Black Beetles in Amber

A certain musical effect.
Even children's ponies went about,
All grave and sober-paced, without
A bulldog hanging to each nose—
Proud of his fragrance, I suppose.
Dog being dead, Man's lawless flame
Burned out: he granted Woman's claim,
Children's and those of country, art—
all took lodgings in his heart.
When memories of his former shame
Crimsoned his cheeks with sudden flame
He said; 'I know my fault too well—
They fawned upon me and I fell.'
Ah! 'twas a lovely world!—no more
I met that indisposing bore,
The unseraphic cynogogue—
The man who's proud to love a dog.
Thus in my dream the golden reign
Of Reason filled the world again,
And all mankind confessed her sway,
From Walnut Creek to San Jose.

THE UNFALLEN BRAVE

Not all in sorrow and in tears,
To pay of gratitude's arrears
  The yearly sum—
Not prompted, wholly by the pride
Of those for whom their friends have died,
  To-day we come.
Another aim we have in view
Than for the buried boys in blue
  To drop a tear:
Memorial Day revives the chin
Of Barnes, and Salomon chimes in—
  That's why we're here.
And when in after-ages they
Shall pass, like mortal men, away,
  Their war-song sung,
Then fame will tell the tale anew
Of how intrepidly they drew
  The deadly tongue.
Then cull white lilies for the graves
Of Liberty's loquacious braves,
  And roses red.
Those represent their livers, these
The blood that in unmeasured seas
  They did not shed.

A CELEBRATED CASE

Way down in the Boom Belt lived Mrs. Roselle;
A person named Petrie, he lived there as well;
But Mr. Roselle he resided away—
Sing tooral iooral iooral iay.
Once Mrs. Roselle in her room was alone:
The flesh of her flesh and the bone of her bone
Neglected the wife of his bosom to woo—
Sing tooral iooral iooral ioo.
Then Petrie, her lover, appeared at the door,
Remarking: 'My dear; I don't love you no more.'
'That's awfully rough,' said the lady, 'on me—
Sing tooral iooral iooral iee.'
'Come in, Mr. Petrie,' she added, 'pray do:
Although you don't love me no more, I love you.
Sit down while I spray you with vitriol now—
Sing tooral iooral iooral iow.'
Said Petrie: 'That liquid I know won't agree
With my beauty, and then you'll no longer love me;
So spray and be '—O, what a word he did say!—
Sing tooral iooral iooral iay.
She deluged his head and continued to pour
Till his bonny blue eyes, like his love, were no more.
It was seldom he got such a hearty shampoo—
Sing tooral iooral iooral ioo.
Then Petrie he rose and said: 'Mrs. Roselle,
I have an engagement and bid you farewell.'
'You see,' she began to explain—but not he!—
Sing tooral, iooral, iooral iee.
The Sheriff he came and he offered his arm,
Saying, 'Sorry I am for disturbin' you, marm,
But business is business.' Said she, 'So they say—
Sing tooral, iooral, iooral iay.'
The Judge on the bench he looked awfully stern;
The District Attorney began to attorn;
The witnesses lied and the lawyers—O my!—
Sing tooral, iooral, iooral iyi.