The poetical works of John Godfrey Saxe Household Edition : with illustrations |
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THE TRAVELER AND HIS FRIENDS.
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 | The poetical works of John Godfrey Saxe |  |
190
THE TRAVELER AND HIS FRIENDS.
A GALLIC LEGEND.
A gentleman, about to make
A trip at sea, was begged to take
Commissions for a dozen friends:
One wants a watch; another sends
For wine,—“a very special cask;
And—if it 's not too much to ask—
Some choice cigars; a box will do;
Or, while you 're at it, purchase two.”
Another friend would like a pair
Of boots,—“They 're so much cheaper there”;
A lady friend would have him buy
Some laces,—“If they're not too high”;
Another wants a box of gloves,—
“French kids, you know, are real loves!”
Thus one wants this; another, that;
A book, a bonnet, or a hat;
Enough to make the moody man
(So high their “small commissions” ran
In tale and bulk) repent that he
Had ever thought to cross the sea!
Moreover,—be it here remarked,—
Before the gentleman embarked,
His friends, for fear he might forget
Their little errands, plainly set
Their wishes down in black and white;
A sensible proceeding—quite;
But, as it happened, not a friend
(With one exception) thought to send
The ready money, and to say,
“See, here 's the cash you'll have to pay.”
A trip at sea, was begged to take
Commissions for a dozen friends:
One wants a watch; another sends
For wine,—“a very special cask;
And—if it 's not too much to ask—
Some choice cigars; a box will do;
Or, while you 're at it, purchase two.”
Another friend would like a pair
Of boots,—“They 're so much cheaper there”;
A lady friend would have him buy
Some laces,—“If they're not too high”;
Another wants a box of gloves,—
“French kids, you know, are real loves!”
Thus one wants this; another, that;
A book, a bonnet, or a hat;
Enough to make the moody man
(So high their “small commissions” ran
In tale and bulk) repent that he
Had ever thought to cross the sea!
Moreover,—be it here remarked,—
Before the gentleman embarked,
His friends, for fear he might forget
Their little errands, plainly set
Their wishes down in black and white;
A sensible proceeding—quite;
But, as it happened, not a friend
(With one exception) thought to send
The ready money, and to say,
“See, here 's the cash you'll have to pay.”
The man embarks; sees Paris, Rome,
And other cities; then comes home
Well pleased with much that met his eye;
But, having, somehow, failed to buy
A single thing for any friend,
Except the one who thought to send
The wherewithal. Well, need I say
That soon his neighbors came to pay
Their greetings at his safe return,
And charming health; and (also) learn
About their little errands,—what
For each the traveler had got?
“By Jove!” he said, “it makes me sad
To think what wretched luck I had!
For as at sea I sat one day
Arranging in a proper way
The papers you so kindly sent,
A gale arose, and off they went
Into the ocean; nor could I
Remember aught you bade me buy.”
And other cities; then comes home
Well pleased with much that met his eye;
But, having, somehow, failed to buy
A single thing for any friend,
Except the one who thought to send
The wherewithal. Well, need I say
That soon his neighbors came to pay
Their greetings at his safe return,
And charming health; and (also) learn
About their little errands,—what
For each the traveler had got?
“By Jove!” he said, “it makes me sad
To think what wretched luck I had!
For as at sea I sat one day
Arranging in a proper way
The papers you so kindly sent,
A gale arose, and off they went
Into the ocean; nor could I
Remember aught you bade me buy.”
“But,” grumbled one, “if that were so,
How comes it, sir, you chanced to know
What this man's errand was? for he
Has got what he desired, we see.”
“Faith! so he has,—beyond a doubt;
And this is how it came about:
His memorandum chanced to hold
A certain sum of solid gold;
And thus the paper by its weight
Escaped the others' windy fate.”
How comes it, sir, you chanced to know
What this man's errand was? for he
Has got what he desired, we see.”
“Faith! so he has,—beyond a doubt;
And this is how it came about:
His memorandum chanced to hold
A certain sum of solid gold;
And thus the paper by its weight
Escaped the others' windy fate.”
| The poetical works of John Godfrey Saxe | |