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diff --git a/10912-0.txt b/10912-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a44b9f0 --- /dev/null +++ b/10912-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1504 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 10912 *** + +THE INFANT'S DELIGHT + + + +[Illustration: THE MISTLETOE-SELLERS.] + + +[Illustration: THE DEAD ROBIN.] + +[Illustration] + + + +BLIND MAN'S BUFF. + +When the win-ter winds are blow-ing, + And we ga-ther glad and gay, +Where the fire its light is throw-ing, + For a mer-ry game at play, +There is none that to my know-ing,-- + And I've play-ed at games enough,-- +Makes us laugh, and sets us glow-ing + Like a game at Blind-man's Buff. + + + + +THE DEAD ROBIN. + +All through the win-ter, long and cold, + Dear Minnie ev-ery morn-ing fed +The little spar-rows, pert and bold, + And ro-bins, with their breasts so red. + +She lov-ed to see the lit-tle birds + Come flut-ter-ing to the win-dow pane, +In answer to the gen-tle words + With which she scat-ter-ed crumbs and grain. + +One ro-bin, bol-der than the rest, + Would perch up-on her fin-ger fair, +And this of all she lov-ed the best, + And daily fed with ten-der-est care. + +But one sad morn, when Minnie came, + Her pre-ci-ous lit-tle pet she found, +Not hop-ping, when she call-ed his name, + But ly-ing dead up-on the ground. + + + + +ALL THINGS OBEY GOD. + +"He saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth." + +God's works are very great, but still + His hands do not ap-pear: +Though hea-ven and earth o-bey His will, + His voice we can-not hear. + +And yet we know that it is He + Who moves and governs all, +Who stills the rag-ing of the sea, + And makes the showers to fall. + +Alike in mer-cy He be-stows + The sun-shine and the rain; +That which is best for us He knows, + And we must not com-plain, + +Whe-ther He makes His winds to blow, + And gives His tem-pests birth, +Or sends His frost, or bids the snow-- + "Be thou up-on the earth." + + + +[Illustration: HE SAITH TO THE SNOW: BE THOU ON THE EARTH. JOB 37.6] + +[Illustration: SNOW-BALL-ING.] + + + + +SNOW-BALL-ING. + +See these mer-ry ones at play, +On this snowy New Year's Day: +How they run, and jump, and throw +Hand-fuls of the soft, white snow. +You should hear them laugh and shout +As they fling the snow about! +'Tis by Frank and Gus alone +That the balls are chief-ly thrown, +While their cou-sins make and bring +Other balls for them to fling. +Ka-tie is pre-par-ing thus, +Quite a store of balls for Gus; +But her mer-ry sis-ter May +From her task has run a-way, +All that heavy lump of snow, +At her cou-sin Gus to throw. +E-dith is not very bold, +And at first she fear-ed the cold; +Now at last you see her run +Down the steps to join the fun. + + + + +THE SICK DOLL. + + +Oh! is there any cause to fear + That dol-ly will be very ill? +To cure my lit-tle dar-ling here, + Pray, doc-tor, use your ut-most skill. + +And dol-ly, if you would get well, + Hold out your arm, that Dr. Gray +May feel your tiny pulse, and tell + What best will take the pain a-way. + +And do not say: "I will not touch + That nas-ty phy-sic, nor the pill." +If lit-tle dolls will eat too much, + They must not won-der if they're ill. + +If your mam-ma ate too much cake, + She would be very poor-ly too, +And nas-ty phy-sic have to take; + And, lit-tle dol-ly, so must you. + + + +[Illustration: Those who the South-ern O-cean cross, +Meet with the wide-wing-ed Al-ba-tross.] + +[Illustration: In ri-vers near the hot E-qua-tor, +Lives the huge, sca-ly Al-li-ga-tor.] + +[Illustration: In north-ern snows, the Po-lar Bear, +'Mid glit-ter-ing ice-bergs makes his lair.] + +[Illustration: In shel-ter-ed nooks, by ri-ver-sides, +The strange-ly-beard-ed Bar-bel hides.] + +[Illustration: THE SICK DOLL.] + +[Illustration: LITTLE ROSE'S VALENTINE.] + +[Illustration] + + + +NEL-LY'S PET LAMB. + + +This lit-tle Lamb was brought to Nell + The day its old ewe mo-ther died, +And, now it knows and loves her well, + It will not go from Nel-ly's side. +A-long the hall, and up the stair, + You hear its lit-tle pat-ter-ing toes: +Her Pet will fol-low every-where + A-bout the house, where Nel-ly goes. + + + + +ROSE'S VA-LEN-TINE. + + +ROSE. + +The post-man has been, dear mam-ma, + And has brought me a let-ter so fine; +And Su-san has one, but it is not, by far, + So pret-ty a let-ter as mine. +And, pray, will you read it to me, + Mam-ma, if I give you a kiss? +I wish very much to know who it