Slovenly Betsy

<h2>THE DREADFUL STORY OF PAULINE AND THE MATCHES</h2> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0"><span class="f1">M</span>amma and Nurse went out one day,<br/></span> <span class="i0">And left Pauline alone at play;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Around the room she gayly sprang,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Clapp'd her hands, and danced, and sang.<br/></span> <span class="i0">Now, on the table close at hand,<br/></span> <span class="i0">A box of matches chanced to stand,<br/></span> <span class="i0">And kind Mamma and Nurse had told her,<br/></span> <span class="i0">That if she touched them they would scold her.<br/></span> <span class="i0">But Pauline said, &#8220;Oh, what a pity!<br/></span> <span class="i0">For when they burn it is so pretty;<br/></span> <span class="i0">They crackle so, and spit, and flame;<br/></span> <span class="i0">And Mamma often burns the same.<br/></span> <span class="i0">I'll only light a match or two<br/></span> <span class="i0">As I have often seen my mother do.&#8221;<br/></span></div> </div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/image_21.jpg" width-obs="450" height-obs="637" alt="Illustration" /></div> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">When Minz and Maunz, the cats, heard this,<br/></span> <span class="i0">They said, &#8220;Oh, naughty, naughty Miss.<br/></span> <span class="i0">Me-ow!&#8221; they cried, &#8220;Me-ow, me-o,<br/></span> <span class="i0">You'll burn to death, if you do so.<br/></span> <span class="i0">Mamma forbids it, don't you know?&#8221;<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">But Pauline would not take advice,<br/></span> <span class="i0">She lit a match, it was so nice!<br/></span> <span class="i0">It crackled so, it burned so clear,&mdash;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Exactly like the picture here.<br/></span> <span class="i0">She jumped for joy and ran about,<br/></span> <span class="i0">And was too pleased to put it out.<br/></span></div> </div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/image_23.jpg" width-obs="450" height-obs="650" alt="Illustration" /></div> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">When Minz and Maunz, the cats, saw this,<br/></span> <span class="i0">They said, &#8220;Oh, naughty, naughty Miss!&#8221;<br/></span> <span class="i0">And rais'd their paws<br/></span> <span class="i0">And stretch'd their claws;<br/></span> <span class="i0">&#8220;'Tis very, very wrong, you know;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Me-ow, me-o, me-ow, me-o!<br/></span> <span class="i0">You will be burnt if you do so.<br/></span> <span class="i0">Mamma forbids it, don't you know?&#8221;<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Now see! oh, see! a dreadful thing!<br/></span> <span class="i0">The fire has caught her apron string:<br/></span> <span class="i0">Her apron burns, her arms, her hair;<br/></span> <span class="i0">She burns all over, everywhere.<br/></span></div> </div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/image_25.jpg" width-obs="450" height-obs="638" alt="Illustration" /></div> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Then how the pussy cats did mew,<br/></span> <span class="i0">What else, poor pussies, could they do?<br/></span> <span class="i0">They screamed for help, 'twas all in vain,<br/></span> <span class="i0">So then they said, &#8220;We'll scream again.<br/></span> <span class="i0">Make haste, make haste! Me-ow! me-o!<br/></span> <span class="i0">She'll burn to death&mdash;we told her so.&#8221;<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Pauline was burnt with all her clothes,<br/></span> <span class="i0">And arms and hands, and eyes and nose;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Till she had nothing more to lose<br/></span> <span class="i0">Except her little scarlet shoes;<br/></span> <span class="i0">And nothing else but these was found<br/></span> <span class="i0">Among her ashes on the ground.<br/></span> <span class="i0">And when the good cats sat beside<br/></span> <span class="i0">The smoking ashes, how they cried,<br/></span> <span class="i0">&#8220;Me-ow, me-o! Me-ow, me-oo!<br/></span> <span class="i0">What will Mamma and Nursey do?&#8221;<br/></span> <span class="i0">Their tears ran down their cheeks so fast<br/></span> <span class="i0">They made a little pond at last.<br/></span></div> </div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/image_27.jpg" width-obs="450" height-obs="641" alt="Illustration" /></div> <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />