THE RECITER

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVI, Issue 23, 11 June 1908, Page 37

THE RECITER

Once there was a little boy, whose name was. Robert Recce, And every Friday- afternoon" had to recite a piece \ So many poems thus he learnt that soon he had a . - store * - Of recitations in his head, and still kept learning more. Now this is what happened. He was called upon one week, And totally forgot the pieqe he was about "i;o speak ; His brain he cudgelled— not a word remained within his head, ' . And so he spoke at random, and I&is is what he said : ' My beautiful ! my beautiful ! who standest proudly by'; 1 It was the schooner "Hesperus"—' the breaking waves dashed high,' ' ' Why is the Forum crowded ? ' ' What means this stir in Rome ? ' ' Under a spreading chestnut tree,' ' there is no place like home.' _ _- v ' When Freedom from her mountain height cried ' 'Twinkle little star ' ; _. ' Shoot if you must this old gray Head,' ' King Henry '' of-- Navarre.' ' - 'Roll on thou deep and dark blue', 'castled crags of Drachenfels,' 'My name is Norval, on the Grampian Hills,' ' Ring out wild bells.' x ' If you're waking call me early,' ' To be or not to be,' ' The curfew must not ring to-night,' ' Oh, woodman, spare that tree.' ' Charge, Chester, charge,' ' On, Stanley, on,' ' and let who will be clever,' ' The boy stood on the burning deck,' ' but I go on for ever.' His elocution was superb, his voice and gestures fine, His schoolmates all applauded as he finished the last line. ' I see it doesn't matter,' Robert thought, ' what words I say, So long as I declaim with oratorical display/ — ' Glasgow Observer.'