<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=539035" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Periwinkle Girl</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">I've often thought that headstrong youths<br>Of decent education,<br>Determine all-important truths,<br>With strange precipitation.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The ever-ready victims they,<br>Of logical illusions,<br>And in a self-assertive way<br>They jump at strange conclusions.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now take my case: Ere sorrow could<br>My ample forehead wrinkle,<br>I had determined that I should<br>Not care to be a winkle.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">&quot;A winkle,&quot; I would oft advance<br>With readiness provoking,<br>&quot;Can seldom flirt, and never dance,<br>Or soothe his mind by smoking.&quot;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">In short, I spurned the shelly joy,<br>And spoke with strange decision -<br>Men pointed to me as a boy<br>Who held them in derision.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But I was young - too young, by far -<br>Or I had been more wary,<br>I knew not then that winkles are<br>The stock-in-trade of MARY.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">I had not watched her sunlight blithe<br>As o'er their shells it dances -<br>I've seen those winkles almost writhe<br>Beneath her beaming glances.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of slighting all the winkly brood<br>I surely had been chary,<br>If I had known they formed the food<br>And stock-in-trade of MARY.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Both high and low and great and small<br>Fell prostrate at her tootsies,<br>They all were noblemen, and all<br>Had balances at COUTTS'S.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Dukes with the lovely maiden dealt,<br>DUKE BAILEY and DUKE HUMPHY,<br>Who ate her winkles till they felt<br>Exceedingly uncomfy.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">DUKE BAILEY greatest wealth computes,<br>And sticks, they say, at no-thing,<br>He wears a pair of golden boots<br>And silver underclothing.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">DUKE HUMPHY, as I understand,<br>Though mentally acuter,<br>His boots are only silver, and<br>His underclothing pewter.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A third adorer had the girl,<br>A man of lowly station -<br>A miserable grov'ling Earl<br>Besought her approbation.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This humble cad she did refuse<br>With much contempt and loathing,<br>He wore a pair of leather shoes<br>And cambric underclothing!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">&quot;Ha! ha!&quot; she cried. &quot;Upon my word!<br>Well, really - come, I never!<br>Oh, go along, it's too absurd!<br>My goodness! Did you ever?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">&quot;Two Dukes would Mary make a bride,<br>And from her foes defend her&quot; -<br>&quot;Well, not exactly that,&quot; they cried,<br>&quot;We offer guilty splendour.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">&quot;We do not offer marriage rite,<br>So please dismiss the notion!&quot;<br>&quot;Oh dear,&quot; said she, &quot;that alters quite<br>The state of my emotion.&quot;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The Earl he up and says, says he,<br>&quot;Dismiss them to their orgies,<br>For I am game to marry thee<br>Quite reg'lar at St. George's.&quot;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">(He'd had, it happily befell,<br>A decent education,<br>His views would have befitted well<br>A far superior station.)</div><div style="margin:10px 0">His sterling worth had worked a cure,<br>She never heard him grumble;<br>She saw his soul was good and pure,<br>Although his rank was humble.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Her views of earldoms and their lot,<br>All underwent expansion -<br>Come, Virtue in an earldom's cot!<br>Go, Vice in ducal mansion!</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=William+Schwenck+Gilbert">William Schwenck Gilbert</a><div class=q> <img src="https://www.citatepedia.ro/g/32share.png" style="float:left" alt="Share"> <script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=539035" data-title="The Periwinkle Girl de William Schwenck Gilbert" data-description="I've often thought that headstrong youths Of decent education, Determine all-important truths, With strange precipitation. The ever-ready victims they, Of logical illusions, And in a self-assertive way They jump at strange conclusions. Now take ..."></div> </div> </div>

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