The Project Gutenberg EBook of Cricket Songs, by Norman Gale

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
other parts of the world 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.org.  If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.

Title: Cricket Songs

Author: Norman Gale

Release Date: November 15, 2014 [EBook #47354]

Language: English

Character set encoding: UTF-8

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CRICKET SONGS ***




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






Cover

CRICKET SONGS

BY

NORMAN GALE

Decoration

METHUEN AND CO.
36 ESSEX STREET, W.C.
LONDON
1894


Edinburgh: T. and A. Constable, Printers to Her Majesty


These Cricket Songs are dedicated to
all Rugby Boys in general, and
to John and William Denton
in particular


PREFACE

Four years ago the author of this book issued a slender volume of cricket songs. Seven of these are now reprinted; the rest are new.

The cricket ball, for the most part, is spoken of as a female. Once or twice the neuter gender is used. Varium et mutabile semper femina.

It is hoped that the introduction of the names of prominent players (and one critic) will cause no vexation.

Apologies are tendered to Mr. Moore and Mr. Shakespeare.


[xi]

CONTENTS

  PAGE
In Spring 1
Up at Lords 3
Out 5
Lay On 8
Rub It In 10
Buzz Her In 12
A Colonist 16
Lightning (Greased) 18
Golf steals our Youth 20
A Tomboy 23
Advice Gratis 25
Quinquaginta Annos Natus 28
Star-Gazing 30
O Bowler, Bowler 31
The Church Cricketant 34
Revenge 36[xii]
Chuck Her Up 38
Two Critics 41
Buttered 44
Sparkling 46
'Duck' 48
On the Spot 51
The Hope of Surrey 53
Bombastes 56
England v. Australia 59
Cricket on the Hearth 61
Dark Blue 64
The Last Ball of Summer 66

[1]

IN SPRING

Grass begins to grow,
Winds to be more civil,
Rollers press the pitch
For to make it level:
Thrushes pipe a stave
In the budding thicket;
Snowdrops point to pads,
Crocuses to Cricket!
[2]
Soon will stand the Slip
Crouching for a capture;
Soon the slogger slog
Fours and fives in rapture!
Soon the curly lob
Find its love, the wicket;
Snowdrops point to pads,
Crocuses to Cricket!
Urchins in the road
Bowl with oblong pebbles,
Sending to each mate
Bursts of happy trebles:
In the words of slang,
Summer is the ticket!
Snowdrops point to pads,
Crocuses to Cricket!

[3]

UP AT LORDS

When Stoddart makes her hum,
Up at Lords,
Till the bowler bites his thumb,
Up at Lords,
How the Middlesex supporters
Turn vociferous exhorters
As he jumps on Lockwood's Snorters,
Up at Lords!
When Stoddart makes her hum
Up at Lords,
And my country cousins come
Up at Lords
With their looks as sweet as honey,
[4]
And their exclamations funny,
I am prodigal of money
Up at Lords!
When Stoddart makes her hum
Up at Lords,
And the Surrey Skipper's glum
Up at Lords,
Oh! all my odds are even,
And (I hope to be forgiven)
'Tis a truly Cricket Heaven
Up at Lords!

[5]

OUT

O very potent little word,
'Out!'
How often have we sadly heard
'Out!'
When stupid umpires surely sin,
Just as to settle we begin,
And say, in place of saying 'in,'
'Out!'
Though I am Captain of the team,
'Out!'
Though I in doubt may gravely seem,
'Out!'
Though I have barely scored a run
[6]
My average goes down with one,
And other Bats must have the fun—
'Out!'
I see Jones laugh behind his hand—
Out!
Next match, by Jove, the brute shall stand
Out!
Our cousin, Lydia Lake, is here,
And in her eyes I would appear
A Swell; hinc illae—Jones's sneer—
Out!
Ah! lucky Jones begins to hit
Out!
Another four! I wish he'd get
Out!
I see him look where Lydia sits
[7]
To note if she applauds his hits—
She does! She'll burst her gloves to bits!—
Out!
Yet why should I be Jones's butt,
Out?
I have a plan that chap to cut
Out!
What boots it thus to mope, my soul?
I go to sit by Lydia. Scowl,
O Jones, for you, methinks, I bowl
Out!

[8]

LAY ON

One wicket to fall and a round fifty runs
Waited for still:
As well to imagine that twice twenty tuns
Go to a jill!
O Jones, be contained if you worship your school,
Block her and snick;
But punch her to leg if she's handy; keep cool;
Lay it on thick!
She comes up full pitch now and then, so look out;
Dust her along!
And go like a hare if you notice me shout—
Wait for the song!
Tom Emmett will chaff ev'ry chap in the team—
[9]
Jolly old Brick!—
If we funk like young misses of sugar and cream;
Lay it on thick!
Go big at those lobs like a lusty old Jones,
Give it 'em hot!
They break; get in front with your bundle of bones,
Leg is the spot!
Take guard. Oh, well banged! There's a four to begin,
See, they are sick!
Another! Another! we're going to win—
Lay it on thick!

[10]

RUB IT IN

It's all very well
For Reginald Dibbs,
Who hasn't been hit
By a ball in the ribs
And one on the shin
To shout, 'Rub it in!'
What cheek of R. Dibbs,
Who, you know, is a sneak,
To scream to you there
In his high treble squeak,
So strident and thin,
'O Jones, rub it in!'
[11]
I wonder if Dibbs,
When I punch him to-night,
Will think it was wise,
Or thoughtful, or right,
To caper and grin,
And yell, 'Rub it in!'

[12]

BUZZ HER IN

They're running another! Hi, Russell, look sharp!
Buzz her in!
Excuse me, you fellows—a Captain must carp—
Buzz her in!
The fielding's disgusting! when crossing our swords,
Or rather our bats, on the greensward of Lords
You must loose some few of your muscular cords—
Buzz her in!
Let her come like a flash, and remember, shy straight!
Buzz her in!
We don't want a fourer made into an eight—
Buzz her in!
Suppress all the Extras you possibly can,
[13]
For often they total far more than a man—
Just think of last year and the short runs they ran!
Buzz her in!
Don't trot by the side of the ball like a dolt,
Buzz her in!
But cram on the pace like a fine Derby colt,
Buzz her in!
Pick her up, dash her in true and fast to the sticks,
And teach the best batsmen to look to their tricks!
The team that can field well the team is that licks—
Buzz her in!
Get in front of the ball if you can—take the hint—
Buzz her in!
But if she flies past you, why—then you must sprint!
Buzz her in!
Turn round in an instant; decide in the same
[14]
Which wicket to throw at—it may win the game—
Beware of returns that are timidly tame,
Buzz her in!
Any bruise that you gain in the course of your toil,
Buzz her in!
The Matron will rub with St. Jacob his Oil,
Buzz her in!
And the fellows will cheer when you stop a hot drive—
Thronging round the Pavilion like bees near a hive;
And your name in our annals for ever will thrive—
Buzz her in!
If attention be paid to such details as these,
Buzz her in!
Much trembling will visit the Marlborough knees,
Buzz her in!
Let Rugby's Eleven tremendously try
[15]
To catch ev'ry catch be it low, hot, or high;
And down with each overthrow, wide ball, or bye—
Buzz her in!

[16]

A COLONIST

The Cornstalk ladles out his Fours
Or Fivers, as the slog may be.
Oh, how the ring of watchers roars
When Lyons's set and Taking Tea!
But when the hitter shows his paces
I like to note the varied faces—
Shrewsbury's with grief in it,
George Giffen's with relief in it,
When Lyons puts his beef in it
And planks her to the railings!
For Hearne's deliveries are stale,
And Lockwood's lightning does not thrive;
That fielder's anything but pale
[17]
Who goes great Gunns to stop the drive!
The Nottingham Express! He chases;
I like to note the varied faces—
Shrewsbury's with grief in it,
George Giffen's with relief in it,
When Lyons puts his beef in it
And planks her to the railings!

[18]

LIGHTNING (GREASED)

Who is Kortright? what is He
That Lang doth so commend him?
Bowly, fierce and fast is he;
The heaven such pace did lend him
That he might admired be.
Fast he is, but is he fair?
For throwing is unkindness.
Those to libel him who dare
Do only prove their blindness;
And, being kicked, retract it there.
[19]
Then to Kortright let us sing,
That Kortright is excelling;
He excels each rapid thing
On Lords or Oval dwelling.
To him let us leather bring.

[20]

GOLF STEALS OUR YOUTH

Have you seen the golfers airy
Prancing forth to their vagary,
Just as frisky in their gaiters
As a flock of Grecian Satyrs,
Looking everything heroic,
And magnificently stoic,
In a dress of such a pattern
As would fright the good God Saturn?
Have you heard them curse the sparrow
Fit to freeze your inmost marrow,
When the ball, that should be flitting,
On the grass remaineth sitting?
Have you watched their cheerful scrambles
[21]
In the soft and soothing brambles
While the foe, elate and sneering,
Passes gradually from hearing?
After blaming all the witches,
After rending holes in breeches,
After getting in a muddle
With each rivulet and puddle,
They return, all labour ended,
To record their prowess splendid,
And renew by dictionary
Their fatigued vocabulary.
Let these gentlemen ecstatic,
In their costumes so emphatic,
Crawl to find a rounded treasure
In the horse-pond at their pleasure.
What so good when time is sunny,
[22]
And the air as sweet as honey,
As the game of crease and wicket,
England's proper pastime—Cricket?

[23]

A TOMBOY

That long-legged darling, Alice James,
Plays cricket with the Johnson boys;
A dozen engines could not make
So shrill a noise.
She's only twelve, and so, unfrocked
Beyond her sometimes shameless knee;
And never maiden longed so much
A boy to be.
She puts on gloves and pads to bat,
And makes young Johnson bowl her slows.
Good heavens! How she pulled that ball!
And how she goes!
[24]
She's tumbled yards outside the crease,
And is indisputably out.
Another innings? Ah, how strong
That cherry pout!
She keeps on batting all the time,
And hammers Rupert Johnson's lobs;
She also thumps Emilius's,
And also Bob's!
So, riding roughshod over rules,
This long-legged Darling has her will;
And when she's twenty, I expect
She will do still.

[25]

ADVICE GRATIS

If lightning-like you send her down,
And yet the batsman scores
With here a One and there a Two,
And then a brace of Fours;
If calmly confident he stands,
And makes the leather fly
Past all your slips to dash against
The boundary palings, why—
Toss him down a slow, you see,
He's sure to have a go, you see;
And ten to one the trick is done
By just a bit of brains, you see!
[26]
If round the wicket, medium pace,
Won't make the batsman budge,
Take special note of what he likes,
And all his weakness judge.
Suppose he does the leg-glance well,
Or drives her hot and high,
Or runs to smother each good ball
And pulls the short ones, why—
Sling him in a grub, you see,
A ripping, wicked grub, you see;
And ten to one the trick is done
By just a pinch of wit, you see!
But if with equal craft he meets
Your wiles, and does not blench;
If ev'ry bowler in your team
Desires the restful bench,
And there he stands, the unsubdued,
[27]
With dauntless front and eye,
Prepared to smack your choicest balls
To realms unheard-of, why—
Don't ask my advice, you see,
No, not at any price, you see;
But ten to one the trick were done
If I were in your team, you see!

[28]

QUINQUAGINTA ANNOS NATUS

Old Bag and Bat, no more together
We take the train to Barnes or Tooting;
No more I'll gallop for the leather,
Nor grumble when the ball keeps shooting:
I've fetched her many a handsome clout
At Rugby, Nottingham, and Dover;
So far Old Time has said 'Not out!'
But one day he will change to 'Over!'
God bless the grilling days of Cricket!
They're gone, but I shall bless them ever,
For good it is to guard a wicket
By sudden wrist and big endeavour.
Don't think I was a lazy lout
[29]
Who never worked for days of clover;
I earned my games. Time cries 'Not out!'
But one day he will change to 'Over!'
Well, I can stand behind the netting
And watch the 'Coach' so keen and trusty,
Who likes to see the youngsters hitting,
And teaches them to let out lusty!
I've had my innings, not a doubt,
And stopped a crack or so at Cover;
I shall not funk when Time says 'Out!'
And all my watching days are over.

[30]

STAR-GAZING

Astronomers, working like niggers,
Neck-deep in morasses of figures,
From Cricketing vainly would wean us
With diagrams, even of Venus.
We rather would watch a good bowler
Than Bears, be they little or Polar;
And bar, though of masculine genus,
Wise talk on the Transit of Venus.
When Ladies at Lords saunter gaily
With Parsons (not musing on Paley),
Old friend of my boyhood, between us,
Then, then is the Transit of Venus!

[31]

O BOWLER, BOWLER

O Bowler, Bowler, when the day is hot,
Nor any more a wicket you can get;
When Curl and Length and Pace are Gone to Pot
Before the blade of him serenely set,
IS life worth living—life which only means
Your ev'ry ball receives stupendous Beans,
And that dread Bat a mighty harvest gleans
While your Analysis sinks deep in debt?
He cuts the leather hard and square,
Nor recks he if it shoots or kicks;
He sends you clean beyond the screen,
And lifts you o'er the Baths for six?
[32]
O Bowler, Bowler, when the Swells all frown
And say your non-success is due to Stodge;
When you in vain invoke the House of Brown
For help the brilliant Batsman to dislodge,
IS life worth living—life which only sends
Reproachful glances from despondent friends,
A varied action and a change of ends,
The subtle slow, the Daisy-cutter's dodge?
The Batsman smacks you to the Courts,
And drives you mad with cunning snicks;
He wipes you clean beyond the screen,
And crumps you o'er the Baths for six!
O Bowler, Bowler, when the Captain calls
'Let Longcroft try,' and places you at Point;
When Cover whispers 'Brown, look out for squalls!'
And, with a vengeance, times are out of joint,
IS life worth living—life which only brings
[33]
Mis-fielding pains and most erratic flings,
Which aid the Batsman's rapid regist'rings,
But leave you praiseless, slanged and unanoint?
The Batsman cuts the ball for five,
Employing judgment, nerve, and tricks;
He smites you clean beyond the screen,
And carts you o'er the Baths for six!

[34]

THE CHURCH CRICKETANT

I bowled three sanctified souls
With three consecutive balls!
What do I care if Blondin trod
Over Niagara Falls?
What do I care for the loon in the Pit
Or the gilded earl in the Stalls?
I bowled three curates once
With three consecutive balls!
I caused three Protestant 'ducks'
With three consecutive balls!
Poets may rave of lily girls
Dancing in marble halls!
What do I care for a bevy of yachts,
[35]
Or a dozen or so of yawls?
I bowled three curates once
With three consecutive balls!
I bowled three cricketing priests
With three consecutive balls!
What if a critic pounds a book,
What if an author squalls?
What do I care if sciatica comes,
Elephantiasis calls?
I bowled three curates once
With three consecutive balls!

[36]

REVENGE

Last week, when conning Cicero
In New Big School,
Smith called me, by a paraphrase,
A senseless mule:
I wasn't sharp enough just then
To answer, Jack,
That pots had oft been known to call
The kettles black!
And in the Close the other day
He called me 'Muff!'
I think I've borne his impudence
Quite long enough!
From length to length abusive men
[37]
Can quickly pass,
So I was hardly staggered when
He called me 'Ass!'
But in the nets on Friday eve
I long did toil
To make old Smith rub in at night
St. Jacob's Oil!
If on the Smithian shins remains
An unbruised inch
My name is not Bartholomew
Ezekiel Finch!

[38]

CHUCK HER UP

The leader was mightily pleased when he saw
That vanguard of his, with their trailing spears,
Stand up from their stoop by a common law
And welcome the sea with a round of cheers!
No doubt that he laughed as he drank his fill
Of the plundered wine in his golden cup;
But he knew not joy as an English boy
With his summer-time shout—'Chuck her up!'
And doubtless Columbus by hope deferred,
Wan, weary and worn, was down in the dumps
Till they brought him news of a mainland bird,
And fished up a couple of floating 'pumps.'
However polished the Portuguese phrase
[39]
That left his lips like a shot from a Krupp,
Allowing for dates I find it translates
By our cricketing shout—'Chuck her up!'
How decent when free of each Latin rule
To dash on your whites and rush to the field,
To do or die for the sake of your school
Where many have slogged and many appealed!
You feel in your heart like such chaps as Grace,
Or Surrey's old glory, the steadfast Jupp,
When you yell 'How's that?' to the Umpire, Pratt,
And the oracle says—'Chuck her up!'
'Twas a catch that dismissed the finest foe,
And your Captain hastens to pat your back!
So you modestly call it a fluke, and show
The mark through the glove and the thumbnail's crack:
But Pater, watching the match from the tent,
[40]
Remembers your wish for a Bernard pup,
And makes up his mind to be extra kind
For the sake of the shout—'Chuck her up!'
Thus, too, when our Lion is great again,
And roars at the tramp of advancing foes,
You may purchase praise by a twinge of pain
In the midst of battle and giant blows!
And next, when the English Flag's on the hill—
Though many are never again to sup—
For love of your land where the words were planned
Cry out to your men—'Chuck her up!'

[41]

TWO CRITICS

When that I was a little lad
I dearly loved Amelia James;
She always seemed sunshiny glad,
And took such notice of the games!
Selina, who was Acton's pet,
Distinctly looked prepared to scratch;
She never stood behind the net,
And never came to watch a match.
But Miss Amelia took such pride
In all our study and our sport,
That once I think she nearly cried
When half our team got out for nought.
[42]
She knew the secrets of the slips;
And when a friend or foe played well
A cheer came from her kindly lips
That made a fellow feel a Swell!
We loved to see her freckled face,
We loved to hear her jolly fun;
We searched her out a shady place,
And clapped with her the stolen run.
I loved her most of all the men,
For Mother's eyes were such a blue;
I loved her as a boy of ten
Can love a girl of twenty-two!
One day we played a rival team,
And I made eighty-four, not out;
I knew Amelia's face would beam,
And sometimes heard her pretty shout!
[43]
At night the Doctor sent for me
And said my feat was not amiss;
Miss James, though, took me on her knee
And thanked me with a clinking kiss.

[44]

BUTTERED

Buttered again, by Jingo,
Buttered again!
Likely to make your lingo
Awfully plain!
Isn't it rough on the bowler, too,
Doing his level to cram on screw?
Easiest catches to three of the crew
Buttered again!
Stoddart dispenses stingo,
Buttered again!
Likely to make your lingo
Awfully plain!
Four to the Off and four to the On,
[45]
One on the road to, at least, Hong Kong,
One in the air to the ropes is gone—
Buttered again!
Fate not fit for a dingo—
Buttered again!
Likely to make your lingo
Awfully plain!
Bowl you yorker or bowl you a grub,
Cover and Wicket your efforts snub—
Too much salad—Ah, there is the rub—
Buttered again!

[46]

SPARKLING

I'm not a good Cover I freely admit,
And I'm not very handy at Point;
I'm growing inert and no longer exert
The nimble gymnastical joint:
I cannot rejoice when a hurricane cut
Contuses my shin with its crunch;
When fielding to hitters my heart patters-pitters,
But trust me to sparkle at lunch!—
I radiate freely at lunch.
When Blair puts me Longstop without any pads,
And delivers occasional Wides,
My thumb is askew, and my bosom is blue,
And bruises be-smother my sides!
I cannot rejoice when a bail comes express
[47]
Saluting my pate with a punch;
Obesity quivers, there's wringing of withers,
But trust me to sparkle at lunch!—
I radiate freely at lunch.
The National Game is a tonic, I know,
And a tonic is very good stuff;
I wish, though, the ball were a little less small,
And I wish that two pads were enough!
I cannot rejoice when a Richardson comes
And crumbles me up in a bunch!
I never like tonic behaving cyclonic,
Preferring to sparkle at lunch!—
I corruscate freely at lunch.

[48]

'DUCK'

When the Doctor pulls up as you pass in the street
You know he will say:—
'Well, Rogers, I hear that you suffered defeat—
How many to-day?
Not a hundred, I fear; but you always do well,
And doubtless you stuck?'
It is hard to admit that you could not excel
A 'duck.'
For the bowling was easy, the wicket was true,
And had it not been
That you thought the slow trundler was guilty of screw
You had driven it clean!
How galling to read in the Sportsman next day—
[49]
What horrible luck!—
'H. Rogers (the Captain) caught Grinstead, bowled May,
A "duck."'
But 'tis worse when your Uncle and sweet Cousin Bell
Come over to watch
All your wonderful deeds as a very great Swell—
The hope of the match!
And Bell asks your score with a traitorous smile.
More knowing than Puck;
And you say (looking straight in her eyes all the while)
A 'duck.'
But when Fogson, your rival, makes Four after Four,
And Three after Three,
And next a grand drive, that adds six to his score,
Right over the tree,
Bell's eyes with excitement delightedly flash—
[50]
She praises his pluck!
So you think that the worst of emphatical trash
Is 'duck.'

[51]

ON THE SPOT

Nothing comes amiss,
Kicker, Shooter, Yorker,
How the Champion bangs
Lob or cunning Corker!
Let the watchers scold
Johnny Briggs or Mold,
Censure matters not—
Grace is on the Spot!
The Champion's on the Spot again
To stop the Gloucester Rot again,
And bowling goes to Pot again
Before the King of Cricket!

[52]

Hornby rubs his head,
Fourer after Fourer!
Now the pace is warm
Even for the Scorer.
This is simply joy—
Lump it in, Old Boy!
Don't she travel just?
Grace is on the Bust!
The Champion's on the Bust again,
'Tis fine to see him Dust again;
Don't talk to me of rust again,
You grand old King of Cricket!

[53]

THE HOPE OF SURREY

When Surrey ladled out defeat,
Who did it?
When Notts and Yorks and Kent were beat,
Who did it?
Lohmann did—George Lohmann—
Something like a yeoman,
Neither fast nor slow man,
George!
Surrey wants you—come again!
England wants you—cross the Main!
Say Good-bye to
Capetown sky, you
Best of Georges, come again!
[54]
Though bowlers good as you should come
(Not likely!)
From you to them shall fancy roam?
Not likely!
Soldier, sailor, tinker,
Ev'ry proper thinker,
Knows you are a clinker,
George!
Surrey wants you—come you back!
England wants you—homeward tack!
Say Good-bye to
Capetown sky, you
Best of Georges, come you back!
May warmer heavens make you whole
For Surrey!
How men would roar to see you bowl
[55]
For Surrey!
Nurs'd and help'd and mended,
Truly kept and tended,
Come and be our splendid
George!
Shuter wants you home again!
England wants you—cross the Main!
Say Good-bye to
Capetown sky, you
George of Georges, come again!

[56]

BOMBASTES

In dazzling pads Bombastes went
To give the bowling Beans;
He stalked along in sweet content,
Triumphant in his 'teens.
He launched his muscle at a Slow,
But heard the timber clink;
Bombastes homeward sped and said,
'Whatever do you think?
Bowled by a beastly lob, confound it!
Jumped in too far and hit all round it!
Easy enough to now expound it—
Bowled by a beastly lob!'
[57]
At luncheon-time Bombastes swore,
By oaths not one, nor twain,
That he would make the fielders sore
When he went in again!
A second time the hero strode
With Allsopp in his head;
Bombastes missed the first; he cursed
Consumedly, and said—
'Bowled by a beastly lob, confound it!
Jumped in too far and hit all round it!
Easy enough to now expound it—
Bowled by a beastly lob!'
May ev'ry braggart talking big
Secure the Double Duck!
By Roman grape and Grecian fig
I wish him dirty luck!
[58]
May underhanded artfulness
Precipitate his end,
His only comfort be, at tea,
To moan before a friend—
'Bowled by a beastly lob, confound it!
Jumped in too far and hit all round it!
Easy enough to now expound it—
Bowled by a beastly lob!'

[59]

ENGLAND V. AUSTRALIA

The Champion Grace to the match has gone,
In the British ranks you'll find him,
His magic bat he has girded on,
And his pads are slung behind him!
'Ground of Lords,' said the Bearded Pard,
'Though all the rest amaze thee,
My stumps for thee I'll keenly guard,
One faithful bat shall praise thee!'
The Champion smacked, and the Terror's reign
Could not bring his wicket under;
He made the Cornstalk's cunning vain,
For he smote each ball like thunder!
And said, 'No screw shall baffle me,
[60]
Thou soul of bowling bravery,
This game shall prove old England free,
She shall never sink in slavery!'

[61]

CRICKET ON THE HEARTH

When red-nosed Winter takes the road,
An icicle his walking-stick;
When frost is on the woodman's load,
And snow is falling fast and thick,
Come, lusty youth and sapless eld,
Let's make a circle round the blaze
And talk of stumps,
Of nasty bumps,
That flew and came in sunny days.
For Cricket is played again, again,
At freezing time in Hull or Bath;
When summer's done the game's not gone—
There's Cricket on the Hearth!
[62]
Here's Jones from Rugby, Eton Jack,
And Grandpapa who, long ago,
Loved hitting when the Field was slack,
And crumped the bowling, swift or slow!
No more he's nimble on the green,
But what a history he tells
Of Surrey men,
And hits for ten,
And heaps of most tremendous Swells!
For Cricket is played again, again,
At freezing time in Hull or Bath;
When summer's done the game's not gone—
There's Cricket on the Hearth!
The girls may call to Hide-and-Seek,
And lovely lasses take the floor;
But we discuss the Lob and Sneak,
The Canvas, Umpire, Over, Score!
How great a game to fill July,
[63]
May, June, and August with delights,
Yet in the frost
Be never lost,
But stir the blood on nipping nights!
For Cricket is played again, again,
At freezing time in Hull or Bath;
When Summer's done the game's not gone—
There's Cricket on the Hearth!

[64]

DARK BLUE

O Statesmen who devise and plot
To keep the White above the Black,
Who tremble when your bolt is shot
Lest love and loyalty grow slack,
There's not a deed of craftsmanship,
There's not a thing Red Tape can do,
Shall knit the Hindoo with the Celt
As much as this—the Cambridge Blue!
No million acres of Despatch,
No tanks of governmental ink,
Can force a native not to watch
For days when England's star may sink.
Build factories to weave the tape,
[65]
Make tables for the rice and dew—
Do all your best, and you shall miss
The binding force of Cambridge Blue!
An Indian gentleman to-day
Has staled your tortoise policy;
And thousands cheer to see him play,
A splendid batsman, quick and free.
A game shall dwindle all your cares,
A clever catch and runs a few!
A Parliament may fail indeed,
But not the band of Cambridge Blue!

[66]

THE LAST BALL OF SUMMER

'Tis the last ball of Summer
Left rolling alone;
All his artful companions
Are smitten and gone;
No trace of his kindred,
No shooter is seen
To relate all the glories
Of Briggs and Nepean.
I'll not leave thee, thou lone one,
To curl on the stumps;
Since thy brothers were slogged so,
Partake of their thumps!
Thus kindly I smack thee
[67]
Afar in the heavens,
Where the mates of thy tribe went
For sixes and sevens!
And soon may there follow,
Ere sinews decay,
A capital season
To get thee away!
For muscles must wither,
Our cricket be flown;
And we shall inhabit
Pavilions, and groan!

Printed by T. and A. Constable, Printers to Her Majesty
at the Edinburgh University Press


BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

In Verse.

Country Muse. In two volumes. (David Nutt.)

Orchard Songs. (Elkin Mathews and John Lane.)

In Prose.

A June Romance. (George E. Over, Rugby. The cheaper edition nearly ready.)

SOME CRITICAL OPINIONS.

'Dowsabella lives again and cowslips are in bloom.'—'A Fogey' in The Contemporary Review.

'There is a true country freshness in his lyrics,—birds sing and the breeze blows in them; his Clarindas and other country maidens have the rosy bloom of health and outdoor life, and his verse is musical and finished, and free from rustic affectations.'—Edinburgh Review.

'The verse of Mr. Gale, perhaps more truly and constantly than the verse of any of our younger living poets, stands the Miltonic test of poetry, in proving itself "simple, sensuous, passionate."'—From The Poets and Poetry of the Century.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

Minor punctuation and printer errors repaired.






End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Cricket Songs, by Norman Gale

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CRICKET SONGS ***

***** This file should be named 47354-h.htm or 47354-h.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
        http://www.gutenberg.org/4/7/3/5/47354/

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

Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will
be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive
specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this
eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook
for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports,
performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given
away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks
not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the
trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the
person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph
1.E.8.

1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the
Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when
you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country outside the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work
on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

  This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
  most other parts of the world 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.org. If you are not located in the
  United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you
  are located before using this ebook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg-tm License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format
other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain
Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
provided that

* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
  the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
  you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
  to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has
  agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
  Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
  within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
  legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
  payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
  Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
  Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
  Literary Archive Foundation."

* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
  you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
  does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
  License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
  copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
  all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm
  works.

* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
  any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
  electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
  receipt of the work.

* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
  distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The
Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm
trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm

Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at
www.gutenberg.org



Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.

The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the
mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its
volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous
locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt
Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to
date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and
official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

For additional contact information:

    Dr. Gregory B. Newby
    Chief Executive and Director
    gbnewby@pglaf.org

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular
state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works.

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.

Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org

This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.