XXIV.THAT OF THE FAIRY GRANDMOTHER AND THECOMPANY PROMOTER.

A Company Promoter was Septimus Sharpe,And the subject is he of this ditty;He'd his name—nothing more—Painted on the glass doorOf an office high up on the toppermost floorOf a house in Throgmorton Street, City.The Companies which he had promoted, so far,Had not—so to speak,—been successes.As a matter of fact,He had often to actIn a manner requiring considerable tactTo—financially—keep out of messes.One day there appeared—Sharpe could never tell how,—In a costume unusually airy,A young lady. "Dear me!How surprising!" said he."Now, who upon earth can this young person be?Is it possible? Why!it's a Fairy!""You are right, Septimus," said the Fairy—"quite right,For, in fact, I'm your Fairy Grandmother!"Sharpe had to confess,"I already possessTwo grandmothers. But," said he, "nevertheless,Inyourcase, I will welcome another.

A Company Promoter was Septimus Sharpe,

And the subject is he of this ditty;

He'd his name—nothing more—

Painted on the glass door

Of an office high up on the toppermost floor

Of a house in Throgmorton Street, City.

The Companies which he had promoted, so far,Had not—so to speak,—been successes.As a matter of fact,He had often to actIn a manner requiring considerable tactTo—financially—keep out of messes.

The Companies which he had promoted, so far,

Had not—so to speak,—been successes.

As a matter of fact,

He had often to act

In a manner requiring considerable tact

To—financially—keep out of messes.

One day there appeared—Sharpe could never tell how,—In a costume unusually airy,A young lady. "Dear me!How surprising!" said he."Now, who upon earth can this young person be?Is it possible? Why!it's a Fairy!"

One day there appeared—Sharpe could never tell how,—

In a costume unusually airy,

A young lady. "Dear me!

How surprising!" said he.

"Now, who upon earth can this young person be?

Is it possible? Why!it's a Fairy!"

"You are right, Septimus," said the Fairy—"quite right,For, in fact, I'm your Fairy Grandmother!"Sharpe had to confess,"I already possessTwo grandmothers. But," said he, "nevertheless,Inyourcase, I will welcome another.

"You are right, Septimus," said the Fairy—"quite right,

For, in fact, I'm your Fairy Grandmother!"

Sharpe had to confess,

"I already possess

Two grandmothers. But," said he, "nevertheless,

Inyourcase, I will welcome another.

"Especially if, Fairy Grandmother dear,Your intentions are—pardon me,—golden.I'll be pleased, if my till—Or my coffers—you'll fill,As,—like a good fairy,—I've no doubt you will;Thento you I'll be greatly beholden."The Fairy she smiled, as, quite sweetly, she said:"You're mistaken, my dear young relation.There's no fairy displaysIn these up-to-date days,Her powers insuchcrude and old-fashioned ways—No! I bring youAn Imagination."But exerciseIt, and you quickly will findFrom your pathway all troubles are banished!"She waved a small wand,With a look sad yet fond,Then, into the far and the distant "beyond"Sharpe's good Grandmother suddenly vanished.The spell she had cast very quickly beganIn his brain to engender a vision.HeimaginedaMineFilled with gold, pure and fine,And a lovelyProspectusbegan to designEvery item worked out with precision.HeimaginedBig Dividends; profits galore;And someDukesheimaginedDirectors.And "thePublicshould share,"He went on to declare,"In such wealth as should cause the whole nation to stare."There wereThousands—in Shares—for Projectors.Then he went onimaginingmine after mine,With Prospectuses most high-faluting.And thePublictheyfoughtFor the Shares he had broughtTo the Market (they "safer than houses" were thought);And each day some new Company was mooting.* * *

"Especially if, Fairy Grandmother dear,

Your intentions are—pardon me,—golden.

I'll be pleased, if my till—

Or my coffers—you'll fill,

As,—like a good fairy,—I've no doubt you will;

Thento you I'll be greatly beholden."

The Fairy she smiled, as, quite sweetly, she said:"You're mistaken, my dear young relation.There's no fairy displaysIn these up-to-date days,Her powers insuchcrude and old-fashioned ways—No! I bring youAn Imagination.

The Fairy she smiled, as, quite sweetly, she said:

"You're mistaken, my dear young relation.

There's no fairy displays

In these up-to-date days,

Her powers insuchcrude and old-fashioned ways—

No! I bring youAn Imagination.

"But exerciseIt, and you quickly will findFrom your pathway all troubles are banished!"She waved a small wand,With a look sad yet fond,Then, into the far and the distant "beyond"Sharpe's good Grandmother suddenly vanished.

"But exerciseIt, and you quickly will find

From your pathway all troubles are banished!"

She waved a small wand,

With a look sad yet fond,

Then, into the far and the distant "beyond"

Sharpe's good Grandmother suddenly vanished.

The spell she had cast very quickly beganIn his brain to engender a vision.HeimaginedaMineFilled with gold, pure and fine,And a lovelyProspectusbegan to designEvery item worked out with precision.

The spell she had cast very quickly began

In his brain to engender a vision.

HeimaginedaMine

Filled with gold, pure and fine,

And a lovelyProspectusbegan to design

Every item worked out with precision.

HeimaginedBig Dividends; profits galore;And someDukesheimaginedDirectors.And "thePublicshould share,"He went on to declare,"In such wealth as should cause the whole nation to stare."There wereThousands—in Shares—for Projectors.

HeimaginedBig Dividends; profits galore;

And someDukesheimaginedDirectors.

And "thePublicshould share,"

He went on to declare,

"In such wealth as should cause the whole nation to stare."

There wereThousands—in Shares—for Projectors.

Then he went onimaginingmine after mine,With Prospectuses most high-faluting.And thePublictheyfoughtFor the Shares he had broughtTo the Market (they "safer than houses" were thought);And each day some new Company was mooting.

Then he went onimaginingmine after mine,

With Prospectuses most high-faluting.

And thePublictheyfought

For the Shares he had brought

To the Market (they "safer than houses" were thought);

And each day some new Company was mooting.

* * *

(Extra Special.)

That he grew passing rich is a matter of course.All his wealth to his wife he made over.* * *There has been a great smash;Company's gone with a crash.Gone also, I hear, has the shareholders' cash.But,Septimus Sharpe—he'sin clover.

That he grew passing rich is a matter of course.All his wealth to his wife he made over.

That he grew passing rich is a matter of course.

All his wealth to his wife he made over.

* * *

There has been a great smash;Company's gone with a crash.Gone also, I hear, has the shareholders' cash.But,Septimus Sharpe—he'sin clover.

There has been a great smash;

Company's gone with a crash.

Gone also, I hear, has the shareholders' cash.

But,Septimus Sharpe—he'sin clover.

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