When she arrived and found her Ernie gone, Her bitter heart thought, ’This is how it is. Keeping me waiting while the sports are on: Promising faithful, too, and then to miss. O, Ernie, won’t I give it you for this.’ And looking up she saw a couple cling, Ern with his arm round Bessie in the swing. Ern caught her eye and spat, and cut her dead, Bessie laughed hardly, in the gipsy way. Anna, though blind with fury, tossed her head, Biting her lips until the red was grey, For bitter moments given, bitter pay, The time for payment comes, early or late, No earthly debtor but accounts to Fate. She turned aside, telling with bitter oaths What Ern should suffer if he turned agen, And there was Jimmy stripping off his clothes Within a little ring of farming men. ’Now, Jimmy, put the old tup into pen.’ His mother, watching, thought her heart would curdle, To see Jim drag the old ram to the hurdle. Then the ram butted and the game began, Till Jimmy’s muscles cracked and the ram grunted. The good old wrestling game of Ram and Man, At which none knows the hunter from the hunted. ’Come and see Jimmy have his belly bunted.’ ’Good tup. Good Jim. Good Jimmy. Sick him, Rover, By dang, but Jimmy’s got him fairly over.’ Then there was clap of hands and Jimmy grinned And took five silver shillings from his backers, And said th’old tup had put him out of wind Or else he’d take all comers at the Whackers. And some made rude remarks of rams and knackers, And mother shook to get her son alone, So’s to be sure he hadn’t broke a bone. None but the lucky man deserves the fair, For lucky men have money and success, Things that a whore is very glad to share, Or dip, at least, a finger in the mess. Anne, with her raddled cheeks and Sunday dress, Smiled upon Jimmy, seeing him succeed, As though to say, ’You are a man, indeed.’ All the great things of life are swiftly done, Creation, death, and love the double gate. However much we dawdle in the sun We have to hurry at the touch of Fate; When Life knocks at the door no one can wait, When Death makes his arrest we have to go. And so with love, and Jimmy found it so. Love, the sharp spear, went pricking to the bone, In that one look, desire and bitter aching, Longing to have that woman all alone For her dear beauty’s sake all else forsaking; And sudden agony that set him shaking Lest she, whose beauty made his heart’s blood cruddle, Should be another man’s to kiss and cuddle. She was beside him when he left the ring, Her soft dress brushed against him as he passed her; He thought her penny scent a sweeter thing Than precious ointment out of alabaster; Love, the mild servant, makes a drunken master. She smiled, half sadly, out of thoughtful eyes, And all the strong young man was easy prize.