42 SELECT POETRY

Damask Ross on the lawn had a table-cloth spread,

The Fisesn Pxiant provided the dish at the head,

And CornsorTrre furnished the table with bread.

Housewife Burrercur sent a supply from her
Churn ;

The SNowpropP iced dews in a white Crocus urn;

And Canpy Turt, skilled in the art of preserving,

A splendid dessert had the honour of serving.

Rosz Buraunpy, vintner, the goblet supplied

With neat' foreign wines, and made? cowslip be-
side ;

CaMPANULa cups, filled with gentle spring rain,

Were served to the ladies who wished for it plain.

And all was so elegant, splendid, and rare,

That I could not name half the fine things that
were there.

When jinished, Snap-pRaGons produced a good
joke,

And Rockets went up to amuse the young folk.

In return for past favours, a band of young bees

Hummed a midsummer tune through the neigh-
bouring trees;

And linnet and lark, as by accident, met

And surprised the young pair with a charming duet,

And now mirth and revelry were at their height,

The little ones crept to the shade in affright;

The ladies had danced in the heat of the sun,

Till their dresses were limp and their spirits outdone;

And Flora, who witnessed the scene with concern,

Beckoned forward to Vesper,’ to empty her urn.

1 Neat-—pure, 2 Maide—that is, home-made.
* fesper—the evening star--evening itself.