Page:The Female-Impersonators 1922 book scan.djvu/307

Rh Who throng these noisy promenades

Their favors fair to sell;

And kissing thee we deem as sweet

As kissing ma'moiZelle!

"Lik'st thou that we thee sweetheart call?—

We'll humor thy desire;

Sit on our laps while we sip wine;

Let's flirt until we tire;

To break thy shapely corset stays,

We'll try our best, dear Jenn;

But thou must mimic maid thy best;

For us:—the part of men!" . . ..

To have love made by youthful swains,

To me was highest bliss;

In the bright dives where scores beheld,

No,—shrinked we not to kiss:—

Of yore in gay halls

Knew folk no self-restraint;

Insane e'en sometimes acted fools!

Those dens no place for saint! . . ..

I'm prone to-night to philosophize:—

Why did I gravitate

Toward racy denizens

When moved to dissipate?

'Twas just because I sought and found,

In "swell" gallants,

The opposites and complements

For whom my spirit pants. . . ..

O comrade of Rialto's halls

Of nineties of century past—