STEPHEN’S LESSON
Poor Stephen is in such disgrace
He is ashamed to show his face.
’TIS very very sad indeed
When little children choose
To say the naughty, ugly words
That no one ought to use.
That was the way with Stephen,
Such naughty words he said
That grandmamma looked shocked and grieved,
And auntie shook her head.
Mamma said, “Son, I’ve told you
Such words you must not say,
And yet, in spite of warnings,
I hear them every day.
“So now, my child, I’m taking
These sticking plaster strips.
I’m going to put them on your mouth
And seal those naughty lips.”
“But mother, how then shall I eat?”
Cries Stephen anxiously.
“Oh, I will take them off for meals.
’Twill not be hard,” says she.
In vain poor Stephen pleads with her;
In vain he sobs and cries.
She lays the strips across his lips
In straight and criss-cross wise.
Now only sounds like “Um! Um-hum!”
From Stephen’s lips are heard,
Because, with all those plasters on
He cannot speak a word.
Now Stephen cannot go to school,
He sits at home all day.
He feels ashamed to go outside,
Or join the boys at play.
And if he’s at the window,
And some one passes by,
He quickly turns aside his head,
Lest they the plasters spy.
One day, when mother changed the strips
In haste poor Stephen cried,
“I do not think my lips could say
Those words now if I tried.”
“If that’s the case,” cried mother,
“No need to use these slips,”
And with a smile of joy she kissed
The one-time naughty lips.
Indeed the lesson had been learned,
For Stephen nevermore
Was heard to say those naughty words
That he had used before.
