Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-03-25
THE MONARCH OF OLA.

THE MONARCH OF OLA.
To the court OF Ola, the Island Of Ease,
Two wise men came one day
On a geological journey bound
With hammer and chisel. the ~ide world
round.
They were visiting isle and continent,
Aud winning. wherever their steps they bent,
BY explanation and argument
Their way.
But here, as soon as they went to work,
In Ola, the Island Of Ease,
A persola2e, dignifled, fiorid, and bland,
Came hurriedly out TO them, hat in hand
'Tbe Monarch Of Ola regrets said he,
1Tliis manifestation of industry,
Desires you 10 stop It Immediately,
If you please
'obiects TO your chipping the royal rocks,
Dislil1es scientific research,
Hard facts. and harsh noises, and hammers
and such,
And doesn't like rray-headed men very much
In short, your departure, good sirs, I sug-
gcstl"
He left the two scholars. perplexed and dis
trcssed,
In the lurch.
sThis Monarch Of Ola, hear, said one,
Is only q child forsoothi
Yet n sovereign child is sovereign still,
And has, without doubt, tyrannical will;
And how TO deal with the infant mind
L. din1cult problem At best, find.
To the olcarost logic so hopelessly blind
Is youth"
Then down they sat in the sand to mourn
Their lost geological JOYS,
Till hsher-rnaid, with bright black eye,
Came strouing, listening, smiling by.
a = 49, le5-.. Z l,1f1N
Tho Monarch Of Ola is eight years old.
And remarkably fond. I've often been told,
OF toys,"
They started. they smiled they s;roked their
With a digniaed. deep delight:
They tclceraphed straight to the nearest town,
Where dwcIt q tovman OF much renown,
And ordered from him In the greatest haste
A whip with handle silver-chased,
A bail with the costliest broidery traced,
And q kite
OF wonderful beauty and monstrous size,
Embossed in o rich desirn;
A banjo OF gold with tuneful twang,
And a golden gun with patent bang"
A bicycle Safety and trumpets and drums
CThe noisiest each OF its kind that cornes).
And a number Of tops with q number OF huns
Very fine:
A train OF cars that would run all day
At genuine railway rate;
An army of men in q golden box,
And trunlzful OF golden buildin--bloclzs-
In short, they ordered each possible toy
That is dear to the heart OF the everyday boy,
Yet costly enough for king to enjoy
In his state.
Then, bowling and breathless, they stood
In an anteroom neat as pin,
While the messenger boys in an orderly corps
Went in with their gifts at the nursery door
Five minutes they waited Dit seemed weelS),
Then rose on the silence an uproar unique
a tempest Of weeping and shrek upon shrek
From within.
And out at the door came the unlucl5y toys
In a shower that darkened the air:
And out from the palace in dire disnnay
The wise men fed by the shortest way.
Nor paused until they reached the shore,
Where. all in q heap on the sandy floor,
The fisher-maid found them as once before,
In despair
She heard their tale witA a brow demure,
At FIRST with glance Of wonder,
And then with n frown OF grave surprise
That hid the laughter that lurhed in her eyes.
" Nay, now!'' she cried, ''what a heart Of stone
This ruler OF eight years old must owni
Yet, bark you, srs, you may still atone
For your blunder.
" A gift OF nv choosing (at your expense)
VIII settle the matter with case,
Ard win you I'll warrant, the royal grace,
And the consequent love OF the populace.
So chear you, sirs, 1t is not too late;
For moderate sum you may mend your fate.
Five dollars VIII do it, or four ninety-eight,
If you pleasci'
They sigfcd and they doubted, but drew her Q
check
Quite double her modest demand:
And day or two aftcrw1rd stood once more
In the antcroorn, 1T the nursery door,
While tho fsher-maid, with face of Joy,
Semi in on his errand one messenger boy
With sirrlc box and single toy
II his hand.
T.en lol there was laughter and clapping Of
hands,
And q rustling o: delicate frocl,s;
And then from the monarch's mysterious
room
no warning there came CT immediate doom,
Brt = rra cious message of compliment,
Ard the Monarch Of Olla's free consent
To chip away ct their hearts content
At the rocks.
The wise men then looked at the isher-maid;
She laughed with her liz a-curl
Next time" she cried. before you begin,
"T'vorc vel to consider whose grace you
EoEli win.
Sooth, wisdom and folly are Ike as two pcasi
That boz, learned sirs, held doll. II you
please,
For the Monarch Of OLA the Island Of Ease,
Is girl"
-Mlrgaret johnson. in ST. Nicholas