The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Rubaiyat of a Bachelor, by Helen Rowland

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: The Rubaiyat of a Bachelor

Author: Helen Rowland

Illustrator: Harold Speakman

Release Date: March 2, 2010 [EBook #31467]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RUBAIYAT OF A BACHELOR ***

Produced by Emmy, Tor Martin Kristiansen and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)

THE.RUBAIYAT OF.A.BACHELOR

[Illustration]

[Illustration: PROMISED TO PAY A WOMAN'S BILLS FOR LIFE.]

THE.RUBAIYAT OF.A.BACHELOR

[Illustration]

BY HELEN ROWLAND

DECORATIONS .... BY .... HAROLD .... SPEAKMAN

DODGE PUBLISHING COMPANY
NEW YORK

COPYRIGHT 1915 BY
DODGE PUBLISHING COMPANY

TO
MY HUSBAND
WILLIAM HILL-BRERETON
THIS LITTLE BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY
DEDICATED

WAKE! For the Spring has scattered into flight
The Vows of Lent, and bids the heart be light.
Bring on the Roast, and take the Fish away!
The Season calls--and Woman's eyes are bright!

BEFORE the phantom of Pale Winter died,
Methought the Voice of Spring within me cried,
"When Hymen's rose-decked altars glow within,
Why nods the laggard _Bachelor_ outside?"

AND, at the Signal, I who stood before
In idle musing, shouted, "Say no more!
You know how little while we have to Love--
And Love's light Hand is knocking at the door!"

NOW, the New Moon reviving old desires,
The gallant Youth to Sentiment aspires;
And ere he saunters forth on conquest bent,
Himself, like unto Solomon, attires.

[Illustration: HIS WINTER GARMENTS HUNG--WHERE, NO ONE KNOWS!]

HOW blithely through the smiling throng he goes,
His Winter garments hung--where, no one knows!
A Symphony in radiant scarfs and hose,
Wrought t'inspire a maiden's "Ah's!" an