THE SWEETS OF YOUTH.
Reading edition
“Sweets to the sweet—farewell.”—Hamlet.
IME was I liked a cheesecake well enough— All human children have a sweetish taste; I used to revel in a pie, or puff; Or tart—we all were Tartars in our youth To meet with jam or jelly was good luck, All candies most complacently I crumped, A stick of liquorice was good to suck, And sugar was as often liked as lumped! On treacle’s “linkèd sweetness long drawn out,” Or honey I could feast like any fly; I thrilled when lollipops were hawked about; How pleased to compass hard-bake or bull’s-eye; How charmed if Fortune in my power cast Elecampane—but that campaign is past.
