And stole a neighbor's pig! Then sold it to a victualler, A dealer in such meat, Who bought it in a business way, Unconscious of the cheat. But soon the owner of the pig The thief a captive made, And, scornful of the law's delay, Hard blows upon him laid. 67 ^^5^^: i MUSIC FOR THE MILLION. The thief, exposed to public gaze, And his disgrace complete, Not knowing where to hide his shame, Ran crying down the street. We do not say that all who have No love for music's mig-ht. Would steal a pig or other thing, Or moral duties slight; But that the love of melody Will pleasure e'er impart, And serve to turn the mind from crime And better make the heart. Though some men, in dyspeptic mood. Are rude toward the poor Itinerant who daily brings His music to the door, The children flock to hear the tunes The organist repeats, If, 'specially, a monkey dance, With other comic feats. 69 .C\ k^% /'^CA^^fis.^ 5^^^= Q :»^^ MUSIC FOR THE MILLION. Amid the pleasure, free to all, It is not known the young Believe with Darwin that mankind From apes or monkeys sprung! While gentlemen and ladies fill At prices high the chairs In theatres and music halls, To list to foreign airs, Let music for the million sound In avenues and streets, The joy of all the juveniles, With no exclusive seats ; Where there is standing room for all, Without regard to age, With no corrupting tendencies Reflected from the stage ! I' s 70 '■^&^^c JO The Boy and the Owl *'A little boy went into a barn, And lay down on some hay ; An owl came out and flew about, And the little boy ran away." 1 A LITTLE boy, fatigued with play, -^^^ A quiet rest desired, And therefore he to gain that end To a barn-house retired. He did not think of going home, Perhaps 't was far away ; Besides, when weary, beds of down Are not more choice than hay. Contented with the quiet barn, With no disturbing things. He in that barn was happier, Than Presidents or Kings ! ^M ,CS ^.^S: THE BOY A ND THE O IV L The drooping body must have rest Where 'tis the soonest found, Whether within a sheltered place Or on the grass-clad ground. The boy upon his bed of hay Surrounded with perfume, Inhaled the odor of the field Fresh with the clover bloom. But oftentimes when we believe Ourselves the most secure From troubles and perplexing cares, Unpleasant acts inure. The boy was not disturbed by dog, Or any barn-yard fowl, But by a bird of homely mien — A rude, intruding owl ! Which thought (if such birds think at all) 'Twas trespass in the boy To come into the barn and there A quiet rest enjoy. -^^^ .<^ THE BOY AND THE OWL. It did not to the owl occur Its verdict was unfair, Because the bird had not itself A rightful presence there. 'Tis certain that it could not urge Good looks as its defence, Or that, in contrast with the boy, It had more common sense. Presuming on its night-time fame, It wildly flew about To make the boy afraid to stay, And from the barn run out! Tis said that wisdom in the owl Is as an emblem found, Though reasons satisfactory For this claim don't abound. We know, howe'er, pretentiousness Has always too much sway, And, like the owl, offensively I Flaps modest worth away ! JS 73 THE Equestrienne of Banbury Cross. >j^< " Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross, To see an old lady on a white horse ; Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, She shall have music wherever she goes." /^CCURRENCES upon the street, ^^ Though in their features trite, Will often draw a wondering crowd To gratify the sight. E'en should a person upward look, But at no certain thing-, This if continued for a while Will other gazers bring. 74 ^ss^ q^s^: EQUESTRIENNE OF BANBURY CROSS. The curious are e'er alert Some novelty to find, Whether to gratify the eye Or stimulate the mind. The feet are swift to carry some Upon their chosen course, Who do not for a moment think Of travelling with a horse; While others, better circumstanced, And having money means, Resort to nag or vehicle To reach exciting scenes. The taste for such divertisements Attached to those who hied To Banbury, a dame to see Upon a white horse ride ! Without a question she was vain, And eager to display Her golden finger-rings with gems That sparkled to the day. 75 EQUESTRIENNE O E B A N B U RY C R O SS. And silver bells of various notes To all her toes she bound, So that where'er in pride she moved Was heard a tinkling sound. The crowd, delighted, cheered the dame While mounting on her steed, And then beheld her fearlessly Far in the distance speed. The concourse broke, and many wights Ran o'er the dusty course, Believing that they could o'ertake The lady on the horse ! Soon she returned to Banbury Cross, Apparently as gay As when first 'mid the loud acclaim She started on her way. And capering on her foaming steed, She to the people bowed. And with triumphant smiles received The plaudits of the crowd. Ji 76 '.^"^ I E QUESTRIENNE O E B A N B U R Y C R O S S. 'T is novelty that e'er attracts And close attention brings, While useful knowledge is ignored For merely trifling things. Men now, as in the ancient days, The many, not the few, Are asking friends with eagerness To show them something new ! I. C%^Jfe,: 77 ■^J'^gj^?