When dear Baba was little, She never speaks a word. Poor uncle Tom, you cannot think So I will give my dear Baba, When she comes next to town, A big wax doll with a red face, And with a fine new gown. And a nice house for dolly, With sofas and with chairs, And pots and pans and plates for cook, And a nice bed upstairs. And I will take Baba, To see the ugly bear, Who lies in a hole and climbs up a pole, With his black nasty hair. And Baba shall see the lion, For the monkeys bite bad girls, And scratch them till they bleed; But the monkeys love good little girls, Who make the beds and read. So now good-bye, my darling, And give dear baby brother Lodge HOLLY LODGE, CAMPDEN HILL, LORD MACAULAY'S HOME TOWARDS THE CLOSE OF HIS LIFE. A STORY ABOUT TWO MONKEYS FOR MY DEAR BABA. My dear Baba, this morning, I went to take a walk; And I went by the monkeys' cage, One was a great big monkey, And he was as black as a coal; And one was a little green monkey, Who sat upon a pole. Then said the great black monkey, "We shall soon have nuts to eat ; And then I shall be very glad, For nuts are nice and sweet." So then the little green monkey, Then said the great black monkey, "Her name is little Baba, 66 And she wears such a pretty gown; And she will come on Thursday, In a nice coach to town. And because Baba never cries, "And we must not be naughty, Nor put her in a fright, "And then Baba will give us nuts, So both the monkeys laughed for joy, And danced about like mad. The next of these little poems was written when my father was spending a holiday at his family home in Somersetshire, and much occupied in fishing, of which he was very fond. One day he took his little girl out with him as a special treat for her, and it was embarrassing for him to find the horror with which she regarded the whole proceeding, and that he could only pacify her by throwing the fish back into the stream. This story delighted Lord Macaulay, whose sympathy for sport was not of a nature to interfere with his enjoyment of the incident. In a letter to my mother enclosing the verses, he writes, "I am delighted to hear that my dear Baba plays at meeting Uncle Tom again. Is she old enough to take care of a canary-bird or two? From her tenderness to the little fish I think I may venture to trust her with live animals. Here is a song for her." THE ROOM IN WHICH LORD MACAULAY DIED. There was a little good Baba, If you were run through with a hook, My uncle lost no time in preparing his present, and on our return to Great George Street, a few days later, a large cage with some beautiful canaries in it was waiting our arrival. My uncle took me up himself to the nursery to see it, and my surprise and delight during the first few minutes were all that he had anticipated. But after a moment's silence I inquired if my canaries had souls. Lord Macaulay was obliged to confess that in his opinion they did not possess souls. Then, by one of those strange caprices which all who have much to do with little children are prepared for, I took a dislike to the canaries, evidently thinking some specially wicked birds had been procured for me. My kind uncle, after in vain endeavouring to overcome the prejudice, was obliged in a few days, much to his disappointment, to send away the canaries. (To be continued.) |