(I'll tell you, if you care to ask, That Peter was his name.) "Come, walk like this," the dancer said; "Stick out your toes—stick in your head, Stalk on with quick, galvanic tread— Your fingers thus extend; The attitude's considered quaint." The weary bishop, feeling faint, Replied, "I do not say it ain't, But 'Time!' my Christian friend!" "We now proceed to something new: Dance as the Paynes and Lauris do, Like this—one, two—one, two—one, two." The bishop, never proud, But in an overwhelming heat (His name was Peter, I repeat) Performed the Payne and Lauri feat, And puffed his thanks aloud. Another game the dancer planned: "Just take your ankle in your hand, And try, my lord, if you can stand— Your body stiff and stark. If when revisiting your see You learnt to hop on shore, like me, The novelty would striking be, And must attract remark." [Pg 6341] "No," said the worthy bishop, "no; That is a length to which, I trow, Colonial bishops cannot go. You may express surprise At finding bishops deal in pride— But if that trick I ever tried, I should appear undignified In Rum-ti-Foozle's eyes. "The islanders of Rum-ti-Foo Are well-conducted persons, who Approve a joke as much as you, And laugh at it as such; But if they saw their bishop land, His leg supported in his hand, The joke they wouldn't understand— 'Twould pain them very much!" GENTLE ALICE BROWN It was a robber's daughter, and her name was Alice Brown; Her father was the terror of a small Italian town; Her mother was a foolish, weak, but amiable old thing: But it isn't of her parents that I'm going for to sing. As Alice was a-sitting at her window-sill one day, A beautiful young gentleman he chanced to pass that way; She cast her eyes upon him, and he looked so good and true, That she thought, "I could be happy with a gentleman like you!" And every morning passed her house that cream of gentlemen; She knew she might expect him at a quarter unto ten; A sorter in the Custom-house, it was his daily road (The Custom-house was fifteen minutes' walk from her abode). But Alice was a pious girl, who knew it wasn't wise To look at strange young sorters with expressive purple eyes; So she sought the village priest to whom her family confessed, The priest by whom their little sins were carefully assessed. "O holy father," Alice said, "'twould grieve you, would it not, To discover that I was a most disreputable lot? Of all unhappy sinners I'm the most unhappy one!" The padre said, "Whatever have you been and gone and done?" [Pg 6342] "I have helped mamma to steal a little kiddy from its dad, I've assisted dear papa in cutting up a little lad, I've planned a little burglary and forged a little cheque, And slain a little baby for the coral on its neck!" The worthy pastor heaved a sigh, and dropped a silent tear, And said, "You mustn't judge yourself too heavily, my dear: