January 1880: Memory

Front cover

Endsheet

January 1880: Memory

Notice

Editor

January 1880: Memory

Preface

Editor

January 1880: Memory

Contents

Editor

January 1880: Memory

Survey

January 1880: Memory

Memory

Ignotus

January 1880: Memory

Bayeux

Mocking Bird

January 1880: Memory

Long Ago

Cyril K.S.

January 1880: Memory

Recollections of a visit to Edinburgh thirty years ago

Hooded Crow

January 1880: Memory

Memory: A fragment

Rook

January 1880: Memory

The Lodgers on the Second Floor

Dumbledore

January 1880: Memory

Memories of an old Solitary Wasp

Solitary Wasp

Memories of an old Solitary Wasp 1 I remember, I remember Ere Busy Bees were born When the literature of ladies Was often laughed to scorn When they copied out their poems In padlock’d album book And coloured crimson as a cloud At question or at look 2 When they never heard of essays Nor thought of a degree Nor dreamt of a Society For drawing lake or tree For rising early in the morn For reading one half hour Little they knew the mighty force Of competition’s power 3 I remember, I remember Long years ere Rowland hill When letters were on quarto sheets All written with goose quill Both hard to fold, and hard to read Crossed to their scarlet seal Hardest of all to pay for, ere Their news they could reveal 4 Twopenny post was London pride But eightpence was the sum That country cousins paid for all Which did from London come And oh! The joy it was to get Some generous MP To frank a letter that might hold Six sheets like Busy Bee 5 I remember, I remember When ships were beauteous things Like floating castles of the deep Borne upon snowy wings Ere monitors and turret ships Frightful as evil dream Became the hideous progeny Of iron and of steam 6 Then were the days of turnpikes When railroads there were none In mail and stage at morn or eve The journey was begun And all along the Kings highway Trotted the horses four With inside passengers and all They carried near a score 7 Red Rover and the Telegraph I knew them all by name The Hirondelle and Oxford Coach Full thirty of them came The coachman wore his many capes The guard his bugle blew The horses were a gallant sight Dashing before our view 8 I remember, I remember Those posting days of old The yellow chariot lined with blue And lace of colour gold The rattling up before the inn The horses led away The postboy in his jacket buff And hand outstretched for pay 9 I remember, I remember The mowing of the hay Scythes sweeping through the fragrant grass At breaking of the day The haymakers in ordered rank Raking the rows so sweet The haycocks tanned to olive grey In glowing noontide heat 10 The reapers mid the amber corn The thumping of the flail The winnowing within the barn By whirling round a sail Long before whirr and burr and shriek Haunted the barley mow A monster’s parting smoke and flame Began to speed the plough 11 Then sparks were born of flint and steel Nor lucifers were known And snuffers with each candle came To prune the wick o’ergrown Wilson and Wilcox eke and Gibbs Had neither sung nor sewn And eggs were hatched, and cakes were made By natural means alone 12 I remember, I remember The homely village school The Dame with Bible and with rod The sceptre of her rule A black silk bonnet on her head Buff kerchief on her neck With spectacles on nose, blue gown And apron of blue check 13 None of her scholars learnt to write And very few to read But forth they went to scare the birds From swallowing up the seed No school inspection came to prove Those little Toms and Dicks Then fallow lay the youthful mind For want of standards six 14 The Sundays I remember too When services were one For living in our parish then Of Parsons there were none Down a long lane we went to Church A ladder reached our pew William and Mary’s royal arms Were hanging full in view 15 The lion swirling with his tongue Like a pug dog’s hung out The unicorn with twisted horn Brooding upon his rout Painted in gold on boards of blue Stand the Commandments few Beyond stood pulpit, reading pew And then clerk’s narrow pen 16 While in the gallery were throned Our village tuneful choir With flute, bassoon and clarinet Their notes rose high and higher How oft would they repeat the lines Of Braddy and of Tate Shewing the number of the Psalm In chalk upon a slate 17 Then Hursley had a Church of brick The Tower square and low The gable with a window huge And steps to suit a crow And Ampfield was a hamlet low Her Churchyard was a wood And where her golden couplet [?] points A well grown pine tree stood 18 Oh! Those were days for botany When gentians blue were found And butterwort of pearly tint Nestled in marshy ground Motherwort grew upon the hill And hounds tongue in the lane Moth mullein by the hawthorn hedge Where now I seek in vain 19 Missing from book 20 Missing from book 21 Yes, I remember many things Old middle aged and new Is the new better than the old More bright, more deep, more true? The old must ever pass away The new must still come in When our new things are old in turn Be they unstained by sin 22 So with their memory be dear A treasury of bliss To be born with us in the days When we their presence miss Trifles embalmed by loving thought Of many vanished friend Will thrill the heart and warm[?] the smile For Memory has no end

January 1880: Memory