Away went GILPIN neck or naught, Exclaiming, “Dash my wig! Oh, here’s a game, oh, here’s a go! A running such a rig!” A signal, hark!――the whistle screamed, Smash! went the windows all: “An accident!” cried out each one, As loud as he could bawl, Away went GILPIN, never mind, His brain seemed spinning round; Thought he, “This speed a killing pace Will prove, I’ll bet a pound!” And still, as stations they drew near, The whistle shrilly blew, And in a trice, past signal-men The train like lightning flew. Thus, all through merry Killbury, Without a stop shot they; But paused to ’scape a second smash, At Dedmanton so gay. At Dedmanton his loving wife, On platform waiting, spied Her tender husband, striving much To let himself outside, “Hallo! JOHN GILPIN, here we are―― Come out!” they all did cry; “To death with waiting we are tired!” “Guard!” shouted GILPIN, “Hi!” But no――the train was not a bit Arranged to tarry there, For why? because ’twas an Express, And did dispatches bear. So, in a second, off it flew Again, and dashed along, As if the deuce ’twere going to, With motive impulse strong. Away went GILPIN, on the breath Of puffing steam, until They came unto their journey’s end, Where they at last stood still. And then――best thing that he could do―― He book’d himself for Town; They stopped at every station up, Till he again got down Says GILPIN, “Sing, long live the Queen, And eke long life to me; And ere I’ll trust that line again; Myself I blest will see!” ANONYMOUS. From _Partron’s Collection of Humorous Poetry_. Boston, 1881. ―――― THE TRUE AND DIVERTING HISTORY OF TOM TUCKER. John Tucker was a broker bold, Of very great renown: A dab at putting bedsteads _up_, And pulling bedsteads _down_. A broker too in politics, Had words at his command, But, like his goods, his speeches are Retail’d at _second-hand_. (There are 16 verses in all of this, not very amusing, parody.) From “_The Argus_, or Record of Politics, etc.” Southampton, 1831. ―――― A long parody also appeared in _Edgbastonia_, June 1885. of which only a few verses need be quoted:―― A SECOND HOLIDAY FOR JOHN GILPIN; _Or, a voyage to Vauxhall, where tho’ he had better luck than before, he was far from being contented._ John Gilpin was a citizen Of credit and renown, A common councilman was he, Of famous London Town. Most folks had heard of Gilpin’s fame, And of the race he won, When he on horseback did set out All unto Edmonton And never since that luckless time Which gave him such dismay, For ten whole years, had he and spouse, Enjoyed a holiday.