For a minute I thought of Theron Gusher with respect, and then agin my eye fell sadly upon Betsey, and she went on,
“I came right home and wrote a poem on the subject, and I will read it to you.” And before I could say a word to help myself, she begun to read.
If females had the spunk of a mice, From man, their foeman they would arise, Their darning needles to infamy send-- Their dish cloth fetters nobly rend, From tyrant man would rise and flee; Thus boldly whispered Betsey B. CHORUS.--Females, have you a mice’s will, You will rise up and get a bill.
But sweeter, sweeter, ’tis to see, When man hain’t found affinitee, But wedded unto lumps of clay, To boldly rise and soar away. Ah! ’tis a glorious sight to see; Thus boldly murmured Betsey B. CHORUS.--Male men, have you a mice’s will, You will rise up and get a bill.
Haste golden year, when all are free To hunt for their affinitee; When wedlock’s gate opens to all, The halt, the lame, the great, the small. Ah! blissful houh may these eyes see-- These wishful eyes of Betsey B. CHORUS.--Males! females! with a mice’s will, Rise up! rise up! and get a bill.
For that will hasten on that day-- That blissful time when none can say, Scornful, “I am moah married than thee!” For _all_ will be married, and all _won’t be_; But promiscous like. Oh! shall I see That _blessed_ time, sighed Betsey B.-- CHORUS.--Yes, if folks will have a mice’s will And will rise up and get a bill.
“You see it repeats some,” says Betsey as she finished readin’. “But Prof. Gusheh wanted me to write a him to sing at thier Free Love conventions, and he wanted a chorus to each verse, a sort of a war-cry, that all could join in and help sing, and he says these soul stirrin’ lines:
‘Have you a mice’s will, You will rise up and get a bill;’
have got the true ring to them. I had to kind o’ speak against men in it. I hated too, awfully, but Prof. Gusheh said it would be necessary, in ordeh to rouse the masses. He says the almost withering sarcasm of this noble song is just what they need. He says it will go down to posterity side by side with Yankee Doodle, if not ahead of it. I know by his countenance that he thought it was superior to Mr. Doodle’s him. But what think you of it, Josiah Allen’s wife?”