He thought it
Might have vanish'd,
Being partly spirits,—like the witches,
"'Tis false!" roared Higgs, "Avaunt! Be banish'd!
Visit no more this realm of milk and honey!
Base caitiff! YOU'VE ABSCONDED with the money!"
JUNE.—"Holiday at the Public Offices"
| 1836.] | JUNE. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Midsummer nights fly swiftly by, | |||
| While Members are "catching the Speaker's eye;" | |||
| And the Outs are employing their labour and wit | |||
| On those who are In, to serve "notice to quit." | |||
| M | Season's | Odd Matters. | WEATHER. |
| D | Signs. | ||
| 1 | Lawyers | "HOLIDAYS AT PUBLIC OFFICES." | |
| 2 | now may | I've often thought how hard the fate | and |
| Of those, who're destin'd, day by day, | |||
| 3 | take | To rise up early, lie down late, | sufficient |
| And waste, in toil, their lives away. | |||
| 4 | their | reasons | |
| And often have I ask'd myself, | |||
| 5 | ease, | When musing o'er these scenes of woe, | ♈ ☿ ♍ ♀ ♑ |
| "Couldst thou, for sake of sordid pelf, | |||
| 6 | and | Oppress thy fellow-creatures so?" | ♅ ☊ ♌ |
| 7 | counsel | Then fancy would begin to paint | |
| The griefs of little cotton-spinners, | instead of | ||
| 8 | reckon | Compell'd to labour till they faint, | |
| That bloated knaves may eat good dinners. | |||
| 9 | up their | ||
| I thought of poor young milliners, | ♃ ♂ ⊕ | ||
| 10 | fees; | Who toil all night, with matted tresses, | |
| And faces pale, that Fashion's dames | jumping | ||
| 11 | for | May grace the ball in fancy dresses. | |
| at once | |||
| 12 | now | And then I thought upon the Pole, | |
| Condemn'd, among Siberia's snow, | into the ice | ||
| 13 | the | With shackled limbs and blighted soul, | |
| The joys of freedom ne'er to know. | and snow | ||
| 14 | welcome | ||
| With those who work in powder mill. | |||
| 15 | long | Life's value scarcely weighs a feather, | |
| So oft exploding, 'twere no ill, | |||
| 16 | vacation | Were they exploded altogether. | ⚹ ♀ ♈ ♐ ♎ |
| 17 | gives a | But what are these? and what are those? | ♊ ♀ |
| Or all that thou, Oh, man! endurest? | |||
| 18 | rest to | Compar'd with those transcendant woes | of January |
| Experienced by the Sinecurist? | |||
| 19 | liti- | and | |
| Compell'd by eight o'clock to rise, | |||
| 20 | gation; | By nine to get his breakfast o'er, | commencing |
| And leave some bit that gourmands prize, | |||
| 21 | while | Because the stage is at the door. | ♄ ☌ ☽ |
| 22 | happy | And when the coachman sets him down | as the |
| At Treasury or Navy Pay, | |||
| 23 | they on | His toil begins,—but I'll explain | learned |
| How hard he works from day to day. | |||
| 24 | quarter | ||
| Five weary hours he stands or sits, | |||
| 25 | day, | Or fidgets till he gets the vapours; | ☍ ♈ ♀ ⚹ ♊ |
| And then to chase the ennui fits, | |||
| 26 | who're | He picks his teeth, or reads the papers. | |
| have it, | |||
| 27 | not | Perhaps his name full twenty times | |
| He writes, or writes a page of figures; | |||
| 28 | obliged | Until are heard the welcome chimes, | ☌ ♈ ♒ ♄ ⚹ |
| Which end the toil of these white Niggers. | |||
| 29 | to run | ♋ ☋ ♅ | |
| The fate of him who digs the mine, | |||
| 30 | away! | Compar'd to this, is children's play; | ab initio, |
| Then, ah! how cruel 'tis to sneer, | |||
| And call his life a holiday. | |||
| Ah! radicals: ye little know | |||
| 'Bout what it is ye make a clamour; | |||
| Go, thank your stars you drag a truck, | |||
| Or only wield a blacksmith's hammer. | |||