STRANGE COMPANIE. 



A LITTLE child, a little child, 



Upon its mother's knee, 

 With dimpled cheek, and laughing eye, 



A holy sight to see. 



A thoughtless boy, a thoughtless boy, 



A truant from the school, 

 Urging his tiny wooden sloop 



On through the glassy pool. 



A musing youth, a musing youth, 



With eyes fixed on a book, 

 Where he but sees his mistress' face 



In her last farewell look. 



A gay gallant, a gay gallant, 



Hero of club and ball ; 

 His father's pride, his mother's joy, 



Admired and loved of all. 

 A traveller, a traveller, 



Returned from foreign strand, 

 With store of wisdom, culled with care, 



For use in his own land. 



A happy man, a happy man, 



With wife and children round ; 

 And smiling friends, and cheerful home, 



Where all pure joys abound. 



A patriot, a patriot, 



Intent on public good ; 

 Who, in a court's ordeal tried, 



Corruption's bait withstood. 

 A man of woe, a man of woe, 



Bankrupt in heart and wealth 

 Wife, children, hopes, all in the grave, 



A bankrupt, too, in health. 



A misanthrope, a misanthrope, 



Disgusted with mankind ; 

 Deserted by deceitful friends, 



Whom favours could not bind. 

 A lunatic, a lunatic, 



In melancholy mood, 

 Shrinking from every living thing 



Sighing in solitude. 

 A burial, a burial, 



With none of kin to weep, 

 And lay the old man 'neath the sod, 



To take his last long sleep. 



Strange Companie, strange Companie, 



Are these to meet, I ween ! 

 Alas ! they are but life's changes, 



That in ONE MAN are seen ! 



W. B. H. 



