For the wheels were just as strong as the thills, First of November, 'Fifty-five! ― Huddup!" said the parson.-Off went they. The parson was working his Sunday's text,— Had got to fifthly, and stopped perplexed At what the Moses was coming next. All at once the horse stood still, Close by the meet'n'-house on the hill. -First a shiver, and then a thrill, Then something decidedly like a spill, And the parson was sitting upon a rock, At half-past nine by the meet'n'-house clock. — Just the hour of the Earthquake shock! -What do you think the parson found, When he got up and stared around? The poor old chaise in a heap or mound, As if it had been to the mill and ground. 1 encore, French for again; here equivalent to also. 2 takes a drive. Note the historical present. Give other examples. You see, of course, if you're not a dunce,1 Just as bubbles do when they burst.2 End of the wonderful one-hoss shay. [The following pleasant reference to this poem is made by Whittier in an essay on Holmes's poetry: "That unique compound of humor and pathos, The Last Leaf, shows that Holmes possesses power, — the power of touching the deeper chords of the heart, and of calling forth tears as well as smiles." Then, quoting the third and fourth stanzas, he asks, "Who does not feel the power of this simple picture of the old man?"] And the names he loved to hear My grandmamma has said Poor old lady, she is dead Long ago That he had a Roman nose, And his cheek was like a rose3 In the snow. But now his nose is thin, And it rests upon his chin the crier: that is, the town- | Note the fine effect of the alliteracrier of olden times. tion. 2 The mossy marbles... tomb. 3 like a rose, etc. What figure? And a crook is in his back, And a melancholy crack I know it is a sin For me to sit and grin But the old three-cornered hat, And if I should live to be Let them smile, as I do now, 6. "THE BOYS." [This brilliantly sparkling poem commemorates a festal meeting of the Harvard class to which Dr. Holmes belonged (the class of 1829), long after the graduates had ceased to be "boys," in which condition, however, the poet insists on keeping them. The sly humor and drollery of the piece will be readily appreciated.] HAS there any old fellow got mixed with the boys? If there has, take him out, without making a noise. Hang the Almanac's cheat and the Catalogue's spite!1 Old Time2 is a liar! We're twenty to-night! 1 the Catalogue's spite: that is, the telltale college catalogue which records the birth-date of the graduates. 3 2 Time. Note the personification. What suffix in "liar"? 3 twenty: that is, twenty years of age. We're twenty! We're twenty! Who says we are more? He's tipsy, young jackanapes!1-show him the door! "Gray temples at twenty?"—Yes! white if we please: Where the snowflakes falls thickest, there's nothing can freeze! Was it snowing I spoke of? Excuse the mistake! 2 We've a trick, we young fellows, you may have been told, Of talking (in public) as if we were old: That boy we call "Doctor," and this we call "Judge;" It's a neat little fiction, - of course it's all fudge.3 That fellow's the "Speaker," the one on the right; "Mr. Mayor," my young one, how are you to-night? That's our "Member of Congress," we say when we chaff; 4 There's the "Reverend" What's his name?-don't make me laugh. That boy with the grave mathematical look 1 jackanapes (from jack, a saucy 3 fudge (colloquialism), a made chap, and ape), an impertinent fel-up story; nonsense. low. 2 these are white roses. plain. 4 chaff (a corruption of the verb. Ex- to chafe, to vex), to make fun of, or ridicule, by light idle language. |