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THAT HAT.
I won her, " Yes!" I kissed her lips,
I searched her eyes with thought elate;
Her deep blue eyes were fraught with
doubt,
' How could my darling hesitate ?
I coaxed the cause of trouble froth;
She murmured," Is my haton straight ?"
Weeks flew, she was my wedded wife ;
The carriage stood beside the gate
To bear us to our dear new borne,
My joy was quite imp temperate.
I whispered low," My love, my own
As forth we fared in bridal state.
With eyelashes all wet with tears
She answered, " Is my hat on straight ?"
Reverses dimmed those early years,
My downfall was precipitate.
I gently broke the news to her,
My angel wife and loving mate.
Our little all was at the dogs
And we should have to emigrate.
She trustfully made answer brave,
With confidence for any fate,
" You'll make another fortune, dear,
But tell me is my hat on straight ?'
0 woman! Dear to gods and men,
What ails your graceful little pate ?
Why is that sweet, delightful hat
So difficult to navigate P
And will you never, never know,
From now till beauty's doom and date,
Fast peradventure of a doubt,
1 Whetheryou have your haton straight?"
Many years ago a Spanish galleon, caught
in a sadden storm at night fall, was sunk
off the coast of Portugal because every
rope that was handled in the effort to
shorten sail refused to inn through its
block. " The devil is in those sheaves!"!
cried the captain as the ship.went down, j
In consequence of that calamity the'
admiral issued an order that every day, at
sunset, the men should be sent aloft "toj
chase the devil out of the sheaves." It is
said that the order is stall religiously
obeyed in the Spanish nary.
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