Do you find the world merry, linnet, linnet, That your song rings out so gay? I'm seven times ten to-day! MOTHER HUBBARD AND HÉR DOG. The aged and venerable maternal representative of a family which descended from an ancestral progenitor known in his time by the patronymic appellation of Hubbard (perhaps from his hav ing been one of the early poets or bards of the Hub), Wended her way to the small apartment ordinarily devoted to the storage of crockery and such portions of the family provisions as were left unused at the prandial meal, To obtain, for the gratification of her favorite but emaciated speci. men of the genus canis a fragment of an ossequs nature once composing an integral portion of the skeleton of an animal (whether bovine, porcine or otherwise, the narrator was not able to determine satisfactorily), from which slie had reason to believe her petted quadruped would obtain aliment. When by continuous progressive motion she had arrived at the end of her brief journey, and in fact had reached the objective point and the goal of her desire, Her fond anticipations were not realized and her calculations came to naught-for the family receptaclu before alluded to proved to be entirely denuded of everything in the way of that substance which tends to prolong life wlien received within and assimilated by the animal organism; Consequently this indigent and long suffering member of the higher class of vertebrates called mammals, but familiarly known as the "poor dog," failed on this occasion to obtain anything to appease his unsated and voracious appetite, which there is reason to believe had previously been whetted by the anticipation of the favorable result of the visit of his friend and protector to the usual storehouse of his supplies. WHAT IS A BACHELOR LIKE? A mule-a fool ! Contrary—unchary- A boot without a sole, Or a herring without salt! Or a figure 3! But to be plain, And end my strain, PAT'S PHILOSOPHY. R. H. STODDARD. I keep meself warm; I keep meself cool. And it's mebbe I'm not; When he goes into harm! Sez my old Uncle Dan A wise one and stiddy“What's the world to a man When his wife is a widdy ?" When the soldier struts by With his sword at his side, And the rattle, rattle drums Beat the roll and the call, He may go or may fly I stay here till death comes, For I mind me of all That in battle have died ! I am like Uncle Dan, For he said-troth and did he 66 What's the world to a man When his wife is a widdy ?" When the sailor hoists sail And stands out on the deep, Laving sweetheart or wife And the childer behind, He timpts the wild gale, And he trifles with life, And he sinks, d'ye mind, Where the mermaidens sleep! “ Pat," sez Uncle Dan, “Stay at home with your Biddy; What's the world to a man When his wife is a widdy ?" And write late and long, He may sit up for me; He may have all his fame, And not worth an old song! Let us live, Uncle Dan; Let us live and love, Biddy; When his wife is a widdy ?" LOVE SONG [WRITTEN BY AN INMATE OF A LUNATIC ASYLUM.] Gaily the tiger-cat tuned his guitar, Serenading the magpie with feathers and tar; • Sweetly he sneezed at her, sourly he sighed, "Lady bird, lady bird, wilt be my bride ?”. BIDDY'S PHILOSOPHY. R. H. STODDARD. And when do you think of dying? And cry, or pretind to be crying! If one knew where to find him With money to leave behind him! |