Domestic Asides; Or, Truth in Parentheses.

“I really take it very kind,

This visit, Mrs. Skinner!

I have not seen you such an age —

(The wretch¹ has come to dinner!)

“Your daughters, too, what loves of girls —

What heads for painters’ easels!

Come here and kiss the infant, dears —

(And give it p’rhaps the measles²!)

“Your charming boys I see are home

From Reverend Mr. Russell’s;

’Twas very kind to bring them both —

(What boots for my new Brussels!)

“What! little Clara left at home?

Well now I call that shabby:

I should have loved to kiss her so —

(A flabby, dabby, babby!)

“And Mr. S., I hope he’s well,

Ah! though he lives so handy,

He never now drops in to sup —

(The better for our brandy!)

“Come, take a seat — I long to hear

About Matilda’s marriage;

You’re come of course to spend the day!

(Thank Heaven, I hear the carriage!)

“What! must you go? next time I hope

You’ll give me longer measure;

Nay³ — I shall see you down the stairs —

(With most uncommon⁴ pleasure!)

“Good-bye! good-bye! remember all,

Next time you’ll take your dinners!

(Now, David, mind I’m not at home

In future to the Skinners!”)

1 wretch   

n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人

参考例句：

• You are really an ungrateful wretch to complain instead of thanking him.你不但不谢他，还埋怨他，真不知好歹。
• The dead husband is not the dishonoured wretch they fancied him.死去的丈夫不是他们所想象的不光彩的坏蛋。

2 measles   

n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子

参考例句：

• The doctor is quite definite about Tom having measles.医生十分肯定汤姆得了麻疹。
• The doctor told her to watch out for symptoms of measles.医生叫她注意麻疹出现的症状。

3 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

4 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。