Classic Poem

It was a lovely lady
With manners of the best;
She was finely educated
She was exquisitely dressed.
With a topic philanthropic
She arose to fill her place
In the program which was builded
For to elevate the race
She arose with highest purpose
Her noble best to do—
There were seven other ladies
Who were on the program too

The lady read her paper
Till her hearers wore a frown;
The chairman was a lady
And she would not ring her down;
And when the chairman hinted
That her limit long was o'er
The lady with the paper
Asked for just a minute more!
The hearers were all ladies,
What could the hearers do?
There were seven other ladies
Upon the program too!

And those seven other ladies
Had to summon grace sublime
To smile and wait in silent state
While the speaker stole their time

Eight speakers in a two hour space
Gives each a fair amount,
Could not the lady read the score
Of those who also claimed the floor?
Could not the lady count?
Did she imagine that her theme
Was the only subject there?
Or that her treatment was the best
And no one wished to hear the rest?
Was it that she forgot their feeling
Who had to lose what she was stealing?
Or that she did not care?