The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-01-27

-. ,s..s... :. KING GEORGE.
Battle Of the Rhymester. co,,,,,..

Battle Of the Rhymesters Continues.
The Q1inque bard was very wrong
To tase offence at Ks song:
We surely had no such intent.
For in our lines we only meant
Oh doctors pills to be the piver.
To sOoth his gall and stir his liver.
We merely wished to call attention
To some bad breaks we thought worth
mention;
Well write no word, that's il weknow il.
To rile or vex our brother poet
But now we turn. and 10. behold
We see another warrior bold.
Another Richmond in the field
With this inscribed on cleaning shield :
Joan of Are from Punkin Neck .B2-
| come to strike for Dude Peck ="
To "P A L." y doffs his hat. -
He can't indulge the cry of scat :" =
To one so wise, so erudite, ~
All must, of course, be most polite: 80
Besides, she pleads her gentle sex.
All rights reservec, she cautions Y; =
We've read her lines, bout hall column.
Those lines 20 grave. so sad. so solemn.
We thought the thing would erd this
way:
And now let'sall kneel down and pray "
But when we found vile words applied
That y was base, had even lied.
When vial of wrath had lost it's stopper
Aud y accused OF telling whopper !"
We paused, and then and there
Lost hope of blessing and of prayer.
In parables the Wise One spake.
Yet no one e'er did undertake
To say he - or even erred
10 telling things that ne'er occurred.
Now turning TO those wondrous lines
Let's see what curious things one finds:
That first long line is sure n stunner.
Free coinage fbat-sixteen TO one'r-
Then meter spurs to quicker gait
And gives some lines bout Fix by eight,
Now slow again, then quick instanter.
lt speeds away aud strikes "a canter
We showed those lines 60 friend; he read,
Then "nascitnr mus was all he said
But let IL go. It's simply taste,
More critic words would all be waste.
some write trOe verse, some write at
random,
DE gustibus non disputandum.
Come. big poets. you have a call:
Come Homer, Virgil, Dante, all,
tStand back, Byron, you're not in it)
Here's a chance Tor prize, now who will
whit?
Prize for one who can most excel
In writing verse with "P. Al"
| give il up" hear each one say.
Good bye, I'm gone, am gone To stay
nat song wasn't writ by mortal hand.
ris only sung by Gideon's band:
Lookout, twill set this world atire
And then be sung by Phenix choir"
Observe that LIS" pen on paper.
Watch its antics, see il caper.
Now see il cut the pigeon wing
Then, presto. give the Highland Fling:
10 y, poor y, IL gives whack.
Ihen plays the deuce and turns up Jack.
see IL eaten up rhymes and toss 'em,
Drop its t's and double cross 'em.
Strew the is and double dot 'em
All the way to "Bug'boo Bottom"
Right there it saw bugaboo
That leaped from ditch and at il flew.
Then see, oh see, how pen did spatter.
Its little nibs went Glitter. .clatter:
IL struck Tor home, ran helter-sselter.
Inen cut across by Noel's shelter.
On, hear it's feet go ripperty-rap
In crossing road at Hannah's Gap;
IL wades the creek-now wet and limp.
IL turns and says "oh, you old imp"
mat pen now sleeps on Fiddler's Green.
by no one used, by no one seen.
Its short life teaches this, no more
All little boats should keep near shore.
l.. has two 'skeeters trained to guard
His meat-house door and kitchen yard:
They take their posts soon after dark,
To friends they sing, at strangers bark,
And woe betide the dirty thief
Who comes to steal their masters beaf.
Those winged beasts will on him fall.
Then hear him scamper off and sauai.
L. has two more, now trained as we'll
TO guard the pen OF "P A. L."
And IL It wakes-some Gay tbs fact
They rise and read the riot act.
y.
King George county, Va, Jan. %. 1903