The GHOST, the GALLANT, the GAEL, & the GOBLIN

'ER unreclaimed suburban clays
Some years ago were hobblin'

An eiderly ghost of easy ways,
And an influential goblin.

The ghost was a sombre spectral shape,
A fine old five-act fogy,

The goblin imp, a lithe young ape,

A fine low-comedy bogy.

And as they exercised their joints,
Promoting quick digestion,

They talked on

several curious
points,

And raised

this delicate

question :

"Which of us

two is Number

One

The ghostie, or the
goblin?"

And o'er the point they raised in fun

They fairly fell a-squabblin'.

They'd barely speak, and each, in fine,
Grew more and more reflective,
Each thought his own particular line
By chalks the more effective.
At length they settled some one should
By each of them be haunted,
And so arrange that either could
Exert his prowess vaunted.

"The Quaint against the Statuesque" —
By competition lawful-

The goblin backed the Quaint Grotesque,
The ghost the Grandly Awful.

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66

Now," said the goblin, here's my
plan

In attitude commanding,
I see a stalwart Englishman
By yonder tailor's standing.

"The very fittest man on earth
My influence to try on

Of gentle, p'r'aps of noble birth,
And dauntless as a lion!

Now wrap yourself within your shroud
Remain in easy hearing

Observe

- you'll hear him scream aloud

When I begin appearing!"

His dauntless victim looked and smiled
With singular composure.

For hours he tried to daunt the youth,
For days, indeed, but vainly

For weeks the stripling stood and smiled
Unmoved and all undaunted.

The sombre ghost exclaimed, "Your plan
Has failed you, goblin, plainly:
Now watch yon hardy Hieland man,
So stalwart and ungainly."

"These are the men who chase the roe,
Whose footsteps never falter,
Who bring with them, where'er they go,
A smack of old SIR WALTER.

Of such as he, the men sublime

Who lead their troops victorious, Whose deeds go down to after-time Enshrined in annals glorious!

"Of such as he the bard has said

Hech thrawfu' raltie rorkie !

Wi' thecht ta' croonie clapperhead

And fash' wi' unco pawkie !'

He'll faint

away

when I appear

Upon his native heather;

Or p'r'aps he 'll only scream with fear,
Or p'r'aps the two together."

The spectre showed himself, alone,
To do his ghostly battling,
With curdling

groan and dismal

Withstood all

ghostly harrying,

His fingers closed upon the snuff

Which upwards he was carrying.

For days that ghost declined to stir,
A foggy, shapeless giant-
For weeks that splendid officer
Stared back again defiant!
Just as the Englishman returned
The goblin's vulgar staring,
Just so the Scotchman boldly spurned
The ghost's unmannered scaring.

For several years the ghostly twain
These Britons bold have haunted,

But all their efforts are in vain,

Their victims stand undaunted.

This very day the imp, and ghost,
Whose powers the imp derided,
Stand each at his allotted post
The bet is undecided.