THE BROWNIES IN MARCH.

By streams that water far Cathay,

Or through Japan’s rich valleys stray,

Were introduced and formed aright

Upon that carpet soft and bright;

Now whirling round, now squatting low,

-Now bounding like the startled doe,
Until their heads came very near
To contact with the chandelier.
For Brownies have elastic toes,
As he who reads their history knows,
And not a rabbit of the plain,
Or acrobat who jumps for gain,

 

Or spry performers anywhere,

Can spring more lightly in the air.

Odd figures, that are only found

Where ice forever coats the ground

And veople wade around in snow,

And dances therefore must be slow,

Upon the programme found a place;

And thus with dignity and grace

The cunning Brownies took in hand

The dances of the frozen land.

Then came the barn-door jig, and reel,
And fling that tries the Highland heel,
The contra-dance, fandango too,

And ghost-dance of the painted Sioux.
All changing partners every set,

They bowed and scraped, and crossed and met,
And carried through in lively way

The figures of the present day.

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