Tarjeta Festiva Card —educated girl poem

Inside: The Right Sort of Girl The lass who goes to college yet knows just what to do With vegetable marrow and with cocky-leeky too, Who can muse on the digramma or nu ephelkustikon And yet be never unmindful that the porridge-pot is on. The girl who's "up in" puddings and in pies and politics, Who can compound a gravy, or confound church heretics Talk right feelingly of Hegel, or knowingly on Kant, And yet be with her cookery book as deeply conversant. The maiden who can charm you with Bach or Mendelsohn, Knows when the moon's in apogee, can quote Anacreon, And who yet can boil potatoes, knows when a turnip's done, Can mould the restful doughnut and the festive currant bun. And the mathematic maiden who can criticize Laplace, Or whose chemical dexterity can analyze a gas; Who can also sew a button where a button ought to be, And, if needful, wield the duster and the broomstick skillfully. And she, the best and dearest, whose native common sense Escheweth ice-cream blandishments, the caramel's expense, Who quoteth Dio Lewis, goeth early to her bed, And riseth in the morning with a clear and cheerful head. —G. Inglis, 1889