Wit and Humor of America, The Vol 06

<h2>ABOU BEN BUTLER</h2> <h3>BY JOHN PAUL</h3> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">Abou, Ben Butler (may his tribe be less!)<br/></span> <span class="i0">Awoke one night from a deep bottledness,<br/></span> <span class="i0">And saw, by the rich radiance of the moon,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Which shone and shimmered like a silver spoon,<br/></span> <span class="i0">A stranger writing on a golden slate<br/></span> <span class="i0">(Exceeding store had Ben of spoons and plate),<br/></span> <span class="i0">And to the stranger in his tent he said:<br/></span> <span class="i0">"Your little game?" The stranger turned his head,<br/></span> <span class="i0">And, with a look made all of innocence,<br/></span> <span class="i0">Replied: "I write the name of Presidents."<br/></span> <span class="i0">"And is mine one?" "Not if this court doth know<br/></span> <span class="i0">Itself," replied the stranger. Ben said, "Oh!"<br/></span> <span class="i0">And "Ah!" but spoke again: "Just name your price<br/></span> <span class="i0">To write me up as one that may be Vice."<br/></span></div> <div class="stanza"> <span class="i0">The stranger up and vanished. The next night<br/></span> <span class="i0">He came again, and showed a wondrous sight<br/></span> <span class="i0">Of names that haply yet might fill the chair&mdash;<br/></span> <span class="i0">But, lo! the name of Butler was not there!<br/></span> <span class='pagenum'><SPAN name="Page_1168" id="Page_1168"></SPAN></span></div> </div> <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />