No. 87.—Charade.
A worthy foe: a trusty friend, the safest friend to have,
For if you differ, never mind, no danger is to brave.
A friend so easily shut up, so readily put down.
Can give no cause for sore regret, for deep remorse to drown.
A thing almost all people hate, and nervous people fear.
So ugly, that to naturalists it only can be dear.
Yet when that hateful stage is past it lives its little hour,
A floating gleam of beauty, it blossoms like a flower.
The very happiest life on earth, I do believe, is this,
He sits and lets your world go by, and his own world is his!
And if he does no good at all, he surely does no harm.
And science, wisdom, wit, and song, fill all his days with charm.
Possibly 'tis an idle life, only a life of ease,
Or worse than all, a selfish life, but don't disturb him, please!