Sarah Binks, A Musical Tribute - Library2

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AND CATERPILLARS TUMBLED FROM ON HIGH;
IS YONDER ANT
THE VERY ANT THAT BIT ME,
AND THEM THE SAME MOSQUITOES IN THE SKY
CAN THIS THEN BE
THE TREE THAT SEEMED SO LEADEN,
AND GREY AND DULL
A SCANT FEW HOURS AGO
NOW ALL IS CHANGED;
ITS BRANCHES REACH TO HEAVEN,
AND UP AND DOWN THE ANGEL ANTLETS GO;
TIME CANNOT CHANGE, THOUGH LEAF
AND TWIG MAY WITHER,
AND CATERPILLAR STRUGGLE INTO MOTH.
THIS IS THE TREE
THAT HEARD LOVE'S FIRST SWEET BLITHER,
THIS IS THE SPOT WE LOUDLY PLIGHTED TROTH.
HIEBERT: The course of romance did not run smooth, however, as we
observe through Sarah's intrepid commentary. In her next gem, "The Proposal,"
we sense a cautious joy for the approaching nuptials. Although external evidence
indicates that the piece was written in anticipation of the event, the computations
of Professor Taj Mahal, in his definitive mathematical study of the incidence of
short vowels in the Binksian canon, have proven that this poem was written at a
later period. The controversy rages through the literary journals. Professor
Marrowfat plumps for a contemporary date, and contends that Stem was, in her
words:…
MARROWFAT:
…"galloping down the home stretch to the marriage altar".
HIEBERT: It seems that Stem obtained a job to improve his fortune, and he
appears here as the "hired man", not to be confused with the absent Ole.
MUSIC I:25 “PROPOSAL”
(STEM AND MATHILDA TAKE POSITIONS.)
SARAH:
STEM:
THE HIRED MAN TO THE MAIDEN SPOKE:
OH, MARRY ME TOMORROW,
WE'LL FILL THE HEATER UP WITH COKE,
KETTLE, BEANS, AND BACON BORROW,
MAKE A TABLE, BUILD A BED --
WHY SO HAPPY WHEN WE'RE WED
HAPPY, HAPPY, WHILE WE CAN,"