JOHN DAY, A PATHETIC BALLAD. 87 



CHAPTER XVII. 



JOHN DAY, A PATHETIC BALLAD. 



The following humorous sketch, from the facetious pen 

 of Tom Hood, the celebrated punster, will form an 

 amusing contrast to the preceding realistic portrait by 

 Washington Irving: — 



JOHN DAY, A PATHETIC BALLAD. 

 ' A clay after the fair.' — Old Proverb. 



John Day he was the biggest man 



Of all the coachman kind, 

 With back too broad to be conceived 



By any narrow mind. 



The very horses knew his weight 



When he was in the rear, 

 And wished his box, a Christmas box, 



To come but once a year 



Alas ! against the shafts of love 



What armour can avail ? 

 Soon Cupid sent an arrow through 



His scarlet coat of mail. 



The barmaid of the ' Crown ' he loved, 



From whom he never ranged ; 

 For though he changed his horses there, 



His love he never changed. 



