And vow’d—that night he would not go

Unblest, beneath the Mistletoe.

The merry group all recommend

An harmless Kiss, the strife to end:

“Why not?” says Marg’ry, “who would fear,

“A dang’rous moment, once a year?”

Susan observ’d, that “ancient folks

“Were seldom pleas’d with youthful jokes;”

But Kate, who, till that fatal hour,

Had held, o’er Hodge, unrivall’d pow’r,