After The Holidays

The pay Christmas-time it is eiided, The Holiday course has been ruu, And, while no oft'euse ia intended To any particular oue, I wiah to make one obeerratinn, And thtii, like the seaeon, I'm doce. To The aucient and hon'rable oimtom Of giving gíftfi tmce in the year - Provided, of courao, it don't bust 'cm - All people Bhould utrive to adhere ; And ii they ran give but a triflp, öive that with a slice of good-cheer ! Yof, while we would show our expreseion Of love or esteem for a friend, A proper amount of disoretion Iu chooBing the token nitght tend To add to the pleasure of getting The littlo or mxicli we expend. It chanced this particular peason I ik i-ded Home slipperB right bad, And hint ad the eame for tnat reason On every occasion I had ; And now I am of the conTiction I must at the time have been niad ! FirBt Nellie, my cousíd, inquirid Wbnt number my boot was ; and when I told her I thought I aBpired To altitudes cloae pon ten, She looked tyxupathiziugly at m And Baid, " Is it possible, Ben ? " And the very next day Arabella Propounded the query likewise - And Flora aud Dora aud Klia All wanted to find out my " aize ;" And the veiling I called on Aliila öhe meaaured my fout with her eyes ! Well, Cbristmas Day dawiied,and the dawming Was tiiled with bright visions, you know, And I opened my eyep, after yawning, And glanced at the carpet below- And six pain of ñlippert wtre lying Soletnnly there in a row I Six pairs of slippers ! Great heavens ! Wroht with a Rkill superfine - EangiDg from eights to elevena - Kich und umque In design ; Aud a dozen they made all together, And all of the dozen were mine ! I tried to look pleased and contented- For that was the bost I could do ; I took 'em all up aud commented On the beauties presented to view, And I suid ihr-y were just what I wanted ! " And " twelve is bettcr than two ! " But I locked three pairs in my cloeet, And oiie Ihave lent to St. Clair, And ene - I wonder whose was it ? I gave to the Chanty Fair! And tbe well, those are elevena, And thoee are the ones I shall wear ! And while I'm extendin my " flipperi " In gratitude deep aud sincere, I wish to remark that twelve slippers Are rather too niany to steer ; And I take this occasion for Rtatlng That I shan't expect any next year.