356 



TUE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



December 



THE GIRL HERSELF. 



'Twas not her bonnet, it is true; 

 'Twas not her bonnet nice and new 

 That fixed my idly roving eye 

 That sunis.ier day as she passed by. 

 I cannot tell you how 'twas made; 

 . I cannot tell the ribbon's shade, 

 Nor just the color of the wreath — 

 I only saw the face beneath. 



; noticed not her dress the while, 

 if it were made in latest style, 

 With Grecian folds and closest fit, 

 Or furbelows adorning it. 

 It may have been of flimsy wear; 

 I do not know, I do not care. 

 For all my thoughts that wandered wide 

 Were centered on the girl inside. 



Oh, she was sweet from head to feet, 

 The prettiest girl upon the street! 

 Depending not on outward dress 

 To emphasize her loveliness. 

 Though many another maiden owes 

 Hor cliief attraction to her clothes. 

 This one, though well supplied with pelf. 

 Would have no rival to herself. 



If you should meet this maid by chance. 

 You'd give her more than passing glance. 

 And note perhaps with some surprise 

 Her perfect mouth, her lovely eyes. 

 But, oh, I warn you not to let 

 Your heart escape its bounds as yetl 

 She's spoken for— the charming elf! 

 I'm going to marry her myself I 



—New York Ledger. 



A TELESCOPIC VIEW. 



The cub having goue off to Switzer- 

 land to look for Mousie (and to propose 

 to her), I informed William that it was 

 my intention to return to town without 

 delay. 



So William said, "Then I ehall come 

 and stay with you. " 



I let him come. I knew why he want- 

 ed to come. He wanted to come because 

 he wanted to pay calls at the Jungle 

 and see Miss Ethel Mainwaring.- Wil- 

 liam, therefore, accompanied me, and it 

 soon became clear to me that his visit 

 was to be one of some duration. How- 

 ever, as he spent most of his time hov- 

 ering between Lorti's and the Jungle — 

 partaking of many meals at the lattei 

 address — his stay did not put me to 

 much expejise, which was gratifying, as 

 my income, though quite sufficient for 

 one single gentleman, will not stand 

 being divided between two single gen- 

 tlemen. I have often remarked to the 



cashier of the London-tierman tnar it is 

 strange how badly off most writers on 

 finance are — the irony of fate, I presume 

 — but his sole reply is, "I zubboze it is 

 begos they bragtiss vot they breach," 

 and pays little regard to my wistful 

 glances in the direction of his strong- 

 box. 



The foregoing sentences are supposed 

 to represent a period of rather more than 

 three weeks. I was making soma hu- 

 morous remarks about a company which 

 had been started to insure young mar- 

 ried men against twins when there came 

 two slow knocks at the door — two life- 

 less knocks, two abjectly miserable 

 knocks. Mr. Charles Johnson, the clerk, 

 knew who it was. He is in love himself 

 with a young lady in a Fleet street tea- 

 shop and sympathizes with the cub. As 

 gently, therefore, as a trained nurse did 

 Mr. Johnson open the door, and it was 

 with an air of the deepest condolence 

 that he ushered Master John Mainwar- 

 ing into my presence. 



"Oh, how are your" I cried cheer- 

 fully. 



"Ripping; thanks," he replied, in a 

 tone such as condemned murderers 

 would use in reply to Mr. BilJington's 

 greeting. 



Then he flung himself into a chair 

 and laughed bitterly. 



"I wish I were dead — dead!" he 

 then remarked. 



This was getting serious. Here was a 

 young gentleman, aged 23, possessed of 

 independent means, splendid health 

 and all those other things which make 

 life worth living, don't you know, 

 wishing he were no more — wishing he 

 were a cold corpse. 



I knew, of course. Getting up, I 

 marched into Charles Johnson's scullery 

 office to find that blushing youth deep 

 in a penny booklet, entitled "Wooed, 

 Won and Wed ; or, True Love Triumphs 

 O'er All. " I gave Mr. Johnson some 

 directions, and presently he came in 

 with two steaks, a mountain of vegeta- 

 bles and a large bottle of Lord Bass. 



"Now, Mainwaring,"! said, "I'll 

 say grace to save lime, and you set to. " 



He demurred at first, but finally al- 

 lowed himself to be persuaded, The 

 scene that followed fairly beggars de- 

 scription. When the cub had finished, 

 I said, as ' o lit his pipe: 



"So she won't have you?" 



