Brownies: Their Book

<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</SPAN></span></p> <div class='center'> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="poem and drawing"> <tr><td align='left'><ANTIMG src="images/i120a.png" width-obs="188" height-obs="190" alt="Bird falling" title="" /> </td><td align='left'>To learn if all had held their grip<br/> And kept aboard throughout the trip.<br/> "And now," said one, "that all are o'er<br/> In safety to our native shore,<br/> You see, so wasted is the night,<br/> Orion's belt is out of sight;<br/> And ere the lamp of Venus fades<br/> We all must reach the forest shades.<br/></td></tr> </table></div> <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <h2>THE BROWNIES' SINGING-SCHOOL.</h2> <div class='center'> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="poem and drawing"> <tr><td align='left' valign='top'><ANTIMG src="images/i120b-a.png" width-obs="86" height-obs="96" alt="A" title="" /> </td><td align='left'>s mists of evening deeper grew,<br/> The Brownies 'round a comrade drew,<br/> An interesting tale to hear<br/> About a village lying near.<br/> <span style="margin-left: 4em;">"Last night," said he, "I heard arise</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 4em;">From many throats discordant cries.</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 4em;">At once I followed up the sound,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 4em;">And soon, to my amazement, found</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 4em;">It issued from a building small</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 4em;">That answered for the county hall.</span><br/> </td></tr> </table></div> <div class='poem8'> "I listened there around the door,<br/> By village time, an hour or more;<br/> Until I learned beyond a doubt<br/> <span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</SPAN></span>A singing-school caused all the rout.<br/></div> <div class='poem'>Some, like the hound, would keep ahead,<br/> And others seemed to lag instead.<br/> Some singers, struggling with the tune,<br/> Outscreamed the frightened northern loon.<br/> Some mocked the pinched or wheezing cry<br/> Of locusts when the wheat is nigh,<br/></div> <div class='center'> <table class="grumbling" summary="grumbling"> <tr><td align='left'><div class='poem4'> While grumbling bassos shamed the strain<br/> Of bull-frogs calling down the rain."<br/> <br/> The Brownies labor heart and hand<br/> All mysteries to understand;<br/> And if you think those Brownies bold<br/> Received the news so plainly told,<br/> And thought no more about the place,<br/> You're not familiar with the race.<br/></div> <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/></td></tr> </table></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</SPAN></span></p> <div class='poem'> When scholars next their voices tried,<br/> The Brownies came from every side;<br/> With ears to knot-holes in the wall,<br/> To door-jambs, thresholds, blinds, and all,<br/></div> <div class='center'> <table class="scholars" summary="scholars"> <tr><td align='left'><br/> <span style="margin-left: 18em;">They listened to the jarring din</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 18em;">Proceeding from the room within.</span><br/> <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/></td></tr> </table></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</SPAN></span></p> <div class='poem'> Said one at length, "It seems to me<br/> The master here will earn his fee,<br/> If he from such a crowd can bring<br/> A single person trained to sing."<br/> Another said, "We'll let them try<br/> Their voices till their throats are dry,<br/> And when for home they all depart,<br/> We'll not be slow to test our art."<br/> <br/> That night the Brownies cheered to find<br/> The music had been left behind;<br/> And when they stood within the hall,<br/> And books were handed 'round to all,<br/> They pitched their voices, weak or strong,<br/> At solemn verse and lighter song.<br/></div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i123.png" width-obs="500" height-obs="151" alt="John-ny Mor-gan play&#39;d the organ, The father beat the drum, The sis-ter play&#39;d the tam-bou-rine." title="" /></div> <div class='poem'> Some sought a good old hymn to try;<br/> Some grappled with a lullaby;<br/> A few a painful effort made<br/> To struggle through a serenade;<br/> While more preferred the lively air<br/> That, hinting less of love or care,<br/> Possessed a chorus kind and bright<br/> In which they all could well unite.<br/> At times some member tried to rule,<br/> <span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</SPAN></span>And took control of all the school;<br/> But soon, despairing, was content<br/> To let them follow out their bent.<br/> <br/> They sung both high and low, the same,<br/> As fancy led or courage came.<br/></div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i124.png" width-obs="508" height-obs="496" alt="Singing school" title="" /></div> <div class='poem'> Some droned the tune through teeth or nose,<br/> Some piped like quail, or cawed like crows<br/> That, hungry, wait the noonday horn<br/> <span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</SPAN></span>To call the farmer from his corn.<br/> By turns at windows some would stay<br/> To note the signs of coming day.<br/> At length the morning, rising, spread<br/> Along the coast her streaks of red,<br/> And drove the Brownies from the place<br/> To undertake the homeward race.<br/> <br/> But many members of the band<br/> Still kept their singing-books in hand,<br/> Determined not with those to part<br/> Till they were perfect in the art.<br/> And oft in leafy forest shade,<br/> In after times, a ring they made,<br/> To pitch the tune, and raise the voice,<br/> To sing the verses of their choice,<br/> And scare from branches overhead<br/> The speckled thrush and robin red,<br/> And make them feel the time had come<br/> When singing birds might well be dumb.<br/></div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i125.png" width-obs="108" height-obs="87" alt="Fallen down with books" title="" /></div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />