Volume 102 — THE FANCY BALL.
Reading edition
You came as GRETCHEN, hair of gold And face so exquisitely sweet, That I, like FAUST, had certes sold Myself, to win you, MARGUERITE. Each plait enmeshed my struggling heart, That wildly beat against my will; And though at last we had to part, In Dreamland I could see you still. Another night, with tresses dark, And kirtle strewn with fleurs-de-lys, You came a flashing JOAN OF ARC, Destructive of my bosom's peace. The sword was girt upon your hip, And thine the Maid's heroic glance; I seemed to hear upon your lip, The watchword of her life, "For France!" Anon I saw thee as the Queen Who held so many hearts in fee; But MARY STUART scarce had been, Methinks, so beautiful as thee. I fain had gone and splintered lance, As in the old days in our realm; To win a kind approving glance, And wear your glove upon my helm. What, stately EDITH! Lives there yet The lady of that royal line, The peerless proud Plantagenet, Will KENNETH's great emprise be mine? We saw how high his hopes could soar; We know the guerdon that he won. Shall I find favour, as of yore Did DAVID, Earl of Huntingdon? 'Tis certain, in whatever guise You come, as heroine of song Or story, to my faithful eyes You shine the fairest of the throng. However fanciful you be, Whatever fancy dress befalls; My fancy paints you fancy-free, To fancy me at Fancy Balls!
THE REAL NINE POINTS OF THE LAW.—Costs.
THE UNOBSERVED OF ONE "OBSERVER."
From the account given by "OBSERVER" in the Times, it might be inferred that "HARCOURT! HARCOURT!" was shouted all over the House, in the lobbies, through the smoking-room, in the library, through the cellars, in fact, everywhere within the sacred precincts, on one memorable night, while at that very moment the wily Sir WILLIAM, tucked comfortably up in his little bed, was murmuring softly to himself, "HARCOURT! indeed! 'Ha! not caught,' more likely!" and so sweetly fell asleep.
MRS. R. read aloud from the latest Report of "B. and F. Bible Society," "One cannot help thinking of the glorious field of labour which lies open here before the Colporteur, and of the pleasant way in which his labours are appreciated by all." But the worthy lady pronounced colporteur as coalporter, and so on hearing from a friend that "the Coalporters were on strike," Mrs. R. could not help exclaiming, "Dear! how ungrateful of them, when they were being 'so much appreciated by all!'"
