Читать книгу Terrible Tractoration, and Other Poems онлайн

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Left foot foremost, forward march!

Our spunk is up, our prowess ample

On anti-union rogues to trample.

Ourself will lead the ladies’ army on,

Charge at its head like Scott’s brave Marmion;

You fight as angels fought before

In heaven, so Milton says, of yore.

The swart south shivers like a leaf,

M’Stuffie shoots himself for grief

At finding all resistance vain,

As battling with a hurricane.

We hold in utter execration

What ’s styled the Temperance Reformation.

To live without good alcohol

Is tantamount to tol-de-rol;—

For nine tenths of our doctors’ fees

From Bacchanalian devotees

And votaries of Sir Richard Rum

Have ever, and will ever come.

Incipient inebriation

From vinous alcoholization

Is indispensable now-a-days

To make our patriotism blaze.

Dinner harangues would be so so,

Stump oratory would not go

If wine and whiskey did not aid

The speechifying and parade.

And where’s the patriot, who boasts

Of excellent cold water toasts?

If such things were, and had some merit,

They must be destitute of spirit.