In beds and chairs they sheltered snug, Into carpets and hassocks dug. In vain was every patent drug; Their safe retreats they still would hug. Powder, pastes, — all, all were tried, That chemists or the stores supplied; A hundred came for one that died. The cook complained, the children cried, The nurse gave notice; and beside The bedrooms were the worst infested, And no one slept or in them rested, Save one where they 'd not penetrated; The rest were thickly populated. There was the cimex lectularius, And all the cimicidce various; Some of all the kinds there are In genus hepteroptera. There were black ones, red ones, brown and yellow, Young and frisky, old and mellow; Of all ages, kinds, and stations, And each had hundreds of relations! Sir Thomas said, with a shuddering shrug, There were some of every kind of
In fact, you 'll see, if you 've caught my meaning, 'T was worse than a severe spring cleaning. None suffered so in all the land; it Was worse than the vilest Spanish bandit. 'T was plain they could n't, would n't stand it. Three wretched days had o'er them sped, But ere the fourth was gone they fled. Sent a note to the landlord, that within he Would find the key, and each golden guinea — 'T was eight in all — that for a week Was due. But Smith Went off to seek Sir Thomas. Found him; said, forthwith : "Go, if on going you are bent, sir; But first, if you please, my five weeks' rent, sir." "Five weeks!" Sir Thomas, angry, said; "Why, man, if we stayed on here five Days we 'd be consumed alive,
