The Irish standard., 1890-10-18

MaNH W4t0HF AeSSs1tAG7I1 }s$
Since converting his soap ling bnsi-
ness into stock company and then sell
ing out his interest at an enormous
prefit, Mr.. Blodger had found a great
deal OF time on his hands. His wife had
long since passed to the better land, IS
and as he had no relatives to hamper
him he devoted his time pretty much to
his own company and that OF his fifteen
year old boy who was, at least ply sical--
II, following in his fathers footsteps
bidding fair to outriyal the celebrity OF
the Fat Boy in Pickwick.
The elder R1odger had, like many OF
his ilk, in these his later lays OF wealth
and leisure, turned his attention to
books and study in the fond hope that
he might pass for an educated man in
that society toward which his molina
lions and ambition now led him. The
.esult was that smattering of superficial
knowledge which is soexceedingly dam
,gerous; for in his unguided search in
the higher realms of knowledge Ste hen
Blodger had not deemed it necessary to
improve his grammar, and as q conse-
quence his conversation oft-times en-
bodied strange conglomeration OF the
classic sciences and fine arts, dished up
in miserably bad English.
Recently this genius had developed
into poet and he was never seen out
without his scrap book under his arm,
in which he had pasted his own efforts,
written on foolscap in large, round
hand, together with numerous choice
pieces which he had clipped at odd
times from tho columns of the Sunday
papers. AS this worthy individual en-
tered the parlor hc bowed low and said
with broad smile, precisely as Armida
had mimicked him moment before:
Good morning ladies': Mr.. Stephen
Blodger at your service"
The two ladies returned the greeting
and the usual every day questions re-
garding health and the, weather having
followed. Mr. Hlodger drew from the
side pocket Of ioud-patterned tourist
Jacket which he wore. tablet, and
said: Ladies', I have been sitting in
quiet seclusion upon the sands Swallowed
by a large sun umbrella and my
thoughts. AS my eyes wandered across
the broad expanse Of ocean, the m use
took possession Of nv soul and ] was at
once inspired to write an ode to the AT
lantic. Hero is the first stanza in its
unfinished state: I'D
Atlantic, broad and vast expanse
OF seething, boiling foam
Here Armida interrupted the reader,
saying: ssYou will pardon me, know,
Mr.. Blodger, because you have come
here to court criticism, but do you not
think that sSeething, boiling foam re-
minds one rather unpleasantly OF soap
boiling process"
THAT may be, but we can modify
word painting, Miss Arlnida. This is
only in the rough" Then he continued:
"Upon whose bosom whtte-winged ships,
By day and night do roa1n.''
ssThere," said Mr.. Blodger, as he COM
pleted the first stanza, II think that
will work up into something very neat,
not to say beautiful
s.Very,'' said Arnlida and her mother
in unison; but whether they were in
e,rnest or not would have been difficult
to determine from the manner in which
they gave their assent.
'sYou did not know that am also
poet did you?" said Armida to Mr..
Blodger.
.'Indeed did not But am really
not surprised that we can add poetry to
your many accomplishments, he gal"
lantly, if awk wardly, responded.
SWELL, can not exactly be called
poet" was the reply, 'sbut I occasion.
ally indulge in clothing my thoughts in
rhyme. Sometimes really do feel sem
timentally poetical, and again at other
times i am afraid my crude efforts are
the result of indigestion or something
equally unpleasant. However. J. write
my verses and leave my friends to judge
of the propelling power
Arraida passed into the adjoining room
and soon returned with scrap of paper
ON which were penciled a few lines.
s<Here," said she, Sis something I jot-
ted down last night after you left.
Shall I read it to you?" And somehow
there was merry twinkle in the girls
eye, which passed unnoticed, however,
by the sedate Blodger.
II shall be delighted to hear you do
so,' was Mr.. Blolger's response. So in
clear, sweet voice, in which the slight.
" mocking tones could only have been
discerned by far sharper ears than
Blodger possessed, Armida read. as fol-
lows: .t
Ihave lovers and beaux half o dozen,
Who poster me day by day
Not to mention gay, handsome cousin.
Who is always alack in my way
+, But they bore me so much with their chatter
And worry me half to death,
Till it's really wonderful matter
possess cen one spasm Of breath.
For, you know, your young, highly dressed
dandy
Is not my ideal of a man
(Although confess he comes handy
When we wish some amusement to plan);
fancy man who is portly,
Whose hair has a tinge of gray,
Who makes his bow slowly and courtly,
Gives his arm with "Allow me, pray"
Imam who can never be twitted
With being too fresh or too green;
A man who neel hardly be pitied
For fewness Of years he has seen;
A man who can love like q father
AS wei as heart broken swain,
With experience that tells him tits rather