The Romance Of The Carpet

B&sklng in peacf in the warm spring sun, South Sill smiled upon Burlington. The brcath of May ! and the day was fair, And the bright motes danced in the balmy air; And the lunlight gleamed where the restless breeiie Kissed the fragrant bloom on the apple trees. His beardless eheek with a smile was spanned As he stood with a earriage whip in his hand: And he laughed as he doffed his bob-tailed coat, And the echoing folds of the carpet smote ; And she smiled as she leaned on her busy mop, And she said she would teil him when to stop. So he pounded away till the dinner bell Gave him a Iittle breathing spell ; But he sighed when the kitchen clock struck one, And she baid the carpet waên't done. But he lovingly put In his biggest licks. And pounded likc mad tUl the clock struck six; And she satd, in a dubious kind of way, That she guessed he could finish it up next day. Then all that day and the next day, too, The furze from the dirtless carpet flew. And she'd gire it a look at eventide, Andsay "Now bet on the othcr side;" And the new davs caine as the old days went, And the landloril came tor bis regular rent, Aud tbe neigtibors laugned at the tirele66 broom, And hi face was shadowed wlth clouds of gloom, TUI at last one cheerless winter day, He kieked at thi carpet and sltü away Over the fence and down the street, Speedlng away wlth footsteps fluet. Aud neTcr again the moming gold Smiled at him be&ting his folil on fold, And South HUI often sald with a yawn, "Where has the carpet martyr goue!" ïears twice twenty bal come and passcd, And the carpet swayed in the autuuin blast, For never yet since that spring so fine Had it erer been takes down from the lino. Over the fence a gray-haired man To clime clome, clem, clum, clamb began. He found hliu a stick in the old wood pile And he gathered it up with a sad, grim smile. A flush passed over his lace forlorn As he gazed at the carpet tattered and torn. And he hit it .. mostresoundiug whack, TUI the startled air gave uin echoes back. And out of the window a white face leaned, And a palsied hand tbe palc face screened. Stii' knew his face, she gasped and sighed, "A llttle mere on the under side." Rlglit. down on the ground his stick he throwed, And he ehivered and said, "WeU, I am blowed!" And he turned away with a heart f uil sore, And 1 e ncrer, no never, was seen there more.