The Humourous Poetry of the English Language

593
"Take Chitty!" replied his legal friend,
"There isn't a book that I could lend
Would prove more 'novel' to you!"
ON AN UGLY PERSON SITTING FOR A DAGUERREOTYPE
Here Nature in her glass--the wanton elf--
Sits gravely making faces at herself;
And while she scans each clumsy feature o'er,
Repeats the blunders that she made before!
WOMAN'S WILL.
Men dying make their wills--but wives
Escape a work so sad;
Why should they make what all their lives
The gentle dames have had?
FAMILY QUARRELS.
"A fool," said Jeanette, "is a creature I hate!"
"But hating," quoth John, "is immoral;
Besides, my dear girl, it's a terrible fate
To be found in a family quarrel!"
A REVOLUTIONARY HERO.
JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL
Old Joe is gone, who saw hot Percy goad
His slow artillery up the Concord road,
A tale which grew in wonder year by year;
As every time he told it, Joe drew near
To the main fight, till faded and grown gray,
The original scene to bolder tints gave way;
Then Joe had heard the foe's scared double-quick