How sweetly the sparks fly away now,
And twinkle like stars in the sky;
It’s a wonder the engines don’t play now,
But I never saw water so shy!
Why there isn’t enough for a snipe,
And the fire is fiercer, alas!
Oh! instead of the New River pipe,
They have gone—that they have—to the gas!
IV.
Only look at the poor little P——’s
On the roof—is there anything sadder?
My dears, keep fast hold, if you please,
And they won’t be an hour with the ladder!
But if any one’s hot in their feet,
And in very great haste to be saved,
Here’s a nice easy bit in the street,
That M‘Adam has lately unpaved!
V.
There is some one—I see a dark shape
At that window, the hottest of all,—
My good woman, why don’t you escape?
Never think of your bonnet and shawl:
If your dress isn’t perfect, what is it
For once in a way to your hurt?
When your husband is paying a visit
There, at Number Fourteen, in his shirt!
VI.
Only see how she throws out her chaney!
Her basons, and teapots, and all
The most brittle of her goods—or any,
But they all break in breaking their fall:
Such things are not surely the best
From a two-story window to throw—
She might save a good iron-bound chest,
For there’s plenty of people below!
VII.
O dear! what a beautiful flash!
How it shone thro’ the window and door;
We shall soon hear a scream and a crash,
When the woman falls thro’ with the floor!
There! there! what a volley of flame,
And then suddenly all is obscured!—
Well—I’m glad in my heart that I came;—
But I hope the poor man is insured!