can be + That has sent me a let-ter like this. + +MAM-MA. + +To the lot of our dear lit-tle Rose + We trust every bless-ing may fall; +And this is the prayer and the fond hope of those + Who love her most dear-ly of all. + +So now, lit-tle Rose, can you guess + Who sent you this let-ter by post? + +ROSE. + +Oh, yes, dear mam-ma, I can tell you; oh, yes! + For you, and pa-pa, love me most. + + + + +"YOUR HEA-VEN-LY FA-THER FEED-ETH THEM." + + +God loves His lit-tle birds; for all + His ten-der care He shows; +A sin-gle spar-row can-not fall + But its Cre-a-tor knows. + +They do not sow, nor reap the corn, + Gar-ner nor barn have they; +God gives them break-fast every morn, + And feeds them through the day. + +And this we know; for in His Word, + Where all His ways we read, +We find that eve-ry lit-tle bird + He cares for, and will feed. + +God loves each lit-tle bird; but still + More ten-der is His care +For chil-dren who o-bey His will, + Than for the fowls of air. + + + +[Illustration: YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER FEEDETH THEM. MATT. vi. 26.] + +[Illustration: PLOUGH-ING.] + + + + +PLOUGH-ING. + + +The lit-tle birds by God are fed +But man must earn his dai-ly bread, + And work that he may eat; +Striv-ing his best, as John does now, +The broad ten-acre field to plough, + Where-in to sow the wheat. + +Old John, the plough-man, ne'er re-pines, +Whe-ther it blows, or rains, or shines, + But hap-py still does seem; +And Dick, who leads the fore-most horse, +Goes whist-ling as he walks across + The field be-side the team. + +Let us per-form as glad-ly, too, +The work our Mas-ter bids us do, + And then we need not fear; +But when from earth-ly toil we rest, +We all shall meet a-mong the blest + Who served Him tru-ly here. + + + + +"HOW IS THE WEA-THER?" + + Cold win-ter has come, + And the cru-el winds blow-- +The trees are all leaf-less and brown; + These two pret-ty rob-ins, + Oh, where shall they go +To shel-ter their lit-tle brown heads from the snow? + Just look at the flakes com-ing down. + +But see, they have found a snug shel-ter at last, +And hark, how they talk, while the storm whis-tles past: + + Says Pol-ly to Dick-y, + "You're near-est the door, +And you are the gen-tle-man, too: + Just peep out and see + When the storm will be o'er; +Be-cause, if the wea-ther's as bad as be-fore, +I think we will stay, do not you?" + + + +[Illustration: Far up a-mong the moun-tain peaks, +His food the lone-ly Con-dor seeks.] + +[Illustration: The Co-bra has a dead-ly bite. +And yet in mu-sic takes de-light.] + +[Illustration: The A-rabs through the de-sert wide, +On the swift Dro-me-dary ride.] + +[Illustration: In gen-tle ri-vers, still and clear, +We see the shin-ing Dace ap-pear.] + +[Illustration: "HOW IS THE WEATHER?"] + +[Illustration: NELLY'S NEW PARASOL.] + + + +NAUGH-TY NEL-LY AND HER NEW PA-RA-SOL. + + +"No, Nel-ly! not to-day, my child! + I can-not let you take it; +This cold March wind, so strong and wild, + Your pa-ra-sol, 'twould break it!" + +So said Mam-ma; but Nel-ly thought, + "I will take my new pre-sent: +Tis mine; to please me it was bought; + The wea-ther's bright and plea-sant." + +So naugh-ty Nel-ly sli-ly took + What kind Mam-ma had bought her, +And out she went--and, only look! + The wild March wind has caught her! + +The silk tore up, the ribs broke out, + In spite of Nel-ly's sway-ing; +And peo-ple laugh-ed at her, no doubt-- + That comes of dis-o-bey-ing. + + + + +"THE FLOW-ERS AP-PEAR ON THE EARTH." + +(SONG OF SOLOMON, ii. 12.) + + +Now the win-ter cold is past, + And blithe March winds are blow-ing, +In shel-ter-ed nooks we find at last + Bright flow-ers of spring are grow-ing. + +Along the hedge-row's mossy bank, + Where ivy green is creep-ing, +We see through weeds and net-tles rank + The dark-blue vi-o-let peep-ing. + +And in the sun-ny gar-den beds + Gay a-co-nites are show-ing, +And snow-drops bend their grace-ful heads, + And cro-cus-es are glow-ing. + +God makes the buds and leaves un-fold, + All flow-ers are of His giv-ing; +He guards them through the win-ter's cold, + He cares for all things liv-ing. + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration: WHO TORE IT?] + +[Illustration: The E-mu in Aus-tra-lia's found, +Where the wild bush spreads far a-round.] + + + +[Illustration: The ant-lered Elk comes pranc-ing forth +From the pine for-ests of the North.] + +[Illustration: The Frog is of-ten-est to be seen +In grassy mea-dows, damp and green.] + +[Illustration: The Fly-ing Fish can swim with ease, +Or flut-ter o'er the tro-pic seas.] + +[Illustration: THE LITTLE HERO.] + +[Illustration: BLOWING BUBBLES.] + +[Illustration] + + + +JUMP! PUS-SY! + + +Pus-sy, jump! for all the day +You have time e-nough to play; +Though at night, in barn and house, +You must watch for rat or mouse. + +Pus-sy, jump! and if you do, +We will pour some milk for you; +Pus-sy, you shall be ca-ressed, +If you try and jump your best. + + + + +BLOW-ING BUB-BLES. + + + Har-ry and Tom, the o-ther day, + Went out in-to the yard to play; +Their great de-light, in wea-ther bright, + Is blow-ing bub-bles with pipes of clay. + + Tom took a ba-sin deep and wide, + And Har-ry brought his mug be-side; +They fil-led them quite with soap-suds white, + And each to blow the big-gest tried. + + Poor Tom, he blew with might and main, + And so, of course, he blew in vain; +For all his trou-ble he made no bub-ble, + But Tom was brave and tried a-gain. + + Till Har-ry said, "Dear Tom, you see, + You blow too hard; now--look at me. +There! that will rise to-ward the skies, + And float a-bove the li-lac tree." + + + + +A-PRIL SHOW-ERS. + +"Thou makest the earth soft with show-ers: Thou bless-est the spring-ing +there-of."--PSALM lxv. 10. + + +When A-pril skies be-gin to frown, +And the cold rain comes pelt-ing down, +We must not grum-ble nor com-plain, +Nor i-dly say, we hate the rain. + +God sends the rain; the dust-y ground +It soft-ens in the fields a-round; +The mois-ture ev-e-ry plant re-ceives, +And springs a-fresh in flow-ers and leaves. + +Should God for-bid the show-ers to fall, +Nor send us any rain at all, +The ground would all grow hard and dry, +And ev-e-ry liv-ing plant would die. + +All things would starve and per-ish then-- +No food for birds, nor beasts, nor men; +Then do not mur-mur, nor com-plain, +God, in His good-ness, sends the rain. + + + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration: "SNAP, BE GOOD!"] + + + + +"SNAP, BE GOOD!" + + +"Dear lit-tle Snap, you fun-ny pup, + I love to see you beg, +So cle-ver-ly do you sit up + And bend each slen-der leg, + Drop-ping the paw; +And raise your ears a-bove your head, + Look-ing so very wise; +You seem to know I have some bread; + And then, such bright green eyes + I never saw. + +"Your shag-gy coat is long and rough, + Your tail is rough-er still; +Now, Snap, I think you've had e-nough, + And more would make you ill-- + In-deed it would. +But sis-ter Lot-ty has some cake, + And so if you will sit +Quite still and good, till I say 'Take!' + Then you shall have a bit; + So, Snap, be good!" + + + + +THE STRAY KIT-TEN. + + +"Come, Kit-ty, come; you need not fear, + Nor make that plain-tive mew; +Don't be a-fraid, but ven-ture near, +And lap the milk we bring you here, + For none will in-jure you. + +"And, Kit-ty, since you've lost your way, + You need no fur-ther roam; +But stop, and dine with us to-day, +And then, if you would wish to stay, + Poor Kit-ty, here's your home. + +"And we will feed you fine and fat, + On fresh new milk and nice; +And, when you grow to be a cat, +You can re-quite us well for that, + By catch-ing all the mice." + + + +[Illustration: Where the wide wastes of o-cean lie, +The greed-y Gan-net loves to fly.] + +[Illustration: Though ve-nom-ous, as authors write, +The Gek-ko is not known to bite.] + +[Illustration: The Ri-ver Horse a-mong the reeds +Of A-fric's lone-ly ri-vers feeds.] + +[Illustration: A-round our coasts the fish-ers meet +With Had-docks, which, when dri-ed, we eat.] + +[Illustration: THE STRAY KITTEN.] + +[Illustration: THE FIRST OF MAY.] + + +[Illustration] + + + +THE MAY-POLE. + + + Round the May-pole, on the grass, + Mer-ry lit-tle foot-steps pass; + In the mid-dle Bes-sie stands, + With the May-pole in her hands; + While her play-mates dance and sing + Round her in an end-less ring. + Soon, in-deed, a feast they'll make, + Cow-slip tea, with nice plum-cake-- +And so our leave of them we'll take. + + + + +THE FIRST OF MAY. + + +The haw-thorn blos-som, snow-y white, + Hangs thick upon the hedge to-day; +With many flow-ers the fields are bright + Upon this mer-ry First of May. + +So let us ga-ther flow-er-ets fair, + And blos-soms from the haw-thorn spray, +To deck our May-pole stand-ing there, + Upon this mer-ry First of May. + +And then, like fai-ries, in a ring, + A-round it we will dance or play, +And all our glad-dest songs will sing + Upon this mer-ry First of May. + +And dear-est Maud shall there be seen + With crown of haw-thorn blos-soms gay, +And she shall be our lit-tle queen, + Upon this mer-ry First of May. + + + + +UNI-VER-SAL PRAISE. + + +See how na-ture now re-joices + In this sun-ny month of May; +Still to God from all its voices + Giv-ing prais-es day by day. +In the glad green wood-land al-leys + Ev-e-ry bird its an-them trills! +While flocks feed-ing in the val-leys, + Herds up-on a thou-sand hills, +Join with ev-ery crea-ture liv-ing, + Here on land, in air, or sea, +In one great world-wide thanks-giv-ing, + Yield-ing praise, O God, to Thee! +All a-round us swells the cho-rus + From this good-ly world of ours, +And earth's al-tar stands be-fore us + Sweet with in-cense from her flow-ers. +So, with Na-ture still con-fess-ing + His great good-ness, let us pay +Grate-ful hom-age for each bless-ing + Of this sun-ny month of May. + + + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration: LOST LABOUR.] + +[Illustration: The sa-cred I-bis, we are told, +The E-gyp-tians much re-vered of old] + +[Illustration: The I-gua-na's flesh is sweet and good; +It haunts the riv-er and the wood.] + +[Illustration: On hin-der legs and tail so strong, +The slim Jer-boa bounds a-long.] + +[Illustration: A row of prick-les, long and keen, +On the John-Do-ry's back is seen.] + +[Illustration: WASHING MY CHILDREN.] + +[Illustration: TAKING CARE OF BABY] + + +[Illustration] + + + +THE DAN-DE-LION CLOCK. + +The dan-de-lion blos-soms gay +From the fields have passed away, +And in their place left heads of grey. +Now, Min-nie, won't it be good fun +For each of us to ga-ther one, +And sit and blow them in the sun? +Very hard we both must blow, +And scat-ter all the seeds like snow, +That will be 'one o'clock,' you know." + + + + +TAK-ING CARE OF BA-BY. + + +Lit-tle, help-less ba-by dear, + While with-in your cot you lie, +Sis-ter May is sit-ting near-- + She will sing your lul-la-by. + +When at last you fall a-sleep, + Not the slight-est noise she'll make; +Quiet as a mouse she'll keep, + Lest she should her dar-ling wake. + +May will watch you well, for though + She can play and prat-tle too, +'Tis not very long ago + Since she was a babe like you. + +Then mam-ma o'er lit-tle May + Day and night her watch would keep; +May her care can now re-pay, + Watch-ing ba-by whilst a-sleep. + + + + +SUM-MER FLOW-ERS. + +"The de-sert shall re-joice, and blos-som as the rose."--ISAIAH XXXV. I. + + +Be-hold the flow-ers of June! how fair + And bright their buds ap-pear, +As, open-ing to the sum-mer air, + Our eyes and hearts they cheer! + +Who would have thought there could a-bound + Such beau-ty and de-light +Be-neath the cold and win-try ground + That hid those flow-ers from sight? + +That pow-er which made and governs all-- + The might-y pow-er of God-- +A-lone could life and beau-ty call + Out of the life-less sod. + +And He, who from the Win-ter's gloom + Can Sum-mer thus dis-close, +Shall one day make the de-sert bloom, + And blos-som as the rose. + + + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration: "WHERE'S DICK-EY?"] + + + + +"WHERE'S DICK-EY?" + +"Look there!" lit-tle Lot-ty cried, +"Dick-ey's cage is o-pen wide, +And, I fear, he's not in-side. Cou-sin John, +Do please stand up-on this chair, +Just to see if he is there. +Pret-ty Dick, I won-der where + You are gone! + +"Naugh-ty puss, your jaws, you lick! +Have you eat-en lit-tle Dick? +That would be a cru-el trick! No, I see +Pret-ty Dick has flown a-way, +And is sing-ing blithe and gay, +Sit-ting yon-der on a spray + Of the tree. + +"Well, I too should think it wrong, +If a gi-ant, tall and strong, +Just to hear my lit-tle song ev-ery day, +Shut _me_ in a cage; and yet +Thus I did my lit-tle pet--- +So he must be glad to get + Safe a-way." + + + + +PLAY-ING AT OM-NI-BUS. + + +Says Hu-bert, "Look, how fast it pours! +I'm sure we can't go out of doors + While it is rain-ing thus; +So let us in the nur-se-ry stay, +To have a mer-ry game, and play + At driv-ing om-ni-bus. + +"Flo-ra and Ted-dy, you must be +The horses, and be driv-en by me. + Mind you go stea-dy--do! +A place for Char-lie we shall find; +To guard the 'bus he'll ride be-hind, + And take the mon-ey too. + +"Dick, with pa-pa's old hat to wear, +Looks just the thing to be a fare + Who wants to ride with us. +Jump up, sir! Six-pence all the way! +Gee, gee, you horses! Gee, I say!"-- + Off goes the om-ni-bus! + + + +[Illustration: With wings scarce mov-ing, through the sky, +The lazy Kite is seen to fly.] + +[Illustration: The Kan-ga-roo a poc-ket wears, +In which her lit-tle ones she bears.] + +[Illustration: The Liz-ard in the sun's warm rays +De-lights to bask on summer days.] + +[Illustration: The Lam-prey, in the Se-vern caught, +Was once the first of dain-ties thought.] + +[Illustration: PLAYING AT OMNIBUS.] + +[Illustration: ON THE WATER.] + +[Illustration] + + + +GA-THER-ING POP-PIES. + + +Through the corn the chil-dren creep, +Where the nod-ding pop-pies sleep, +Fill-ing hands and a-prons white +With the scar-let blos-soms bright. +Gau-dy pop-pies must not stay +Till the fu-ture har-vest day: +They would wi-ther when the heat +Ri-pens all the gold-en wheat-- +Life for them is short and sweet. + + + + +ON THE WA-TER. + +In our lit-tle boat to glide +On the wa-ter blue and wide, +While the sky is smooth and bright, +What could give us more de-light? +See the rip-ples, how they run, +Twink-ling bright-ly in the sun; +While re-flect-ed we can see +Sha-dows of each hill and tree. +See the li-lies, round and large, +Float-ing near the reed-y marge, +Where the bul-rush has its place +And the hea-vy wa-ter-mace. +See the great green dra-gon-fly, +And the swal-low skim-ming by. +See the fish-es spring and gleam, +Ere they splash in-to the stream, +See the bright king-fish-er too +Dart a gleam of green and blue. +These are all a-round our boat +On the wa-ter whilst we float. + + + + +HURT-FUL WEEDS. + +"Ev-e-ry plant, which My hea-ven-ly +Fa-ther hath not plant-ed, shall be root-ed +up."--ST. MATT. XV. 13. + + +Though in the corn that waves a-round + Are thorns, and many hurt-ful weeds, +That spring in e-ven good-ly ground + And plant-ed thick with choic-est seeds; + +Though in our hearts, how-e-ver taught + And trained to guard them-selves from sin, +The good is mixed with evil thought + Our en-e-my has sown there-in, + +God's plant-ing shall not be o'er-thrown + By world-ly weeds that cling a-bout +His corn; and what He hath not sown + Shall in His time be root-ed out. + +Then, that our lives may yield their fruit, + Still let it be our con-stant prayer, +That God from out our hearts will root + All seeds He hath not plant-ed there. + + + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration: THE BUT-TER-FLY.] + + + +THE BUT-TER-FLY. + + +A yel-low But-ter-fly one day, + Grown tired of play and tired of fly-ing, +Up-on a this-tle blos-som grey + With out-spread wings was i-dly ly-ing. + +The stur-dy bees went hum-ming by, + Draw-ing sweet ho-ney from the clo-ver, +Nor stir-red the yel-low But-ter-fly, + For he was but an i-dle ro-ver. + +Two lit-tle girls, named Anne and May, + Came by with mirth and laugh-ter ring-ing, +Anne ran to seize the in-sect gay-- + May fol-low-ed fast and ceased her sing-ing. + +"Oh! dar-ling An-nie, let it be, + Your touch will rob its plumes of beau-ty; +And God, who made both you and me, + Has taught us kind-ness is a du-ty." + + + + +"GO A-WAY, RO-VER!" + +"You big black dog, go, go a-way! + I will not let you bite +My lit-tle pet; it can-not play, + You gave it such a fright! + +"I think you want to eat it up + Be-cause it is so small, +But if you dare to touch my pup + For help I mean to call; + +"And then pa-pa will bring a stick, + And make you run a-way; +So, Ro-ver, you had best go quick, + And leave us here to play!" + + * * * * * + +Why, Ro-ver, is quite good and tame-- + You need not be a-fraid; +He on-ly wants to have a game, + You sil-ly lit-tle maid! + + + +[Illustration: In sum-mer time, a-long our coasts. +The Mack-a-rel swarm in count-less hosts.] + +[Illustration: We all at Mon-keys love to gaze, +And watch their fun-ny tricks and ways.] + +[Illustration: A bird so fool-ish is the Nod-dy, +It may be caught by a-ny-bo-dy.] + +[Illustration: The harm-less Newt is to be seen +In stag-nant ponds, with duck-weed green.] + +[Illustration:"GO AWAY, ROVER!"] + +[Illustration: LUCY AND ARTHUR.] + + +[Illustration] + + + +THE RUSH PA-RA-SOL. + + +"Oh, come to the brook, sis-ter Kate, + Oh, come with me, Het-ty and Gus, +Where rush-es, so long and so straight, + Are grow-ing in thou-sands for us!" + +Thus cries, to the rest, lit-tle May; + And off to the mea-dow go all-- +For nurse has just shown her the way + Of mak-ing a rush pa-ra-sol. + +LU-CY AND AR-THUR. + + +The day was fine, the sun was hot, + So Lu-cy took her pail and spade, +And went to find a nice dry spot + Where wells and cas-tles might be made. + +But all the shore just then was wet, + So Lu-cy took off shoes and socks; +She knew that nurse would fume and fret + If they got spoilt by sand or rocks. + +But Ar-thur was so strong and big, + He thought that he was quite a man, +And he, in boots, would stand and dig, + Which proved a very fool-ish plan. + +For soon his boots got wet and cold, + And hurt his feet, and made him cry; +He had to sit and hear nurse scold, + While both his boots were put to dry. + +THE PRO-VI-DENCE OF GOD. + +"The Lord shall give that which is good, +and our land shall yield her increase."--PSALM lxxxv. 12. + + +The seed was sown long months a-go, +And, through the win-ter's cold and snow, +We trust-ed that God's care would bring +The green and ten-der blade in spring, +Which che-rished by the sun and rain +Of sum-mer, now has yield-ed grain +In au-tumn, when the reap-er leaves +His cot to cut and bind the sheaves, +And load with them the nod-ding wain +Which bears them home-ward from the plain. + +So God's great mer-cies thus a-bound; +His love still brings the sea-sons round; +His bless-ings fill our hap-py fields, +And all our land its in-crease yields: +So if we serve Him as we should, +Our Lord will give us all things good; +And He who doth the ra-vens feed +Much more will give us all we need! + + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration: PLAY-ING A-MONG THE SHEAVES.] + + + + +PLAY-ING A-MONG THE SHEAVES. + +Oh, who could there be +More mer-ry than we, + On this bright har-vest morn. +As we fro-lic and play, +While we hide a-way, + A-mong the sheaves of corn? + +We may fro-lic still +Wher-e-ver we will, + But yet we must not tread +To waste with our feet +The grains of the wheat-- + The wheat that makes our bread. + +For God, as we need, +Gives the corn to feed + And make us well and strong; +And to waste in vain +His gift of the grain + Would grieve Him, and be wrong. + + + + +KEEP-ING SCHOOL. + + +Oh, tell me if e-ver you knew + A teach-er who looked so se-vere +As sis-ter Ma-ri-a can do, + When les-sons she's go-ing to hear? + +Just look how she holds up her cane + And frowns, as she threat-ens each one! +But yet they'll not cry or com-plain, + Be-cause it is only in fun. + +The dunce's cap Dol-ly must wear, + Her task was not learnt very well; +And now lit-tle Jane, I de-clare, + Pre-tends she's un-a-ble to spell. + +Yet sis-ter may hold up her cane, + And though they'll look so-lemn, each one, +From laugh-ter they scarce can re-frain. + Be-cause it is only in fun. + + + +[Illustration: In i-vy, tree, or barn, or tow-er +The Owl a-waits the e-ven-ing hour.] + +[Illustration: The fish-ing Ot-ter may be found +In streams which flow through Eng-lish ground.] + +[Illustration: Be-neath the ri-ver's sedg-y side +The sav-age Pike de-lights to hide.] + +[Illustration: In cav-ern pools, in end-less night, +The poor blind Pro-teus shuns the light.] + +[Illustration: KEEPING SCHOOL.] + +[Illustration: MILKING-TIME.] + + +[Illustration] + + + +SNAP AP-PLE. + + +"Come, while it spins round, try your luck; + Come, E-thel, and Kate, and your bro-thers! +On two ends two ap-ples are stuck, + And an on-ion on each of the o-thers. +Be ready, and snap as they pass, + Be quick, if you mean to be right, +Or not the sweet ap-ples, a-las! + 'Twill be, but the on-ions, you'll bite." + + + + +MILK-ING TIME. + +Through the long day the cows are seen + All graz-ing as they go, +Wan-der-ing a-long the mea-dows green + Where yel-low hawk-weeds grow. + +But when the clock with-in the tower + Strikes five, they al-ways pace +Slow-ly--for well they know the hour-- + Home to the milk-ing place. + +Then in the yard quite still they stand, + Swing-ing their la-zy tails, +Where Ann and Su-san are at hand + With stools and milk-ing pails + +I love to see the white milk flow, + And in the pail froth up; +And Ann, who is so kind, I know, + Will let me fill my cup. + + + + +AU-TUMN. + +"Be glad then, and re-joice in the Lord your God."--JOEL ii. 23. + + +'Tis au-tumn now; the corn is cut, + But o-ther gifts for us are spread, +The pur-ple plum, the ripe brown nut, + And pears and ap-ples, streaked with red, +A-mong the dark-green branch-es shine, + Or on the grass be-neath them fall; +While full green clus-ters deck the vine + That trails o'er trel-lis, roof, and wall. + +In our dear land the la-den trees + Be-speak God's pro-vi-dence and love; +He sends all need-ful gifts like these + For those who trust in Him a-bove. +How good is He to make such choice + Of plea-sant fruits for us to grow! +'Tis meet, in-deed, that we re-joice + In Him who loves His chil-dren so. + + +[Illustration: BE GLAD THEN, AND +REJOICE IN THE LORD YOUR GOD. +JOEL II. 23] + +[Illustration: THE SQUIR-REL.] + + + + +THE SQUIR-REL. + + +"Squir-rel, squir-rel, brown and brisk, + High a-bove me in the tree, +I can see you bound and frisk, + I can see you peep at me. + +"Squir-rel, squir-rel, you can play; + Mer-rier beast is none than you; +Yet you are not only gay, + You are wise and mer-ry too. + +You can play till sum-mer's o'er, + And the nuts come fall-ing free, +Then to hoard your win-ter store + You are busy as a bee. + +"Squir-rel, squir-rel, I would bound + Gai-ly at my sports as you, +And, like you, I would be found + Care-ful for the fu-ture too." + + + + +"CON-TRA-RY WINDS" + + +Both Tom and Will had e-qual skill + In mak-ing lit-tle boats and ships; +They cut a-way a whole half day, + And co-vered all the floor with chips. + +And when the boys had made their toys, + They thought to put them to the test-- +To try which boat, when set a-float, + Would sail a-cross a tub the best. + +But Will and Tom, each blow-ing from + A dif-fe-rent side, you well may guess, +No boats could go straight on, and so + They tacked a-bout in great dis-tress. + +Such heavy gales a-gainst their sails + Made both the boats go whirl-ing round; +The sails got wet, the boats up-set, + And all the crew on board were drowned. + +[Illustration: When the warm sum-mer days draw near, +From south-ern climes the Quails ap-pear.] + +[Illustration: South Afric's plains the Quag-gas roam, +Re-mote from farm or set-tler's home.] + + +[Illustration: The fish-er-man the Roach may hook, +In quiet pond or gentle brook.] + +[Illustration: When the fell Rat-tle-snake slides near, +The In-dian may its rat-tle hear.] + +[Illustration: "CONTRARY WINDS."] + +[Illustration: NAUGHTY DICK.] + + +[Illustration] + + + +BAT-TLE-DORE AND SHUT-TLE-COCK. + + +See these mer-ry chil-dren four, +Now their les-son time is o'er, +Deal-ing with the bat-tle-dore + Steady blow on blow; + +Till the fea-thered shut-tle-cocks +Fly at their al-ter-nate knocks, +"Re-gu-lar as kitch-en clocks," + Spin-ning to and fro. + +[Illustration: OUR GOD IS MERCIFUL. + +PSALM CXVI. 5] + +[Illustration: CUT-TING NAMES.] + + + + +CUT-TING NAMES. + + +See where the spread-ing beech has made +Be-neath its boughs a plea-sant shade + To screen them from the sun; +There George, and Anne, and Ma-ry play, +Or read up-on each sun-ny day, + When all their tasks are done. + +George has pulled out his knife, you see, +And on the smooth-barked beech-en tree + Has some-thing found to do; +He's carv-ing deep, and plain, and well +The let-ters, one by one, which spell + His name and An-nie's too. + +His sis-ter An-nie, stand-ing by, +Is watch-ing with a cu-ri-ous eye, + And won-der-ing at his skill. +To men and wo-men when they grow, +They'll come and find the beech tree show + Those names quite plain-ly still. + + + + +THE CON-CERT. + + +"See how it rains! We can-not go +Our walk a-cross the fields; and so, +Since Tom and Et-tie Holmes are come, +And cous-in Fred has brought his drum, +And some can sing, and o-thers play, +We'll have a con-cert here to-day. +You, Tom, must in the mid-dle stand, +And mark the time, with stick in hand; +You, bro-ther Ben, the tongs must take, +For they will good tri-an-gles make; +Hal clicks the 'bones,' and Em-me-line +Will beat her lit-tle tam-bour-ine, +And cous-in Fred will drum a-way, +And Kate the con-cer-ti-na play. +All must at-tend to Tom; and mind +None play too fast, nor lag be-hind; +And then, I'm sure, we all shall see +How grand a con-cert this will be, +And say this is the wis-est way +To spend this wet Oc-to-ber day." + + +[Illustration: The long-billed Snipe fre-quents our clime +About the chil-ly au-tumn time.] + +[Illustration: The Ti-ger, from his hid-den lair, +Springs on the tra-vel-ler un-a-ware.] + +[Illustration: The U-rano-sco-pus hides a-mong +The mud, and an-gles with its tongue.] + +[Illustration: Though gay and pleas-ing to the sight, +The Vi-per has a dead-ly bite.] + +[Illustration: THE CONCERT.] + +[Illustration: CAUGHT IN THE FOG.] + + +[Illustration] + + + +PLAY-ING WITH WOOD-EN BRICKS. + + +An In-di-an tem-ple on the floor + The chil-dren build with wood-en bricks, +They've placed two pil-lars by the door, + And on the roof they now would fix +A good tall spire, so Et-ty takes + A long-er brick, and sets it there; +And though when-e'er we walk it shakes, + It will not tum-ble, I de-clare! + + + + +CAUGHT IN THE FOG. + +Anne and Jane will long re-mem-her +How, one morn-ing in No-vem-ber, +As they both were home-ward stroll-ing, +Round the Lon-don fog came roll-ing-- +First, a yel-low dark-ness fall-ing, +Then a noise of link-boys call-ing, +Cab, and 'bus, and cart-wheels rum-bling, +Hor-ses on the pave-ment stum-bling, +Peo-ple, in the smoke and smo-ther, +Run-ning up a-gainst each other, +No one see-ing, much less know-ing, +Whi-ther he or she was go-ing. +Little Jane clung to her sis-ter, +While Anne com-fort-ed and kissed her, +For the girls felt bro-ken-heart-ed, +Fear-ing lest they should be part-ed. +So they were when Char-lie found them, +Lost a-mid the crowd a-round them, +But so glad when they es-pied him, +And came trip-ping home beside him. + + + + +TRUST IN GOD. + +"He ma-keth light-nings for the rain; +He bring-eth the wind out of His trea-sur-ies."--Ps. CXXXV. 7. + + +Our God who reign-est up on high, +Though light-nings flash a-cross the sky, +And howl-ing tem-pests hur-ry by, +We fear not these, for Thou art nigh + To all who trust in Thee. + +Though now the sky is o-ver-cast, +And hea-vy rains are fall-ing fast, +And storm and sleet go driv-ing past, +And day by day the moan-ing blast + Sweeps dead leaves from the tree, + +No-vem-ber time, that seems so drear, +When days are dark and win-ter near, +Will pass at length, and Christ-mas cheer +The last hours of the dy-ing year + With song and dance and mirth. + +And in due time Thy mighty pow-er +Will give the spring, with sun and shower, +The o-pen-ing leaf, the ear-ly flow-er, +And birds in e-ve-ry wood-land bow-er + Will sing to glad-den earth. + + +[Illustration: HE MAKETH LIGHTNINGS +FOR THE RAIN; HE BRINGETH THE +WIND OUT OF HIS TREASURIES. + +PSALM CXXXV. 7.] + +[Illustration: HOME FROM SCHOOL.] + + + + +HOME FROM SCHOOL. + +Come, Meg and El-len, don't com-plain, +For, see, the geese en-joy the rain, + And dog-gie does not fret; + And yet, +The drops come rol-ling down his ears, +And nose, and whisk-ers, just like tears; + Poor Mop, he's drip-ping wet! +Our big um-brel-la co-vers three, +And snug and dry we all may be, + And chat-ter as we go, + And show +The grumb-ling peo-ple whom we meet +That nei-ther wind, nor driv-ing sleet, + Can spoil our tem-pers.--No, +We will not take such days as this, +Nor any-thing God sends, a-miss, + But what we can-not cure + Endure; +And this will prove a Gold-en Rule +To prac-tise as we walk from school-- + Of that we may be sure. + + + + +THE KIT-TENS' BATH. + + +One day when Lil-lie saw her cat + Sit down and lick a kit-ten's face; +"No, puss," said she, "don't wash like that-- + My bath will be the pro-per place. + +"I'll show you how to wash them, puss." + So in she dipped them one by one; +Poor Min-nie mewed and made a fuss, + But Lil-lie only thought it fun. + +Puss feared her lit-tle kits would drown, + And did her best to get them out; +While Lil-lie dipped them up and down, + And splashed the wa-ter all a-bout. + +Till nurse came up and saw the mess, + Took out the kit-tens, and instead +Made thought-less Lil-lie quite un-dress, + And have her bath and go to bed. + + +[Illustration: We find the snow-y Whi-ting most +A-bound along our South-ern coast.] + +[Illustration: Who roams through Eng-land's mea-dows fair +May see the Yel-low-ham-mer there.] + +[Illustration: The Xeno-pel-tis has a hide, +With spots of man-y co-lours dyed.] + +[Illustration: See, with long tail but scan-ty mane, +The Ze-bra gal-lops o'er the plain.] + +[Illustration: THE KITTENS' BATH.] + + +[Illustration] + + + +TURN-ING THE TRENCH-ER. + + +If, at this old Christ-mas game, + Kate, who spins the trench-er, call +Any play-er out by name, + He must catch it ere it fall. + +If "Move all" she should re-peat, + All sit still; but if she say +"Twi-light," each must change his seat, + Or a for-feit he must pay. + + + + +THE WISE MEN OF THE EAST. + + +The East-ern sages watched the sky, + They looked from night till morn, +There shone a bright, new star on high, + They knew that Christ was born. + +Then up they rose, and came from far, + They jour-neyed night and day, +Led by the shin-ing of that star, + And found Him where He lay. + +There is not any need for us + To leave our homes be-hind, +Through dis-tant lands to tra-vel thus + The Son of God to find. + +For home to us each Christ-mas Day + The new-born Sa-vi-our brings; +Then shall we not our hom-age pay + Like those good East-ern kings? + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Infant's Delight: Poetry, by Anonymous + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 10912 *** |