Her father to her chamber crept,
And lifted up his voice and wept;
With kerchief of capacious size
He stood and groaned and mopped his eyes.
So big the tears that from him fell
They were enough to make a well,
And, standing in a pool of water,
He sighed, "Alack! my mumpsy daughter!"
"Stop! Stop!" cried Merle, "O don't be sad!
These waterworks will drive me mad!
Good gracious, how I wish you'd smile
Instead of weeping all the while!
"Cheer up, for goodness' sake, I pray,
And treat me in your usual way.
No more I'll call you hearts of leather,
In spite of mumps we'll laugh together!"
Perhaps the family thought they had not done enough to relieve the tedium
of Merle's banishment; at any rate they set to work and made great
efforts to amuse her. Mavis sketched her portrait, adding wings and a
halo, and printed underneath "Saint Merle suffering her Martyrdom."
Mother clicked away on the typewriter, and deposited a document in her
daughter's room, which claimed to be:
_Extract from "The Durracombe and Devon Times"_
SOCIETY GOSSIP
It is with sincere regret that we record the indisposition of that leader
of our local social life, Miss Merle Ramsay.
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