Paterfamilias

Girls of eighteen he loves, and even twenty,
Pleasing and plump and eloquently young;
In his own day he knew and courted plenty
Whose praises tripped divinely from his tongue.

Now that his daughter's chums come in to call
And stay to taste his wife's Alsatian cooking,
He kisses each one fondly in the hall
When he is sure his good wife isn't looking.

The boys who hang around he tolerates
And marvels that a girl must have in tow
Such callow lads who prattle of their dates;
He patronized all his daughter's beaux
And smiles to hear Virginia call them "men"
What he could show them, were he young again!

SYDNEY KING RUSSELL.