Chapter II: Part IV: Other Verses

BILL 111

THE LEGEND OF THE AUTHOR 114

THE MOTRIOT 128

THE BALLAD OF THE ARTIST 130

THE BALLAD OF PING-PONG 135

THE PESSIMIST 138

THE PLACE WHERE THE OLD CLEEK BROKE 140

THE HOMES OF LONDON 143

THE HAPPIEST LAND 146

A LONDON INVOLUNTARY 151

BLUEBEARD 154

THE WOMAN WITH THE DEAD SOLES 166

ROSEMARY (A BALLAD OF THE BOUDOIR) 170

PORTKNOCKIE'S PORTER 172

THE BALLAD OF THE LITTLE JINGLANDER 176

AFTWORD 182

ENVOI 185

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

With guilty, conscience-stricken tears,
I offer up these rhymes of mine
To children of maturer years
(From Seventeen to Ninety-nine).
A special solace may they be
In days of second infancy.

The frenzied mother who observes
This volume in her offspring's hand,
And trembles for the darling's nerves,
Must please to clearly understand,
If baby suffers by and by
The Publisher's at fault, not _I_!

But should the little brat survive,
And fatten on this style of Rhyme,
To raise a Heartless Home and thrive
Through a successful life of crime,
The Publisher would have you see
That _I_ am to be thanked, not _he_!

Fond parent, you whose children are
Of tender age (from two to eight),
Pray keep this little volume far
From reach of such, and relegate
My verses to an upper shelf;
Where you may study them yourself.