£ Copyright, 18&5, by Mamie Luke. Series of- Metrical Queries, with Responses. -BY-:— I ?HO ^3VL^^]VniE XaTTKIE-S^- SSrrt ffrfei -" writeth on the questions of the day, Ji/WM On either side of each will have his say, And thinketh that he beareth mighty sway ? Ye Editor ! ' Who maketh mountains of the small molehills. And rushing rivers of the gentle rills — Gives drops of truth, of fiction many gills? Ye Reporter ! Who talketh buncombe in spread-eagle style, The people calleth " dear," wJth honied smile, And maketh millions by his ways of guile ? Ye Congressman ! Who shouteth loud about the M people's rights," Currupt officials most severely 'smites, In office placed, reform ne'er expedites ? Ye Politician ! Who worketh in a field all too obscure, Attendeth on our every ill to cure, But who to kill us off is far more sure ? Ye Doctor ! Who playeth " chuck-a-luck " and " high- low-jack," With " puts and calls " and things, the cards in pack, And worketh up the awful Fridays black ? Ye Broker ! Who speculateth high with funds in trust, To gain great wealth, naught caring to be just, And in the end, not far, is bound to " bust " ? Ye Bank President. Who deprecateth much the legal fight, But dons his armor to defend the right, (?) And pocketeth high fees with no delight ? Ye Lawyer ! Who marketh us, as 'twere, with mental stripes. And breaketh us all up with pains and gripes, With bill for three hours' work on water pipes ? Ye Plumber ! Who raiseth mantraps high, with slender walls, Of which one, every now and then, down falls, Which " casualty" startles and appalls ? Ye Builder! Who ne'er o'ersteppeth honesty's fair bounds — Let him but tell it as he goes the rounds — Yet for a ton sells eighteen hundred pounds ? Ye Coalman ! Who mixeth water with — so goes the tale — Such drugs and things as would o'ercome a whale, And calleth the concoction " Amber Ale" ? Ye Brewer ! Who selleth us for coffee roasted 1 P eas > Dried herbs and divers weeds for Oolong teas, And ole'margarine for butter, pleasr Ye Grocer ! Who slappeth hard the meat upon To weigh his fingers with it neve/' Thus swelling the amount of dai i ; scales, : fails, / sales ? Ye Butcher ! Who selleth chalk and water all t A little corn-starch in for bogus c e For "Orange County milk," with^ e ~ hardened guile ? Ye Milkman ! Who saith 'tis " French," the ski' c , .., r u . , i from Yankee calf bo chargeth for his shoes too mu And at his gains within his sleeve ^ ' doth laugh ? Who selleth, at the cost per pounfd, a grain, And, thriving on disease and mor Per cent a thousand maketh as h tals' pain, s gain ? Ye Druggist ! Who clubbeth right and left his vvay along, Killeth the helpless, maimeth sore the strong, But who, in Judges' eyes, can do no wrong? Ye Policeman ! h Who maketh hideous the day entire, With horrid yells and intonation clire, And kindleth in our breasts relenftless ire? Ye Licensed Vender ! Who, for all others, have a kindly A warm regard, as tender, quite, £ And doeth all things on the " leve care, s rare, 1 square " ? You and I, Reader ! LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 015 762 665 6 POETICAJL ADVERTISEMENTS, AND/ OTHER WRITING, Addre=si- MAMIE LUKE, Station W, Brooklyn, N.Y. HMHHH9i ■hhpi ■..':■.•■- ■■'...'■■.■■■'".. ' LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 015 762 665 6 Hollinger Corp. pH8.5