Part 18 (2/2)
They are the most remunerative customers I know; For many, many years they've kept starvation from my doors; I never knew so criminal a family as yours!
”The common country folk in this insipid neighborhood Have nothing to confess, they're so ridiculously good; And if you marry any one respectable at all.
Why, you'll reform, and what will then become of Father Paul?”
The worthy priest, he up and drew his cowl upon his crown, And started off in haste to tell the news to Robber Brown-- To tell him how his daughter, who was now for marriage fit, Had winked upon a sorter, who reciprocated it.
Good Robber Brown he m.u.f.fled up his anger pretty well; He said: ”I have a notion, and that notion I will tell; I will nab this gay young sorter, terrify him into fits, And get my gentle wife to chop him into little bits.
”I've studied human nature, and I know a thing or two: Though a girl may fondly love a living gent, as many do-- A feeling of disgust upon her senses there will fall When she looks upon his body chopped particularly small.”
He traced that gallant sorter to a still suburban square; He watched his opportunity, and seized him unaware; He took a life-preserver and he hit him on the head, And Mrs. Brown dissected him before she went to bed.
And pretty little Alice grew more settled in her mind, She never more was guilty of a weakness of the kind, Until at length good Robber Brown bestowed her pretty hand On the promising young robber, the lieutenant of his band.
YOUNG AMERICA.
The central figure was a bareheaded woman with a broom in her hand. She stood on the back step, and was crying:
”George!”
There was no response, but anybody who had been on the other side of the close-boarded fence at the foot of the garden might have observed two boys intently engaged in building a mud pie.
”That's your mother hollerin' Georgie,” said one of the two, placing his eye to a knothole and glancing through to the stoop.
”I don't care,” said the other.
”Ain't you going in?”
”No!”
”Georgie!” came another call, short and sharp; ”do you hear me?”
There was no answer.
”Where is she now?” inquired Georgie, putting in the filling of the pie.
”On the stoop,” replied his friend at the knothole.
”What's she doin'?”
”Ain't doin' nothin'.”
”George Augustus!”
Still no answer.
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