Classic Poem

Godolphin School was large and cool;
It thought the human race a fool:
And bade its Secretary share
This distant and distinguished air:
And oh, the Girl was deathly proud,
She passed from where, in clotted crowd,
Crouch in the town of the Four Ends
The hovel of her humble friends.
Alas, that such a stately smirk
Should follow on a change of work!
But such was Frederica's case.
. . . Just then, they sought to fill her place
And the forsaken Journalist
Sat mute and goggled at the list:
He runs through a list of names of possible new secretaries with appropriate and disparaging comments, and continues:

Stay, did not she whose fancies soar
On Sarum's spires, on ours no more,
Scarce turning from her high intent,
Cast us a Cousin ere she went?
A Churchman, training now on spec . . .
Come, question the Godolphin Sec!

But scarcely had he said the word
Than murmurs of dissent were heard.
Her Sister found the time to write,
" Would you describe the girl as Bright? "

And even She that was our own
Remarked in her sub-acid tone,
" I doubt if she is what you need. "
The circle murmured, but agreed;

The Journalist said, " Well, well, well —
No doubt you're right . . . one cannot tell.
Damn it! " he ended, with a bawl,
" I won't have any Sec at all. "

And now a wearier power he wields
As Butler at the Inglefields.