Per Aspera Ad Astra.

A canvas-back duck, rarely roasted, between us,                 A bottle of Chambertin, worthy of praise             Less noble a wine at our age would bemean us                 A salad of celery en mayonnaise,             With the oysters we've eaten, fresh, plump, and delicious,                 Naught left of them now but a dream and the shells;             No better souper e'en Lucullus could wish us                 Why, even our waiter regards us as swells.             Your dress is a marvel, your jewels show finely,                 Your friends in the circle all envied your box;             You say Lilli Lehman sang quite too divinely                 I know I can't lose on that last deal in stocks.             Without waits our footman to call for our carriage                 Gad, how he must hate us, out there in the cold!             We rode in a hack on the day of our marriage,                 Number two forty-six I was rolling in gold,             For I'd quite fifty dollars; and don't you remember                 We drove down to Taylor's, a long cherished dream:             How grandly I ordered just think, in December!                 Some cake, and two plates of vanilla ice-cream.             And how we enjoyed it! Your glance was the proudest                 Among the proud beauties, your face the most fair;             I'm rather afraid, too, your laugh was the loudest;                 I know we shocked every one we didn't care.             Now we'd care a great deal with two sons at college,                 And daughters just out, whose sneers make you wince,             We've tasted the fruit of Society's knowledge                 I don't think we've quite enjoyed anything since.             All through, dear? Now, don't wipe your mouth with the doily!                 They're really not careful at all with their wine;             It wasn't half warmed the salad was oily                 And I don't think the duck was remarkably fine.