At the stepping-stones over the brook, Emily parted with the young
people, receiving from Crayshaw the verses he had copied.
"Gladys had possessed them for a week, and liked them," said the young
poet. "I meant one of them for a parody, but Mr. Mortimer said it was
not half enough like for parody, it only amounted to a kind of honest
plagiarism."
Considering the crestfallen air of the author, and the sigh with which
he parted from her and went his way to join his brother, she was rather
surprised to find the sort of verses that they were. They were copied in
a neat, boyish hand, and read as follows:--
SOUVENIR OF SOUTH WALES.
(A cad would thay "I thor.")
But once I saw her by the stream
(A cad would say "I sor"),
Yet ofttimes of that once I dream,
That once and never more.
By the fair flood she came to lean
(Her gown was lilac print),
And dip her pitcher down between
The stalks of water-mint.
Then shoals of little fishes fled,
And sun-flecks danced amain,
And rings of water spread and spread
Till all was smooth again.
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