Old Town Types No. 12 - Mrs Munn, The Nurse

Mrs Munn, the midwife - Mother Munn they called her
Wallowed in the world's woes; sickness ne'er appalled her.
She spared no grisly detail as she gossipped on apace,
 When - 'Me an' Doctor Littlejohn, my dear, is on a case,'
For - 'Me an' Doctor Littlejohn has awful much to do;
An' some is doin' poorly, but we 'opes to pull 'em thro','
Says Mrs Munn, the town's nurse, short and gingham gowned,
Five feet two in height and four feet around.

Mrs Munn, the midwife toddles down the street,
Telling secrets, dropping hints to friends that she may meet.
'To see the state of 'er, my dear!  You 'ardly would believe;
But me an' Doctor Littlejohn ain't easy to deceive.
Gets 'er likker unbeknownst!  'Usband?  he don't see.
An' she says it's indigestion, but - you can't tell me!
I knows the signs,' says Mrs Munn, with nods and winks profound
  Five feet two of her and four feet around.

Mrs Munn, the midwife no laundered cap;
A black, bugled bonnet and an old print wrap
Were all she knew of uniform.  Her discipline was slack,
And curious things might happen when the doctor turned his back.
Maddened by her sloven ways, wearied by her voice,
He longed to send her packing, but he had no other choice
Than Mrs Munn, whose methos were both novel and unsound
Five feet two of her and four feet around.

Mrs Munn - Mother Munn - maybe she served her turn;
For science lagged in those days and men were slow to learn.
Tho' she had great and grievous faults, she had her virtues, too;
And 'Me an' Doctor Littlejohn' pulled many a hard case thro';
Where once she messed and muddled thro', mid births and typhoid scares,
A trim, efficient Sister now has charge of such affairs;
  For Mrs Munn, with all her kind, is long since underground
  The five feet two of her and four feet around.