EXCELSIOR

THE swampy State of Illinois

Contained a greenish sort of boy,

Who read with idiotic joy—

"Excelsior!"

He tarried not to eat or drink,

But put a flag of lightish pink,

And traced on it in violet ink—

Excelsior!

Though what he meant by that absurd,

Uncouth, and stupid, senseless word,

Has not been placed upon record—

Excelsior!

The characters were very plain,

In German text, yet he was fain

With greater clearness to explain—

Excelsior!

And so he ran, this stupid wight,

And hollered out with all his might,

(As to a person out of sight)—

"Excelsior!"

And everybody thought the lad

Within an ace of being mad,

Who cried in accents stern and sad—

"Excelsior!"

"Come to my arms," the maiden cried;

The youth grinned sheepishly, and sighed,

And then appropriately replied—

"Excelsior!"

The evening sun is in the sky,

But still the creature mounts on high

And shouts (nor gives a reason why)

"Excelsior!"

And ere he gains the topmost crag

His feeble legs begin to lag;

Unsteadily he holds the flag—

Excelsior!

Now P. C. Nab is on his track!

He puts him in an empty sack,

And brings him home upon his back—

Excelsior!

Nab takes him to a lumber store,

They toss him in and lock the door,

Which only makes him bawl the more—

"Excelsior!"

Anonymous.