THE STORY OF CATSKIN. THERE once was a gentleman grand, Who lived at his country seat; He wanted an heir to his land, His lady's again in the way, So she said to her husband with joy, "I hope some or other fine day, To present you, my dear, with a boy." The gentleman answered gruff, "If 't should turn out a maid or a mouse, For of both we have more than enough, The lady, at this declaration, She sent her away to be nurs'd, Fifteen summers are fled, Now she left good Mrs. Jervis ; To see home she was forbid, She determined to go and seek service. Her dresses so grand and so gay, She knock'd at a castle gate, They sent her some meat on a plate, My lady look'd long in her face, So Catskin was under the cook, And broke poor Catskin's head. There is now a grand ball to be, "You go with your Catskin robe, A basin of water she took, And dash'd in poor Catskin's face; But briskly her ears she shook, And went to her hiding-place. She washed every stain from her skin, Then put on a beautiful dress, When she entered, the ladies were mute, He pray'd her his partner to be, She said, "Yes!" with a sweet smiling glance; All night with no other lady 66 But Catskin, our young lord would dance. Pray tell me, fair maid, where you live?" For now was the sad parting time; But she no other answer would give, Than this distich of mystical rhyme,— Kind Sir, if the truth I must tell, At the sign of the Basin of Water F dwell. Then she flew from the ball-room, and put On her Catskin robe again; And slipt in unseen by the cook, Who little thought where she had been. The young lord, the very next day, He declared he never would rest, Till he'd found out this beautiful maid. There's another grand ball to be, "You go with your Catskin robe, In a rage the ladle she took, And broke poor Catskin's head But off she went shaking her ears, And swift to her forest she fled. She washed every blood-stain off My lord, at the ball-room door, When he asked her to dance, she again |