^''. fese The Dyspepsia Cure, J>«=Cc •'There was an old man of Tobago, Who lived on rice, gruel, and sago, Till much to his bliss, His physician said this : * To a leg, sir, of mutton you may go.' ^ VARIETY'S the spice of life," ^ By all so understood, And to the body and the mind Will ever render good. The eagle in a golden cage Would be considered poor, If he could not the barriers break And in the sunlight soar. His pleasures are in actions free, With strong and graceful wing, And in the unrestricted food His depredations bring. 78 ^^^i i ^■^1^5^^'- t THE DYSPEPSIA CURE. No one should think because a man Must walk, and cannot fly, Therefore a sumptuary law Should certain fare deny. Strange fact, that while historians Important deeds relate, They do not think it worth their while The actors' names to state. But we're told of one who lived Long time, without a smile, At Tobago, euphonic name, A small West India isle. I, 1 And that his food was cheap and plain Gruel, sago, and rice — Which would not be by epicures Considered very nice. Dyspepsia's torments made him sad And cross to all around, But as a curative the leech Him to a diet bound. 79 ^^^^^i ^?* ^ THE DYSPEPSIA CURE. He did not overphysic him With hquid or with pill, And to the doctor's charges add A drug-compounding bill; But slowly helped him on his way Till his disease was o'er, Then placed him with a knife and fork A mutton leg before ! No groans and sobs, and loud complaints, And vile and profane word, Which in the past escaped from him, Were ever after heard. The mutton feast restored his smiles And laughter ; these things tell Better than other signs When men are really well. The simple lesson seems to be Designed alone for those Who by imprudence bring upon Themselves dyspeptic woes. 80 "^^K^^^^^^J^^^, msm^ — 14 TI/E DYSPEPSIA CURE, Here *s a prescription for their ills, Bestowed without a fee, Which, if observed, from such disease Will set the patient free; Combined with effort to divert His mind from sense of pain, With constant hope that cheerful health Will soon return again. One need not try the medicines Which empirics prepare For cure of all the ills to which The human flesh is heir. Wild, hearty laughter always proves A source of mental wealth, And light amusements ever serve To re-establish health. Long faces ill become mankind In these enlightened days, But rather smiles and kindly words ^ And good and pleasant ways. -^ Si vi)'W-A:^^"*^ ' -*^^r- r ?4 Courtship- LOVE'S Argument. >>»ic " Bonny lass, bonny lass, Wilt thou be mine ? You shall neither wash dishes Nor serve the wine, But sit on a cushion And sew up a seam, And you shall have strawberries, Sugar and cream." T^HE gallant, with a honeyed tongue, ■*• One of a numerous class, Resorts to tender expletives, Such as " My bonny lass ! " And finding that the lady thinks They are of love the sign. He boldly presses on his suit. And asks, "Wilt thou be mine?" A 82 ^^M^Sj^^ v^S^c- |Y courtship— LOVE'S argument. i^ ^ 4 Not waiting for a sweet response | Expressive of her wishes, He tells her she the wine sha'n't serve, Nor wash the dinner-dishes; But sit upon a cushioned chair, The needle nimbly ply. As if this were the only work On which she should rely. If sewing instruments had been The fashion in that day. He would have promised that she might In buying have her way, And be at liberty to choose That which she thought the best. With shuttle, or the underfeed, Or needle-hook the test; With the facilities to quilt, Hem, ruffle, frill and braid, By means of the contrivances So delicately made. (f^ ^Z d ^^^=====^=======>^^^^ to m COURTSHIP— LOVE'S ARGUMEN Further, to win the prize he sought, And keep her as his own, He tells her of the only food That should to them be known. Not fare that 's coarse, that could disturb The lady's pleasant dream. But strawberries with sugar sprent And intermixed with cream ! With ease such promises are made The wedding-time before; And, ah! that is the last of them — They 're never mentioned more. The bridal o'er, the rosy tints O'er youthful prospects thrown Depart, like bubbles by a breath From pipes with soapsuds blown ! 84 (S^i ««> 's^^'SiL/^-^^^^r- fe¥5^^^^' The Wise-Foolish Man! t| 1 *' There was a man in our town, And he was wondrous wise ; He jumped into a bramble-bush And scratched out both his eyes." ' I ^HIS illustrates a man, though wise, -*- May do a foolish thing, Which will disturb his equipoise And sorrow to him bring. In cases ninety-nine he will Discharge all duties right, But in the hundredth either fail Or their performance slight. " But when he saw his eyes were out, He ran with might and main And jumped into another bush And scratched them in again." 