Ye Song of Ye Gossips
1
One old maid,
And another old maid,
And another old maid—that’s three—
And they were agossiping, I am afraid,
As they sat sipping their tea.
2
They talked of this,
And they talked of that,
In the usual gossiping way
Until everybody was black as your hat,
And the only ones white were they.
3
One old maid,
And another old maid,—
For the third had gone into the street—
Who talked in a way of that third old maid,
Which never would do to repeat.
4
And now but one
Dame sat all alone,
For the others were both away.
“I’ve never yet met,” said she, with a groan,
“Such scandalous talkers as they.”
5
“Alas! and alack!”
“We’re all of a pack!
For no matter how we walk,
Or what folk say to our face, our back
Is sure to breed gossip and talk.”
H. PYLE