6 APRIL 1951, Page 13

Praise be for Little Things

PRAISE be for little things, for all things small- " Small wonder that," and "little did he know " ; For small hours when the still small voice may call ; Small of the back, the little finger, toe ; "Another little one" by which we're led ;

The little while we take a little walk ;

The lesser of two evils ; the least said That soonest mends (presumably small-talk).

Praise be for parvo, multum within contained ; For Little Women, and the Little Bear ; The little which by little all is gained ; Living in a small way with little to spare ; For little dressmakers ; the little that goes A long way ; and for Little Liver Pills, Scintillas, peccadilloes, piccolos ;

Small profits, minor prophets, minor ills.

Praise be for grains, iotas, nutshells, specks ; For molehills, drops in the ocean, chicken-feed ;

For minimis of which non curat lex;

For hoots, damns, tinker's cusses, raps ; small heed, Small-arms, small craft, small comfort, smalls, small al%

Small Latin and less Greek, small-fry. Praise be

For all small mercies, everything small-scale.

And for this little verse, small thanks to me.

JUSTIN RICHARDSON.