BETA

Little Chinchilla.

A Skating Song.

She wears the shortest skirts,1
And shows the whitest frilling ;2
She looks, as Queen of Flirts,3
Miraculously killing !4
She’ll skim the thinnest ice,5
As light as Queen Camilla ;16
She looks supremely nice—7
My little pet Chinchilla !8
O, should the gracious fates,9
But deign to be propitious ;10
I strap her fairy skates11
On furry boots delicious.12
Her willing hand I take,13
In spite of Aunt Priscilla,14
Then speed I o’er the lake,15
With little love Chinchilla !16
The sleekest otter-cuffs,17
The rosiest of real skin ;18
The sable-est of muffs,19
The softest gloves of seal-skin,20
The quaintest hose with ‘ clocks,’21
A ‘ cloud’ like a mantilla,22
The velvetest of frocks—23
Wears little sweet Chinchilla !24
* Camilla, queen of the Volsci, was so light and swift of foot that she could run
over a field of corn without bending the blades, and make her way over the sea with-
out wetting her feet. See Virgil’s ‘ Æneid,’ Book VII.
The warmth of her regard25
I take as sort of token ;26
Although ’tis freezing hard,27
Our social ice is broken !28
Coquettish in her furs,29
She minds not my manilla ;30
Ah !  what a glance is hers,31
My little dear Chinchilla !32
She’ll figure, glide, and twirl,33
And worry the officials ;34
She’ll cut out ev’ry girl35
As easy as initials !36
O, I could skate for miles,37
Or dance a seguidilla,38
Cheered by the sunny smiles39
Of little smart Chinchilla !40
Had I enough a year41
To find my sweet in sable,42
To wrap my dainty dear43
In ermine were I able ;44
Had I a longer purse,45
A neat suburban villa,46
For better or for worse,47
I’d take my pet Chinchilla !48
J. Ashby-Sterry.