The girl ran out of the two pair back, and down the stairs she ran, With shouts, as she took three steps at a time, "The lodger has kicked the can! Mother, O mother, we've lost the rent, the lodger has kicked the can! It's just what you said of the two pair back, he's gone an he's kicked the can!" [Decoration] [Illustration: A Tour to Svitserland] SAID she, "The Parkinses have gone, and all the Doolys, too, The Mcriartys, and the Dunns, and Mrs. old MacHugh; The Dalys and Fitzpatricks, with all their kin, and kinds, Have mounted crumpled papers, on all their window blinds. Ah! stop that old piano, you ding it all the day, It's only when your pupils are here, you make it pay; And all your pupils' parents, and all their kin, and kinds, Have all got crumpled papers, on all their cotton blinds." He stopped the old piano, and "Vot of zat?" said he, "Regarding which, we'll have to do exact the same," said she. "For if we don't, we'll be the talk for many a day to come, That when all others went abroad, the Zazels kept at home. It's positively foolish, affects your daughter's hopes--" "Vel, zhere," said he, "go pack ze thronk, I'll tie it vit ze ropes; And you discharge ze servong, ze moment zat you find, She's pinned ze crumpled papers, on all ze cotton blind: And put ze gossip on her tongue, for Svitzerland ve sail, Ze-morrow in ze Dover boat, vot brings ze voreign mail; And say, its Oh, so secret, by shings, but she vill blow Ze news, around ze town, until ze all ze people know." * * * * * [Illustration] The Dover boat had started, when, lo! prospecting round, A man upon the windows, those crumpled papers found. "Hello!" said he, "such houses are always left for me," And crept into the fanlight, and foraged round with glee. He stole away the silver, he stole away the clocks, He augured out the secret, of the children's savings' box; He laughed, and he did chuckle, and cackling "Ha!" said he, "The men who leave their houses thus, are men who toil for me." Alas! that in my ballads, I have to tune my song, To many flats, and minors, to show where sharps go wrong. [Illustration]