ian seas,
The sirens sit, and _their_ glamour try--
Warm white bosoms press harps of gold,
The while Ulysses' ship sails by.
Fair are the forms the sailors see,
Sweet are the songs the sailors hear
And--cool and wary, shrewd and old,
The sirens' mothers are watching near,

Whispering counsel--"Fling back your hair,
It hides your shoulder." "Don't sing so fast!"
"Darling, _don't_ look at that fair young man,
Try that old fellow there by the mast,
_His_ arms are jewelled"--let it go!
Too bitter all this for an idle rhyme;
But sirens are kin of the gods, be sure,
And change but little with lapse of time.

PER ASPERA AD ASTRA.

A canvas-back duck, rarely roasted, between us,
A bottle of Chambertin, worthy of praise--
Less noble a wine at our _age_ would bemean us--
A salad of celery _en mayonnaise_,
With the oysters we've eaten, fresh, plump, and delicious,
Naught left of them now but a dream and the shells;
No better _souper_ e'en Lucullus could wish us--
Why, even our waiter regards us as swells.

Your dress is a marvel, your jewels show finely,
Your friends in the circle all envied your box;
You say Lilli Lehman sang quite too divinely--
I know I can't lose on that last deal in stocks.
Without waits our footman to call for our carriage--
Gad, how he must hate us, out there in the cold!--
We rode in a hack on the day of our marriage,
Number two forty-six--I was rolling in gold,

For I'd quite fifty dollars; and don't you remember
We drove down to Taylor's, a long cherished dream:
How grandly I ordered--just think, in December!--
Some cake, and two plates of vanilla ice-cream.
And how we enjoyed it! Your glance was the proudest
Among the proud beauties, your face the most fair;
I'm rather afraid, too, your laugh was the loudest;
I know we shocked every one--we didn't care.

Now we'd care a great deal--with two sons at college,
And daughters just out, whose sneers make you wince,
We've tasted the fruit of Society's knowledge--
I don't think we've quite enjoyed anything since.
All through, dear? Now, _don't_ wipe your mouth with the doily!
They're really not careful at all with their wine;
It wasn't half warmed--the salad was oily--
And I don't think the duck was r