81 



The following versicles on "An Infant Daughter's first 

 walking" appeared in the " Edinburgh Scotsman," and were 

 from the pen of J. G. Grant ; the event— one of no common 

 magnitude or trivial interest in the eyes of parents— was most 

 graphically described in lines of naive humour and fond 

 affection : — 



ON AN INFANT DAUGHTERS FIRST WALKING. 



Ha! ambitious little elf! 

 Off by thy adventurous self!' 

 Fairly off ? O fair betide thee ! 

 With no living thing beside thee : 

 Not a leading-string to guide thee ; 

 Not a chair to creep or crawl by ; 

 Not a cushioned stool to fall by ; 

 Not a finger-tip to catch at; 

 Not a sleeve or skirt to snatch at ; 

 Fairly off at length to sea, 

 Full twelve inches (can it be 

 Really, truly ?) from the lee 

 Of mamma's protecting knee ! 



Fair and softly, soft and fairly- 

 Little bark, thou sail'st it rarely, 

 In thy new-born power and pride, 

 O'er the carpet's level tide, 

 Lurching, though, from side to side, 

 Ever and anon, and heeling 

 Like a tipsy cherub reeling, 

 (If e'en cherubs, saucy gipsy ! 

 Smile like thee, or e'er get tipsy!) 

 Even as though yon dancing mote 

 In the sunny air afloat, 

 Or the merest breath that met thee, 

 Might suffice to overset thee ! 



Helm a weather ! steady, steady ! 

 — Nay, the danger's past already ; 

 Thou, with gentle course, untroubled, 

 Table-Cape full well hast doubled, 

 Sofa-Point hast shot a-head, 

 Safe by Footstool-Island sped, 

 Ami art steering, well and truly, 

 On for Closet-Harbour duly ! 



