A little girl, named Mary Kate,
Whom you may have chance to see,
Would have been loved by small and great,
But for one thing, which I'll relate;
So listen now to me.
A silly habit she's acquired
Of putting in her mouth,
The pretty fingers of her hand,
And sucking them, for hours she'd stand,
In a manner most uncouth.
Her play-companions used to laugh,
And jeeringly would say,
"Oh, pray bring Mary Kate some crumbs,
Poor thing! she's dining off her thumbs,
She'll eat them all away."
[Illustration: Girl Stealing Treacle.]