THE LESSON AFTER RECESS.
A bright little urchin out west,
Thought going to school was a pest.
He said, “I don’t care,
I just won’t stay there,
I’ll have a good time like the rest.”
He said, “I’ll run off at recess,
They’ll never once miss me, I guess;
A fellow can’t stop
When he’s got a new top.
There’ll just be one good scholar less.”
Now the “rest” was a crowd of rough boys,
Who with rudeness and mischief and noise,
Made one afraid
To go where they played,
But their riotous play he enjoys.
So away from his lessons he ran,
This promising western young man.
They pushed him down flat,
Tore the rim off his hat,
Said, “There’s nothing so healthy as tan.”
And they did what was very much worse;
They stole his new knife and his purse.
They gave him a shake,
And they called him a “cake;”
Said, “Next time, bub, come with your nurse.”
Near sundown this urchin was found
Fast asleep on some very hard ground;
He looked tired and grieved;
He’d been so deceived,
And quite ready for home, I’ll be bound.
The primary teacher, Miss Small,
When she heard his sad fate, forgave all,
“My teacher’s a daisy!
I’m through being lazy.”
He said, “School’s not bad after all.”