id="id00071">  The sun looks up, an' wiv a cautious stare,
    Like some crook keekin' o'er a winder sill
  To make dead cert'in everythink is square,
    'E shoves 'is boko o'er an Eastern 'ill,
  Then rises, wiv 'is dial all a-grin,
  An' sez, "'Ooray! I knoo that we could win!"

  Sure of 'is title then, the champeen Day
    Begins to put on dawg among 'is push,
  An', as he mooches on 'is gaudy way,
    Drors tribute from each tree an' flow'r an' bush.
  An', w'ile 'e swigs the dew in sylvan bars,
  The sun shouts insults at the sneakin' stars.

  Then, lo! the push o' Day rise to applaud;
    An' all 'is creatures clamour at 'is feet
  Until 'e thinks'imself a little gawd,
    An' swaggers on an' kids 'imself a treat.
  The w'ile the lurkin' barrackers o' Night
  Sneak in retreat an' plan another fight.

  On thro' the hours, triumphant, proud an' fit,
  The champeen marches on 'is up'ard way,
  Till, at the zenith, bli'me! 'E-is-IT!
  And all the world bows to the Boshter Day.
  The jealous Night speeds ethergrams thro' space
  'Otly demandin' terms, an' time, an' place.

  A wile the champeen scorns to make reply;
    'E's taken tickets on 'is own 'igh worth;
  Puffed up wiv pride, an' livin' mighty 'igh,
    'E don't admit that Night is on the earth.
  But as the hours creep on 'e deigns to state
  'E'll fight for all the earth an' 'arf the gate.

  Late afternoon…Day feels 'is flabby arms,
    An' tells 'imself 'e don't seem quite the thing.
  The 'omin' birds shriek clamorous alarms;
    An' Night creeps stealthily to gain the ring.
  But see! The champeen backs an' fills, becos
  'E doesn't feel the Boshter Bloke 'e was.

  Time does a bunk as us-u-al, nor stays
    A single instant, e'en at Day's be'est.
  Alas, the 'eavy-weight's 'igh-livin' ways
    'As made 'im soft, an' large around the vest.
  'E sez 'e's fat inside; 'e starts to whine;
  'E sez 'e wants to dror the colour line.

  Relentless nigger Night crawls thro' the ropes,
    Advancin' grimly on the quakin' Day,
  Whose noisy push, shorn of their 'igh-noon 'opes,
    Wait, 'ushed an' anxious, fer the comin' fray.
  And many lusty barrackers of noon
  Desert 'im one by one—traitors so soon!

  'E's out er form! 'E 'asn't trained enough!
    They mark their sickly champeen on the stage,
  An' narked, the sun, 'is backer, in a huff,
    Sneaks outer sight, red in the face wiv rage.
  W'ile gloomy roosters, they 'oo made the morn
  Ring wiv 'is praises, creep to bed forlorn.

  All faint an' groggy grows the beaten Day;
    'E staggers drunkenly about the ring;
  An owl 'oots jeerin'ly across the way,
    An' bats come out to mock the fallin' King.
  Now, wiv a jolt, Night spreads 'im on the floor,
  An' all the west grows ruddy wiv 'is gore.

  A single, vulgar star leers from the sky
    An' in derision, rudely mutters, "Yah!"
  The moon, Night's conkerbine, comes glidin' by
    An' laughs a 'eartless, silvery "Ha-ha!"
  Scorned, beaten, Day gives up the 'opeless fight,
  An' drops 'is bundle in the lap o' Night.

* * * * * * * *

  So goes each day, like some celeschil mill,
    E'er since I met that shyin' little peach.
  'Er bonzer voice! I 'ear its music still,
    As when she guv that promise fer the beach.
  An', square an' all, no matter 'ow yeh start,
  The commin end of most of us is—Tart.

IV. Doreen

  "I wish't yeh menat it, Bill." Oh, 'ow me 'eart
     Went out to 'er that evnin' on the beach.
  I knew she weren't no ordinary tart,
        My little peach!

  To 'ear 'er voice! Its gentle sorter tone,
    Like soft dream-music of some Dago band.
  An' me all out; an' 'oldin' in me own
        'Er little 'and.
  An' 'ow she blushed! O, strike! it was divine
  The way she raised 'er shinin' eyes to mine.

  'Er eyes! Soft in the moon; such BOSHTER eyes!
  An' when they sight a bloke…O, spare me days!
  'E goes all loose inside; such glamour lies
        In 'er sweet gaze.
  It makes 'im all ashamed uv wot 'e's been
  To look inter the eyes of my Doreen.

* * * *

  The wet sands glistened, an' the gleamin' moon
    Shone yeller on the sea, all streakin' down.
  A band was playin' some soft, dreamy choon;
        An' up the town
  We 'eard the distant tram-cars whir an' clash.
  An' there I told Per 'ow I'd done me dash.

  "I wish't yeh meant it." 'Struth! And did I, fair?
    A bloke 'ud be a dawg to kid a skirt
  Like her. An' me well knowin' she was square.
        It 'ud be dirt!
  'E'd be no man to point wiv her, an' kid.
  I meant it honest; an' she knoo I did.

  She knoo. I've done me block in on her, straight.
    A cove 'as got to think some time in life
  An' get some decent tart, ere it's too late,
        To be 'is wife.
  But, Gawd! 'Oo would 'a' thort it could 'a' been
  My luck to strike the likes of Per?…Doreen!

  Aw, I can stand their chuckin' off, I can.
    It's 'ard; an' I'd delight to take 'em on.
  The dawgs! But it gets that way wiv a man
        When 'e's fair gone.
  She'll sight no stoush; an' so I have to take
  Their mag, an' do a duck fer her sweet sake.

  Fer 'er sweet sake I've gone and chucked it clean:
    The pubs an' schools an' all that leery game.
  Fer when a bloke 'as come to know Doreen,
        It ain't the same.
  There's 'igher things, she sez, for blokes to do.
  An' I am 'arf believin' that it's true.

  Yes, 'igher things—that wus the way she spoke;
    An' when she looked at me I sorter felt
  That bosker feelin' that comes o'er a bloke,
        An' makes 'im melt;
  Makes 'im all 'ot to maul 'er, an' to shove
  'Is arms about'er…Bli'me? but it's love!

  That's wot it is. An' when a man 'as grown
    Like that 'e gets a sorter yearn inside
  To be a little 'ero on 'is own;
        An' see the pride
  Glow in the eyes of 'er 'e calls 'is queen;
  An' 'ear 'er say 'e is a shine champeen.

  "I wish't yeh meant it," I can 'ear 'er yet,
    My bit o' fluff! The moon was shinin' bright,
  Turnin' the waves all yeller where it set—
        A bonzer night!
  The sparklin' sea all sorter gold an' green;
  An' on the pier the band—O, 'Ell!… Doreen!

V. The Play

  "Wots in a name?" she sez…An' then she sighs,
  An' clasps 'er little 'ands, an' rolls 'er eyes.
  "A