Tis One By One The Father Counts

poem 545

‘Tis One by One the Father counts And then a Tract between Set Cypherless to teach the Eye The Value of its Ten Until the peevish Student Acquire the Quick of Skill Then Numerals are dowered back Adorning all the Rule ‘Tis mostly Slate and Pencil And Darkness on the School Distracts the Children’s fingers Still the Eternal Rule Regards least Cypherer alike With Leader of the Band And every separate Urchin’s Sum Is fashioned for his hand