perform the pleasant duty of introducing the readers. "For," said he, "I have never been afflicted with the cacoēthes loquendi, indeed, what cacoëthes I have is more scribendi than otherwise. But bon gré mal gré je suis ici tout de même. "The great Leader of the Fleshly School whose name is next sur le tapis was in vited to wag for us à discrétion the tale of Mary's Lamb; but a glance at the manuscript a few moments since convinced me that the beaux esprits of the poet had led him to adorn the tale with a few facetious flights of fancy unfitted to the present occasion. However, humanum est errare et, mutatis mutandis, revenons à nos moutons." The Poet, blushing deeply, bowed to the audience and began. MARY AND THE LAMB. MARY,- what melodies mingle To murmur her musical name ! It makes all one's finger-tips tingle Like fagots, the food of the flame : About her an ancient tradition A romance delightfully deep Has woven in juxtaposition With one little sheep, One dear little lamb that would follow His eyes were as beads made of glassware, His lips were coquettishly curled, His capers made many a lass swear His caper-sauce baffled the world; His tail had a wag when it relished A sip of the milk in the pail, And this fact has largely embellished The wag of this tale. One calm summer day when the sun was A great golden globe in the sky, One mild summer morn when the fun was Unspeakably clear in his eye, He tagged after exquisite Mary, And over the threshold of school He tripped in a temper contrary, And splintered the rule. A great consternation was kindled Then all up the spine of the rafter |