The Mirror

Low-brows-High-brows.

FIRST SPASM
Percival Rugg had a criminal mug;
A manner most dissolute;
He had a brow like an infant cow,
And a brain that followed suit,
Some prophecied, (you'll find they lied,)
He'd do time inside:
One'd electrocute the homely brute
For some base homicide.
If a palmist took his hand to look
At the lines upon his paw,
And elucidate upon his fate
He'd get smashed on the jaw.
The years have fled! Is Percy dead?
Did he sit in "The Chair of State?'"
Did they let loose the deadly juice
Put electrodes on his pate?
Let us digress-we must confess
That Percy's still on earth,
Owns business blocks, and railroad stocks:
Has an aldermanic girth;
And on the mug of Percy Rugg
There's a contented air;
The dope was wrong; just ring the gong,
He's a multi-millionaire.

SECOND SPASM
Archibald Green had a classical bean,
Its crown was an eight size lid;
Clever, astute, remarkably cute,
A phenom 'since he was a kid:
The cramps would seize his brain, where
he'd sneeze
And cause him to tango and waltz,
And his mother would tear in anguish her
hair
And run for the smelling salts.
Each teacher said, that such a head
As Archibald possessed
Seemed to denote that he'd get Fame's goat.
Wear medals on his chest.
His only vice was Lemon Ice,
Which he could not resist:
Out with the boys he'd make no noise,
Would not be mourned or missed.
He'd never swear, but said a prayer
Before he went to bed:
Write an essay on Golf, and lay
Shakespeare beneath his head.
But it will be seen that Archie Green
Was frail like many more,
For he went wrong; ring up the gong
Serial 41-1-44.
—"Wag" in Ohio Penitentiary News.