 | 'Twixt Kiss and Lip or Under the Sword. By the author of "Women Must Weep," [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] Third edition |  |
MY FOUR DARLINGS.
Ten and wayward, blithe and blonde,
Precious as a Louis
d'or, and boy-like shyly fond—
Such is little Cooey;
Proud, reserved, and glad to give
Of her tiny treasure,
Quite content a while to live
In another's pleasure;
Moody, prone to manage all
With a state to keep up,
And, though each one's willing thrall,
Tempest in a tea-cup.
Precious as a Louis
d'or, and boy-like shyly fond—
Such is little Cooey;
Proud, reserved, and glad to give
Of her tiny treasure,
Quite content a while to live
In another's pleasure;
Moody, prone to manage all
With a state to keep up,
And, though each one's willing thrall,
Tempest in a tea-cup.
Eight and fragile, small and trim,
Dainty, true and tender,
Face of glowing Seraphim,—
Such is little Wenda;
Blue eyes, that with wondrous tears
Overflow too often,
And when vanished are her fears,
Sweet to laughter soften;
Sociable and kind, and yet
Just a trifle selfish
Sometimes, with her toys beset,
Shut in like a shell-fish.
Dainty, true and tender,
Face of glowing Seraphim,—
Such is little Wenda;
Blue eyes, that with wondrous tears
Overflow too often,
And when vanished are her fears,
Sweet to laughter soften;
Sociable and kind, and yet
Just a trifle selfish
Sometimes, with her toys beset,
Shut in like a shell-fish.
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Seven and fair, with devious ways,
Fond of cats and guinea
Pigs, but not of any stays—
Such is little Winnie;
Not averse to dolls, and mud
Pies in quiet corners,
Dear, domestic, and a bud
Meant to brighten mourners;
Coy, but (breaking nurse's band)
Merry as a starling,
Everybody's torment, and
Everybody's darling.
Fond of cats and guinea
Pigs, but not of any stays—
Such is little Winnie;
Not averse to dolls, and mud
Pies in quiet corners,
Dear, domestic, and a bud
Meant to brighten mourners;
Coy, but (breaking nurse's band)
Merry as a starling,
Everybody's torment, and
Everybody's darling.
Five and noisy, dark, and ripe—
As, we'll say, a strawberry—
For a bottle or a pipe—
Such is little Aubrey;
Given to analytic joys
And unearthly vowels,
With a hand that all his toys
Daily disembowels;
Plumping on his mother's best
Bonnet, then a rover
Some pet creature to molest,
Boy of boys all over.
As, we'll say, a strawberry—
For a bottle or a pipe—
Such is little Aubrey;
Given to analytic joys
And unearthly vowels,
With a hand that all his toys
Daily disembowels;
Plumping on his mother's best
Bonnet, then a rover
Some pet creature to molest,
Boy of boys all over.
| 'Twixt Kiss and Lip or Under the Sword. By the author of "Women Must Weep," [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] Third edition | |