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185
NOS MUTAMUR!
Is this the house? Ay, there's the well-known sign,
The Bunch of Grapes, still hanging o'er the door.
I gaze around,—the change maybe is mine,
But all is small and dingier than of yore.
The Bunch of Grapes, still hanging o'er the door.
I gaze around,—the change maybe is mine,
But all is small and dingier than of yore.
The same black-coated waiters whisk about,
But where is Tom, the prince of waiting men?
Methinks I hear old Tom's commanding shout—
“Way for the gentlemen of Number Ten!”
But where is Tom, the prince of waiting men?
Methinks I hear old Tom's commanding shout—
“Way for the gentlemen of Number Ten!”
“Here, waiter! shew me into Number Ten!”
“No Number Ten, sir! That's the coffee-room.
Some wine, sir?” “No! some honest beer;” and then—
“No Number Ten,” and settle into gloom.
“No Number Ten, sir! That's the coffee-room.
Some wine, sir?” “No! some honest beer;” and then—
“No Number Ten,” and settle into gloom.
The coffee-room is empty, and I sit
And sip the beer in memory of old times.
How flat it tastes without the joyous wit
That spiced our undergraduate pantomimes!
And sip the beer in memory of old times.
186
That spiced our undergraduate pantomimes!
I stretch my hand across the vanish'd years,—
Full forty! Ay, the world is growing old!
I blow aside the mists, and there appears
Faintly at last our crew of six all told!
Full forty! Ay, the world is growing old!
I blow aside the mists, and there appears
Faintly at last our crew of six all told!
Six honest, simple, healthy country lads
Met by chance-medley in the college town,—
Six hale, hilarious, hearty undergrads
Without a thought of riches or renown.
Met by chance-medley in the college town,—
Six hale, hilarious, hearty undergrads
Without a thought of riches or renown.
To live and laugh, to have the self-same cause
Of joy and laughter, mutually shared,
And do at times a little reading was
All we desired and all we ever cared!
Of joy and laughter, mutually shared,
And do at times a little reading was
All we desired and all we ever cared!
I see them as they sit—how strange it is!
Among the rest I seem to see myself!
There's Charlie with that comic face of his,—
Poor Charlie! first to lie upon the shelf!
Among the rest I seem to see myself!
There's Charlie with that comic face of his,—
Poor Charlie! first to lie upon the shelf!
187
The world was happier with poor Charlie in it:
With what an air as Chairman Charlie spoke—
“I call upon the Clerk to read the minute
That fines you six pence for that barbarous joke!”
With what an air as Chairman Charlie spoke—
“I call upon the Clerk to read the minute
That fines you six pence for that barbarous joke!”
And Sandy: he's a reverend Doctor now
With ritualistic leanings, and a wife
That wrinkled into horn poor Sandy's brow,
And now he advocates a single life.
With ritualistic leanings, and a wife
That wrinkled into horn poor Sandy's brow,
And now he advocates a single life.
And the two Toms: the one has disappeared,
And dead or living, none can truly say;
The other for a rich old widow steered,
And married wealth, and is no longer gay.
And dead or living, none can truly say;
The other for a rich old widow steered,
And married wealth, and is no longer gay.
And then there's Archy: Archy drove the car
That brought me from the railway station here;
And I—well, I've been travelling wide and far
In search of happiness for forty year.
That brought me from the railway station here;
And I—well, I've been travelling wide and far
In search of happiness for forty year.
Alas! the search has only made me sad,
And gathered round my life a mournful haze;
O for one night of all the nights we had
Here in the dear old distant College days!
And gathered round my life a mournful haze;
O for one night of all the nights we had
Here in the dear old distant College days!
188
Well, and cui bono? could I call them back,—
Unless, indeed, the days when called would stay.—
“Waiter, some port!”—I'm out of sorts.—“The sack—
You rogue, there's lime in't: take it all away!”
Unless, indeed, the days when called would stay.—
“Waiter, some port!”—I'm out of sorts.—“The sack—
You rogue, there's lime in't: take it all away!”
And, here!—well, never mind the change—d'ye still
Have now and then a students' gathering here?”
—“Lor' bless you, sir! That's them a-ringing! Bill!
There's Number Nine a-calling for more beer!”
Have now and then a students' gathering here?”
—“Lor' bless you, sir! That's them a-ringing! Bill!
There's Number Nine a-calling for more beer!”
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