My Wife’s Second Husband

The world goes round, old fellow, And still I’m in the swim, While my wife’s second husband Is growing old and grim. I meet him in the city It all seems very tame He glances at me sometimes As if I were to blame. Oh, my wife’s second husband Was handsome, young and true; He had his boyish visions (I had my visions too). He made a model lover The greenest in the game They say, when I was married That I was just the same. Though I am ten years older My hair is dark to-day, While my wife’s second husband Is quickly growing grey. I drank when first he knew me, And he drank not at all; I see that he, through drinking, Is going to the wall. A sweet ill-treated woman, A drunken brute (Good Lord!) Ah, well, she got her freedom, And he got his reward. He’ll fight it out a season, For Fate will not be forced, But my wife’s second husband Shall surely be divorced. I sympathize, and wonder What mutual friends would think If my wife’s second husband And I should have a drink. And I a mere bystander It almost seems absurd Might lay prophetically My hand on my wife’s third. But my wife’s second husband His sorrows shall forget, We’ll clasp warm hands in friendship And clink our glasses yet. We’ll smoke cigars together, In pure philosophy, While calmly contemplating The fate of number three.