85 :^^: ^^-) '-^^W^S THE WISE-FO OLISH MAN! When he reflects upon his course, And whai; he thereby lost, He seriously deliberates And strictly counts the cost. Then he resolves to mend his ways And rid his heart of pain ; Returning to his former ways He sees himself again. Alas ! too many gentlemen Are from good habits torn, And ne'er return to them again Till by reflection borne. J ^^:^: 86 Little Jack Horner. >>«Kc " Little Jack Horner Sat in a corner, Eating his Christmas pie; He put in his thumb And pulled out a plum, And said, " What a good boy am I ? " I 1T7E'VE heard of Jacky Horner ^ ^ And of his Christmas pie, The lad that gladly feasred on The holiday supply, And even where the youngster sat At that particular time; But this fact is related merely To complete the rhyme. 87 ^^=;^^^- 5^/vi^fi^ LITTLE J A CK HORNER. Yx Now the exploit that he performed Was nothing very smart; No more than if he had then ta'en A cranberry from a tart! He claimed his goodness from a plum That he drew from the mess; Beyond this act no merit did He venture to express ! This is the way that many have, Too numerous to name, Who for their trite performances Applause and honor claim. They're always on the watch to find A plum or goodly prize, And thrust their fingers deep into Their honest neighbors' pies! 88 « b^^"^^^^^^^ "^^ O ts> Joe, the Crow-Killer. ^>*ic "Joe, Joe, shot a crow, And hung it up to dry; All the boys began to laugh, And Joe began to cry." JOE was not cruel, though he shot A depredating crow, The fate of which was sealed when sped The arrow from his bow. He shot the crow because it stole The grain raised by his toil, And was resolved to put an end To any further spoil. He placed the carcass on a pole Conspicuously high, That other crows might warning take. And not the field come nigh. 89 :t^b^ Cf& ^ s -*^^^^ © ¥^S3^&^: /0£, THE CROW-KILLER. His playmates young did not discern The end he had in view, While they assembled near the pole And round him closely drew. They laughed at him, and then indulged In unrestricted jeers ; Poor Joe did not retort, but sought Relief in sobs and tears. He did not sharply answer them And warlike power display. But bore the taunts without a word, Which was the better way. Thus, when men laugh at us without A reason for their sport, 'Tis well the folly should be theirs And ours the good report. 90 'y^4MS^^ ""5 The Cat and the Fiddle. AN ASTRONOMIC STORY. "Hey Diddle-diddle, The Cat and the Fiddle, The Cow jumped over the Moon; The little Dog laughed to see such sport, And the Dish ran away with the Spoon ! " " There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." — Shakspeare, '' I ^HIS poem brief contains rare gems -*- Of astronomic lore, And tells of wondrous incidents We never heard before. The view of Lyra 'twas, perhaps, The poet's bosom fired, And him inclined to note events, With melody inspired. ■^•5*^^ THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE The fiddle's sound, not that of lyre, E'er pleasure to us brings, For of the viscus of the cat Is made the music strings! The stimulating power is in The hair of horses found ; For what are strings without the means To wake the slumbering sound ? As in the stellar family Is found the winged horse, The Fox and Goose, and Bear and Lion, And Bull upon his course, Why not the timid Cow appear Amid the bright array, Especially when all can see There is a "milky way"! And as a Dipper and a Cup Are seen in starlight clear. It is not strange to common sense A Spoon and Dish appear! I D Vva) •2(t>.^<:,^r&~^: TIl£ CAT AND THE FIDDLE. No doubt a Dog shines in the sky, Clothed with a greenish flame, Familiar to astronomers, And Sirius by name. It wondrous seems a cow could spring And overleap the moon, And that a dish in sportiveness Away should bear a spoon; But with our optics we can't see. With feelings of surprise, Such things as the astronomer Beheld with stronger eyes ; And, too, the joyous canine notes. Though to his ear-drum clear. That came to him through telephone. We could not hope to hear! We must not doubt; events as strange Have happened in our time, And show how sudden is the chanee From comic to sublime. 93 % vp I iiy THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE. 3"^^ %> i We know that Venus sometimes has, By natural, causes borne, Queen Luna's realm approached, and sat Upon her silver horn ! And when the brief sojourn was o'er. She slowly moved afar. And thus passed o'er the pallid moon That ever-brilliant star ! Such incidents will e'er delifiht o The foolish and the wise. For Nature is munificent With all her vast supplies; From tender plant to stately tree Her beauties are arrayed, With all the varied forms and fruits And floral hues displayed; From murmuring rill to ocean wild. With streams that intervene, And verdant vales and fertile plains And mounts' majestic mien. 94 ^^^^iitJ^i^^t^'. m^^' hQ Wb^ THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE. The heavens with peace-inspiring power Their wonders to us show In stellar fires and tinted clouds And covenantal bow ! And in the sunlit vast expanse Between the earth and sky, Birds, like winged flowers, in joyousness Their melody supply. Though men may doubt, in self-conceit, The Nursery story's truth, It is not so with juveniles, With unsuspecting youth. If they believe such things occurred, Rehearsed in language plain, The annals which such pleasure give Were not produced in vain ! t 95 '*^^^^^^: