• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Institute of Australian Culture

Heritage, history, and heroes; literature, legends, and larrikins

  • Home
  • Articles
  • Biographies
  • Books
  • Ephemera
  • Poetry & songs
    • Recommended poetry
    • Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
    • Poetry and songs, 1901-1954
    • Rock music and pop music [videos]
    • Early music [videos]
  • Slang
  • Timeline
    • Timeline of Australian history and culture
    • Calendar of Australian history and culture
    • Significant events and commemorative dates
  • Topics

“Two little romances” [poem for children, by Eva Oakley]

11 April 2021 · Leave a Comment

[Editor: This poem for children, by Eva Oakley, was published in Willie Wagtail, Two Little Romances and Other Verses (1945).]

“Two Little Romances”

A CONFESSION — Bob tells Ben about Nell.

“I meet a lovely lady fair,
When I go walking out each day;
She has a wealth of golden hair,
And, on her lips, a smile does play.
Her eyes are of the deepest blue,
And, pink as roses, are her cheeks;
I know she is both good and true;
Her voice is soft whene’er she speaks.
’Twixt ruby lips, show teeth of pearl;
She carries herself like a queen,
And, on her brow, a tiny curl,
Beneath her bonnet quaint, is seen,
And now, my bosom swells with pride;
The reason is, that lovely Nell
Has promised she will be my bride,
And dwell with me down in the dell.”

MARRIED — Some months later, Bob and Ben meet again — and Bob says to Ben —

“Let me now take you to the home,
Wherein I dwell with Nell;
For we’ve been married quite a while,
And live down in the dell.
That pretty porch, across the way,
Is where you enter in,
With roses climbing overhead;
Birds making joyful din.
Across the hall, let us now step,
And gaze into that room,
Where lovely pictures meet the eye,
And flowers, from vases, loom.
Outside, the garden looks so gay,
With sweetest fragrance, free,
And my Nell! She knows how to cook!
Perhaps you’ll stay to tea.”

THE PETS — They meet once more: Bob says —

“Why! Here we are again, old chap!
And I am glad we’ve met;
You must take tea with Nell and me;
Each of us has a pet.
I’ll introduce them both to you;
I think you’ll love them too;
Mine is a dog, and hers, a cat;
They’re Prince and Chinky Foo.
They make good company for Nell,
While I’m away all day;
But, soon as they see me come home,
Both bound along to play.
Well! Here we are right back again,
And see! Our pals have heard —
‘Down, Prince! Down, Chink! Please, don’t be rude.’
They’re beauties? Yes! My word!”

THE FAMILY GROWS.
Another meeting, and Bob says —

“I have not seen you for so long;
It must be nigh four years;
But you’ve been travelling around:
Still! Now you’re home! Three cheers!
I wrote to you about our boy,
And also, of our girl;
She’s like her mother, even to
That tiny golden curl,
Which, from beneath her bonnet, strays,
And pretty teeth, like pearl.
My boy is just like me, they say,
And Nell just beams with pride,
Because she says, ‘We’re there again,
All over, side by side.’”

THE LETTER — Bob writes to Ben.

“Dear Ben, I’m writing this to you,
To ask you home to tea,
On Monday next; my sister, Jean,
I’m hoping we will see.
She has not been home long, you know,
From many years abroad;
I promised that you two would meet,
So, now, I’ve kept my word.
You’ve seen, her picture, and you think,
You’ll get on well together:
Oh, well! Old Chap! I wish you luck,
And hope ’twill be nice weather.
Then, maybe, you can see her home,
As I once saw my Nell;
I’m looking forward to it all,
From your old friend, Bob Bell.”

BEN AND JEAN ARE ENGAGED, so Ben writes to Bob.

“Dear Bob, I simply could not wait,
Until we met again,
And so, to write this note to you,
I’ve taken up my pen.
Your sister Jean and I will, soon,
Again come round to tea,
If you will have us, Bob, old friend;
I’m sure you will agree.
For we have now become engaged,
And, in the Spring, we’ll wed;
When I asked Jean to be my wife,
The answer, ‘Yes!’ was said.
I am so happy, Bob, and feel
Thankful to you and Nell,
For helping us in every way,
Your grateful friend, Ben Kell.”

THE WEDDING — Ben and Jean are Married.

Soon, Ben and Jean were married,
In the little country kirk;
All went so smoothly, and the folk
Took holiday from work.
Dear little Nell was flower girl,
And Bobbie was the page;
A tiny bird trilled music sweet,
From a big, golden cage.
A honeymoon, down by the sea,
They took, and then came home,
To the nice cottage they had bought,
And never wished to roam,
For they had pets and children too,
Who filled the place with laughter;
So, all of them were filled with joy,
And were happy ever after.



Source:
Eva Oakley, Willie Wagtail, Two Little Romances and Other Verses, Melbourne: Austral Printing & Publishing Company, [1950], pp. 7-11

Editor’s notes:
dell = a small valley, dale, or glen, especially one with many trees; a secluded wooded hollow

din = a loud noise which continues for a significant amount of time, especially an unpleasant noise

gay = happy, joyous, carefree; well-decorated, bright, attractive (in modern times it may especially refer to a homosexual, especially a male homosexual; can also refer to something which is no good, pathetic, useless)

kirk = a church (the term is especially used in Scotland and northern England); (capitalised) the Kirk, i.e. the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), distinct from the Church of England (Anglican) or the Scottish Episcopal Church

nigh = near, close, especially regarding time or place (e.g. “the time was nigh”); approaching, nearly; almost

’twill = (archaic) a contraction of “it will”

’twixt = (vernacular) a contraction of “betwixt” (i.e. between) (may be spelt with or without an apostrophe: ’twixt, twixt)

whene’er = (vernacular) a contraction of “whenever”

Filed Under: poetry for children Tagged With: Eva Oakley (1881-1952) (author), poem for children, SourceSLV, Willie Wagtail Two Little Romances and Other Verses (Eva Oakley 1950), year1950

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Australian flag, Kangaroo, Wattle, 100hThe Institute of Australian Culture
Heritage, history, and heroes. Literature, legends, and larrikins. Stories, songs, and sages.

Search this site

Featured books

The Man from Snowy River and Other Verses, by Banjo Paterson A Book for Kids, by C. J. Dennis  The Bulletin Reciter: A Collection of Verses for Recitation from The Bulletin The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, by C. J. Dennis The Complete Inner History of the Kelly Gang and Their Pursuers, by J. J. Kenneally The Foundations of Culture in Australia, by P. R. Stephensen The Australian Crisis, by C. H. Kirmess Such Is Life, by Joseph Furphy
More books (full text)

Featured lists

Timeline of Australian history and culture
A list of significant Australiana
Significant events and commemorative dates
Australian slang
Books (full text)
Australian literature
Rock music and pop music (videos)
Folk music and bush music (videos)
Early music (videos)
Recommended poetry
Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
Poetry and songs, 1901-1954
Australian explorers
Topics
Links

Featured posts

Advance Australia Fair: How the song became the Australian national anthem
Brian Cadd [music videos and biography]
Ned Kelly: Australian bushranger
Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song]

Some Australian authors

E. J. Brady
John Le Gay Brereton
C. J. Dennis
Mary Hannay Foott
Joseph Furphy
Mary Gilmore
Charles Harpur
Grant Hervey
Lucy Everett Homfray
Rex Ingamells
Henry Kendall
“Kookaburra”
Henry Lawson
Jack Moses
“Dryblower” Murphy
John Shaw Neilson
John O’Brien (Patrick Joseph Hartigan)
“Banjo” Paterson
Marie E. J. Pitt
A. G. Stephens
P. R. Stephensen
Agnes L. Storrie (Agnes L. Kettlewell)

Recent Posts

  • Australia Day [26 January 1953]
  • Australia Day [24 January 1953]
  • Australia Day [29 January 1951]
  • Australia Day [28 January 1950]
  • Danger-signals from Australia [2 January 1942]

Top Posts & Pages

  • Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
  • Australian slang
  • The Man from Snowy River [poem by Banjo Paterson]
  • The Bastard from the Bush [poem, circa 1900]
  • The Bard and the Lizard [poem by John Shaw Neilson]

Archives

Categories

Posts of note

The Bastard from the Bush [poem, circa 1900]
A Book for Kids [by C. J. Dennis, 1921]
Click Go the Shears [traditional Australian song, 1890s]
Core of My Heart [“My Country”, poem by Dorothea Mackellar, 24 October 1908]
Freedom on the Wallaby [poem by Henry Lawson, 16 May 1891]
The Man from Ironbark [poem by Banjo Paterson]
Nationality [poem by Mary Gilmore, 12 May 1942]
The Newcastle song [music video, sung by Bob Hudson]
No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest [poem by Mary Gilmore, 29 June 1940]
Our pipes [short story by Henry Lawson]
Rommel’s comments on Australian soldiers [1941-1942]
Shooting the moon [short story by Henry Lawson]

Recent Comments

  • rob buntine on No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest [poem by Mary Gilmore, 29 June 1940]
  • Carol on Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
  • Annie Crestani on Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song]
  • Peter Pearsall on The Clarence [poem by Jack Moses]
  • Trevor Hurst on Timeline of Australian history and culture

For Australia

Copyright © 2023 · Log in