 | Rhymes of our planet |  |
91
THE EX-PROFESSOR
Along a busy, thoughtless street,
The gray professor passes;
He listens not to falling feet:
He hears his olden classes.
The gray professor passes;
He listens not to falling feet:
He hears his olden classes.
The ones he met so long ago,
And lectured to, and studied;
With plastic minds, and cheeks aglow,
And veins electric-blooded;
And lectured to, and studied;
With plastic minds, and cheeks aglow,
And veins electric-blooded;
The classes that he used to chide,
In accents sternly truthful,
But wish, in mental tones aside,
That he again were youthful;
In accents sternly truthful,
But wish, in mental tones aside,
That he again were youthful;
The classes he was wont to fear,
When slyly they would brave him,
And mildly dread to overhear
The nick-names that they gave him;
When slyly they would brave him,
And mildly dread to overhear
The nick-names that they gave him;
92
The classes that he used to love,
With fervor undissembled,
As oft as he could rise above
The nerves that through him trembled;
With fervor undissembled,
As oft as he could rise above
The nerves that through him trembled;
The classes that with every year
Into the world departed,
And took with them a world of cheer,
And left him hungry-hearted;
Into the world departed,
And took with them a world of cheer,
And left him hungry-hearted;
The classes that in manhood's strife
Are his instructions testing,
Or in the last great school of life,
Mid silent halls are resting.
Are his instructions testing,
Or in the last great school of life,
Mid silent halls are resting.
Though pensioned with his priceless books,
Long time his mind has nestled,
Still, back to those young souls it looks,
With whom he toiled and wrestled.
Long time his mind has nestled,
Still, back to those young souls it looks,
With whom he toiled and wrestled.
Ah me! the ancient, work-day joys,
Bring back his heart to greet them;
He says, “God bless the dear old boys!
I'd give my life to meet them!”
Bring back his heart to greet them;
He says, “God bless the dear old boys!
I'd give my life to meet them!”
93
Sir, let your heart with hope be stirred;
The school above expects you;
You'll soon be taken at your word:
The next world recollects you.
The school above expects you;
You'll soon be taken at your word:
The next world recollects you.
Appallingly the years confess
New changes in our dating;
And Time's great limited express
Is never once held waiting;
New changes in our dating;
And Time's great limited express
Is never once held waiting;
And after your thin form has lain
Beneath the snows and grasses,
A joyous chance you'll surely gain,
Once more to meet your classes.
Beneath the snows and grasses,
A joyous chance you'll surely gain,
Once more to meet your classes.
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