Produced by Punch, or the London Charivari, Malcolm Farmer, Wayne Hammond and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
_Comfortable Citizen (to Irish Beggar, who has asked for an old Coat)._
"BUT WHAT USE WOULD MY THINGS BE TO YOU? YOU'RE SUCH A SCARE-CROW, AND I'M SO STOUT!"
_Irish Beggar._ "AH, YER HONOUR, BUT IT'S YOURSELF THAT HAS PLENTY OF SPARE CLOTHES!"]
Sweet maid, your name I dream of incessantly, For, like your voice, it sounds very pleasantly, _Molli et canora voce dulcis,_ _Nomine dulcis es usque molli._
It has a charming old-fashioned smack to it, Beau BRUMMELL's age--it carries one back to it, Powder and patch, and rustic maiden, Name with the scent of the hayfields laden.
Then English maid was sweet as a maid may be, This age has changed her, made her less staid, may be, 'Mongst other follies now it's taught her How to become a "revolting daughter."
Poor blind revolting daughter! I pity her-- You're just as clever, probably prettier. In sweet content maid's sphere adorning, Yellow-Asterical problems scorning.
May these be "_fandi mollia tempora_," Your smile can make me proud as an emperor, But swift my cares, should you be frowning, I'll in deep waters (and strong) be drowning
Accept my ode! Don't "think it too odious," Sweet maid in name and voice so melodious, _Molli et canora voce dulcis,_ _Nomine dulcis es usque molli._
CLEARLY NOT _THE_ LEADER OF THE FLOCK.--Of course, the reverend gentleman cannot be considered as a shepherd as long as his name is _Head-lam_.
DEAREST GLADYS,--You have made immense progress since you first came out. Still, you will be all the better for an occasional hint from your more sophisticated friend. Your brief engagement to the serious young stamp-collector was--whatever may be said against it--at least, an experience, and I don't at all disapprove of CISSY, and BABY BEAUMONT, and the other clever boys, but--why call Captain MASHINGTON "JACK"? That wonderful tennis-player, Mrs. LORNE HOPPER has merely, tacitly, _lent_ him to you, she will soon be in London again, and then, shooting and theatricals over, "JACK" will also go back to the city of mist and fog. You will be obliged to return him, whether "with thanks" or not. He is definitely charming, but charmingly indefinite, and, in fact, he is playing with you as you and ORIEL played with each other, as Miss TOOGOOD is now playing with ORIEL, and as someone (let us hope) will, some day, play with Miss TOOGOOD. Of course, as long as you both know it's a game and "play the rules" it's all right.