Select Poetry.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 209, 11 September 1875, Page 3

Select Poetry.

THI'l CIIRONOM MTU It. A EAIILE—I’ARAI’IIItASEI) FROM THK SPANISH OF YIIIARTE. By John G. Saxe. A gentleman, who at a feast Was tardy, half-an-hour at least, When asked by those who came (Some hungry guests, an hour or more). To say why he arrived so late, And so compelled the rest to wait? Showed his repeater in reply : Yourselves are out of time—not 1! “ Two was the hour proposed,” said he, And two’s tlie time—as you may see ! ” “ Ridiculous ! ” they all replied ; “ From the true time your watch is wide ; We came well-nigh an hour ago : Your watch- -like you—is clearly slow ! ” “ Well,” said the man, “ say what you will, ( trust my old repeater still ; For many a year I’ve proved its worth ; There’s not a better watch on earth !” At this, of course, each other guest Drew forth his watch the fact "to test ; With what effect - -Not much indeed ; For of them all no two agreed ! One plainly showed a quarter past ; Another said, “ten minutes fast;” Another, “ forty minutes slow!” And yet another answered “No ! ’Tisjust fourteen ! as I’m alive!” “ No ! ” said another, “ twenty-five ! ” At length the smiling host came in ( A scholar, who ere while had been A student of Astronomy), And blandly asking what might bo The point they disagreed about— Soon put an end to every doubt, By bringing forth an instrumentContrived on purpose to prevent All liability to err. To wit his good Chronometer. By this, —which chanced to disagree A\ ith all the rest—the hour was three ! -MORAL. Though mere opinions many be. And so, like watches disagree,--Truth—ever sacred be its name— Is one, and evermore the same ! - A'. I*. Ltibjcr.