She stood still, absent-eyed, thinking for a moment; then, looking up at us: 

“It is really two poems in one.  If you read it straight across the page as it is written, then does it seem to be a boastful, hateful Tory verse, vilifying all patriots, even His Excellency—­ God forgive the thought!

“But in the middle of every line there is a comma, splitting the line into two parts.  And if you draw a line down through every one of these commas, dividing the written verse into two halves, each separate half will be a poem of itself, and the secret and concealed meaning of the whole will then be apparent.”

She laid the paper in my hands; instantly everybody, a-tiptoe with curiosity, clustered around to see.  And this is what we all read—­ the prettiest and most cunningly devised and disguised verse that ever was writ—­ or so it seems to me: 

  “Hark—­ hark the trumpet sounds, the din of war’s alarms
  O’er seas and solid grounds, doth call us all to arms,
  Who for King George doth stand, their honour soon shall shine,
  Their ruin is at hand, who with the Congress join. 
  The acts of Parliament, in them I much delight,
  I hate their cursed intent, who for the Congress fight. 
  The Tories of the day, they are my daily toast,
  They soon will sneak away, who independence boast,
  Who non-resistant hold, they have my hand and heart,
  May they for slaves be sold, who act the Whiggish part. 
  On Mansfield, North and Bute, may daily blessings pour
  Confusions and dispute, on Congress evermore,
  To North and British lord, may honours still be done,
  I wish a block and cord, to General Washington.”

Then Major Parr took the paper, and raising one hand, and with a strange solemnity on his war-scarred visage, he pronounced aloud the lines of the two halves, reading first a couplet from the left hand side of the dividing commas, then a couplet from the right, and so down the double column, revealing the hidden and patriotic poem: 

  “Hark—­ hark the trumpet sounds
  O’er seas and solid grounds! 
  The din of war’s alarms
  Doth call us all to arms! 
  Who for King George doth stand
  Their ruin is at hand: 
  Their honour soon shall shine
  Who with the Congress join: 
  The acts of Parliament
  I hate their cursed intent! 
  In them I much delight
  Who for the Congress fight. 
  The Tories of the day
  They soon will sneak away: 
  They are my daily toast
  Who independence boast. 
  Who non-resistant hold
  May they for slaves be sold. 
  They have my hand and heart
  Who act the Whiggish part. 
  On Mansfield, North, and Bute,
  Confusion and dispute. 
  May daily blessings pour
  On Congress evermore. 
  To North and British lord,
  I wish a block and cord! 
  May honours still be done
  To General Washington!”