BECAUSE.
“Now, John,” the district teacher says,With frown that scarce can hideThe dimpling smiles around her mouthWhere Cupid’s hosts abide;“What have you done to Mary Ann,That she is crying so?Don’t say ’twas nothing,—don’t, I say,For, John, that can’t be so.“For Mary Ann would never cryAt nothing, I am sure;And if you’ve wounded justice, John,You know the only cureIs punishment. So come, stand up;Transgressions must abideThe pain attendant on the schemeThat makes it justified.”So John steps forth, with sunburnt faceAnd hair all in a tumble,His laughing eyes a contrast toHis drooping mouth so humble.“Now, Mary, you must tell me all,—I see that John will not,—And if he’s been unkind or rudeI’ll whip him on the spot.”“We—we were playin’ p-prisoners’ base,An’ h-he is s-such a t-tease,An’ w-when I w-wasn’t l-lookin’, ma’am,H-he kissed me—if you please!”Upon the teacher’s face the smilesHave triumphed o’er the frown,A pleasant thought runs through her mind,The stick comes harmless down.But outraged law must be avenged:Begone, ye smiles, begone!Away, ye little dreams of love!Come on, ye frowns, come on!“I think I’ll have to whip you, John:Such conduct breaks the rule;No boy, except a naughty one,Would kiss a girl—at school.”Again the teacher’s rod is raised,A Nemesis she stands:A premium were put on sin,If punished by such hands!As when the bee explores the roseWe see the petals tremble,So trembled Mary’s rosebud lips;Her heart would not dissemble.“I wouldn’t whip him very hard,”—The stick stops in its fall,“It wasn’t right to do it, butIt didn’t hurt at all.”“What made you cry, then, Mary Ann?”The school noise makes a pause,And out upon the listening airFrom Mary comes, “Because.”Boston Transcript.
“Now, John,” the district teacher says,With frown that scarce can hideThe dimpling smiles around her mouthWhere Cupid’s hosts abide;“What have you done to Mary Ann,That she is crying so?Don’t say ’twas nothing,—don’t, I say,For, John, that can’t be so.“For Mary Ann would never cryAt nothing, I am sure;And if you’ve wounded justice, John,You know the only cureIs punishment. So come, stand up;Transgressions must abideThe pain attendant on the schemeThat makes it justified.”So John steps forth, with sunburnt faceAnd hair all in a tumble,His laughing eyes a contrast toHis drooping mouth so humble.“Now, Mary, you must tell me all,—I see that John will not,—And if he’s been unkind or rudeI’ll whip him on the spot.”“We—we were playin’ p-prisoners’ base,An’ h-he is s-such a t-tease,An’ w-when I w-wasn’t l-lookin’, ma’am,H-he kissed me—if you please!”Upon the teacher’s face the smilesHave triumphed o’er the frown,A pleasant thought runs through her mind,The stick comes harmless down.But outraged law must be avenged:Begone, ye smiles, begone!Away, ye little dreams of love!Come on, ye frowns, come on!“I think I’ll have to whip you, John:Such conduct breaks the rule;No boy, except a naughty one,Would kiss a girl—at school.”Again the teacher’s rod is raised,A Nemesis she stands:A premium were put on sin,If punished by such hands!As when the bee explores the roseWe see the petals tremble,So trembled Mary’s rosebud lips;Her heart would not dissemble.“I wouldn’t whip him very hard,”—The stick stops in its fall,“It wasn’t right to do it, butIt didn’t hurt at all.”“What made you cry, then, Mary Ann?”The school noise makes a pause,And out upon the listening airFrom Mary comes, “Because.”Boston Transcript.
“Now, John,” the district teacher says,With frown that scarce can hideThe dimpling smiles around her mouthWhere Cupid’s hosts abide;“What have you done to Mary Ann,That she is crying so?Don’t say ’twas nothing,—don’t, I say,For, John, that can’t be so.
“For Mary Ann would never cryAt nothing, I am sure;And if you’ve wounded justice, John,You know the only cure
Is punishment. So come, stand up;Transgressions must abideThe pain attendant on the schemeThat makes it justified.”
So John steps forth, with sunburnt faceAnd hair all in a tumble,His laughing eyes a contrast toHis drooping mouth so humble.“Now, Mary, you must tell me all,—I see that John will not,—And if he’s been unkind or rudeI’ll whip him on the spot.”
“We—we were playin’ p-prisoners’ base,An’ h-he is s-such a t-tease,An’ w-when I w-wasn’t l-lookin’, ma’am,H-he kissed me—if you please!”Upon the teacher’s face the smilesHave triumphed o’er the frown,A pleasant thought runs through her mind,The stick comes harmless down.
But outraged law must be avenged:Begone, ye smiles, begone!Away, ye little dreams of love!Come on, ye frowns, come on!“I think I’ll have to whip you, John:Such conduct breaks the rule;No boy, except a naughty one,Would kiss a girl—at school.”
Again the teacher’s rod is raised,A Nemesis she stands:A premium were put on sin,If punished by such hands!As when the bee explores the roseWe see the petals tremble,So trembled Mary’s rosebud lips;Her heart would not dissemble.
“I wouldn’t whip him very hard,”—The stick stops in its fall,“It wasn’t right to do it, butIt didn’t hurt at all.”“What made you cry, then, Mary Ann?”The school noise makes a pause,And out upon the listening airFrom Mary comes, “Because.”Boston Transcript.