Two twins were once born in a Bedfordshire home;
Such events in the best managed households may come;
Tho', as Tomkins remarked in a voice rather gruff,
"One child at a time for poor folks is enough."
But it couldn't be helped, so his wife did her best;
The children were always respectably drest;
Went early to school; were put early to bed;
And had plenty of taters and bacon and bread.
Now we all should suppose that the two, being twins,
Resembled each other as much as two pins:
But no—they as little resembled each other
As the man in the moon is "a man and a brother."
Fred's eyes were dark brown, and his hair was jet black;
He was supple in body, and straight in the back,
Learnt his lessons without any trouble at all;
And was lively, intelligent, comely, and tall.
But Willy was thick-set; and freckled and fair;
Had eyes of light blue, and short curly red hair;
And, as I should like you the whole truth to know,
The schoolmaster thought him "decidedly slow."
But the Parson, who often came into the school,
Had discovered that Willy was far from a fool,
And that tho' he was not very quick in his pace,
In the end "slow and steady" would win in the race.
Years passed—Fred grew idle and peevish and queer;
Took to skittles, bad language, tobacco, and beer:
Grew tired of his work, when it scarce was begun;
Was Jack of all trades and the master of none.
He began as a labourer, then was a clerk;
Drove a hansom in London by way of a "lark;"
Enlisted, deserted, and finally fled
Abroad, and was thought by his friends to be dead.
But Willy meanwhile was content with his lot;
He was slow, but he always was found on the spot;
He wasted no money on skittles and ale,
But put by his pence, when he could, without fail.
To the Penny Bank weekly his savings he took,
And soon had a pretty round sum in his book:
No miser was he, but he thought it sound sense
In the days of his youth to put by a few pence.