Yawcob Strauss and Other Poems/A Highly-Colored Romance

by Charles Follen Adams

A HIGHLY-COLORED ROMANCE.

Ben Green was a New-Hampshire boy,

Who stood full six feet two:

A jovial chap this same Ben Green,

Though he had oft been blue.

He loved a girl named Olive Brown,

Who lived near Bixby's pond,

And who, despite her brunette name,

Was a decided blonde.

"A Highly Colored Romance."

A pink of rare perfection she,

The belle of all the town;

Though Ben oft wished her Olive Green,

Instead of Olive Brown.

And she loved Ben, and said that nought

Should mar their joy serene;

And, when she changed from Olive Brown,

'Twould surely be to Green.

She kept her word in-violet,

And vowed, ere she was wed,

Although when Brown she had Be(e)n Green.

When Green she'd be well read.

But, ah! her young affections changed

To Gray, a Southern fellow;

And Green turned white the news to hear,

Though first it made him yell, oh!

Says he, " How can you lilac this,

When you vowed to be true?

I'll take your fine young lover, Gray,

And beat him till he's blue."

Then Olive Brown to crimson turned,

And said, "Do as you say:

The country long has wished to see

'The Blue combined with Gray.'"

Ben Green to purple turned with rage,

And black his brow as night;

While on the cheek of Olive Brown

The crimson changed to white.

"O cruel Olive Brown!" says Ben,

" I've been dun-brown by you :

Let this ' Grayback' his steps retrace,

And take Greenback, — oh, do!"

Poor Olive Brown, what could she say,

To sea-Green look so sad ?

And so she rose, and said to him,

" I'll go and ask my dad."

. . . .

The years rolled by: Ben's raven locks

For silver did not lack;

And Olive, with her hair of gold,

Was glad she took Greenback.