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Ethel
Castilla

AN AUSTRALIAN GIRL

She’s pretty to walk with,
And witty to talk with,
And pleasant, too, to think on.”
Sir John Suckling.


She has a beauty of her own,
A beauty of a paler tone
    Than English belles;
Yet southern sun and southern air
Have kissed her cheeks, until they wear
The dainty tints that oft appear
    On rosy shells.

Her frank, clear eyes bespeak a mind
Old-world traditions fail to bind.
    She is not shy
Or bold, but simply self-possessed;
Her independence adds a zest
Unto her speech, her piquant jest,
    Her quaint reply.

Over classic volumes she will pore
With joy; and true scholastic lore
    Will often gain.

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