The Project Gutenberg eBook of Too Old for Dolls, by Anthony Mario Ludovici

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Title: Too Old for Dolls
A Novel

Author: Anthony Mario Ludovici

Release Date: March 21, 2009 [eBook #28378]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TOO OLD FOR DOLLS***

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TOO OLD FOR DOLLS

A Novel

by

ANTHONY M. LUDOVICI

Author of "Mansel Fellowes," "Catherine Doyle," "A Defence
of Aristocracy," Etc.

G. P. Putnam's Sons
New York and London
The Knickerbocker Press
1921

Copyright, 1921
by
G. P. Putnam's Sons

THE ENGLISH FLAPPER[1]

_From Nature's anvil hot she hails,
The forge still glowing on her cheek.
Untamed as yet, Life still prevails
Within her breast and fain would speak._

_But all the elfs upon the plain,
And in the arbour where she lolls,
Repeat the impudent refrain;
Too young for babes, too old for dolls._

_Her fingers deft have guessed the knack
Of making each advantage tell:
Her hat, her hair still down her back,
Her frocks and muff of mighty spell;_

_Her springtide "tailor-mades" quite plain:
In summer-time her parasols;
Each eloquent with the refrain:
Too young for babes, too old for dolls._

_Behold with what grave interest
She looks at all, or hind or squire;
In truth more keenly than the best
Matriculation marks require._

_She's told to learn from all she sees;
To watch the seasons, how they go,
And note the burgeoning of trees,
Or bulbs and pansies, how they grow._

_"Enough that they are fair!" she cries;
"Why should I learn how lilies blow?"
And, dropping botany, she sighs
For some new flounce or furbelow._

_The murmur of the woodland wild,
The sound of courting birds that sing,
Are sweeter music to this child
Than all piano practising._

_She reads of love time and again,
And writes sad lays and barc