Glad as the golden spring to greet
Its first live leaflet's play,
Love, laughing, leads the little feet
A little way.

THE BIRTHDAY WEEK.

ANONYMOUS.

MONDAY'S bairn is fair in the face;
Tuesday's bairn is full of grace;
Wednesday's bairn is the child of woe;
Thursday's bairn has far to go;

Friday's bairn is loving and giving;

Saturday's bairn works hard for a living;
But the bairn that is born on the Sabbath day
Is lucky and bonny and wise and gay.

POLITENESS.

ANONYMOUS.

POLITENESS is to do and say
The kindest thing in the kindest way.

THE GOLDEN RULE.

NEW ENGLAND PRIMER.

BE you to others kind and true,
As you'd have others be to you.

SOLOMON AND MAMMA.

ANONYMOUS.

SOLOMON says, in words so mild,
"Spare the rod and spoil the child!"
My mamma thinks, as well as he,
A little whipping's good for me.

THE GOLDEN RULE.

ANONYMOUS.

To do to others as I would
That they should do to me,
Will make me honest, kind, and good,
As children ought to be.

THE BABY.

GEORGE MACDONALD.

WHERE did you come from, baby dear?
Out of the everywhere into the here.

Where did you get your eyes so blue?
Out of the sky as I came through.

What makes the light in them sparkle and spin? Some of the starry spikes left in.

Where did you get that little tear?
I found it waiting when I got here.

What makes your forehead so smooth and high?
A soft hand stroked it as I went by.

What makes your cheek like a warm, white rose?
Something better than any one knows.

Whence that three-cornered smile of bliss?
Three angels gave me at once a kiss.

Where did you get that pearly ear?
God spoke, and it came out to hear.

Where did you get those arms and hands?
Love made itself into hooks and bands.

Feet, whence did you come, you darling things?
From the same box as the cherub's wings.

How did they all just come to be you?
God thought about me, and so I grew.

But how did you come to us, you dear?
God thought of you, and so I am here.

LITTLE KITTY.

ELIZABETH PRENTISS.

ONCE there was a little kitty,

Whiter than snow;

In the barn she used to frolic,

Long time ago.

In the barn a little mousie
Ran to and fro;

For she heard the kitty coming,
Long time ago.

Two black eyes had little kitty,
Black as a sloe;

And they spied the little mousie,
Long time ago.

Nine pearl teeth had little kitty,

All in a row;

And they bit the little mousie,
Long time ago.

When the teeth bit little mousie,

Little mouse cried, "Oh!"
But she got away from kitty,
Long time ago.

MILKING TIME.

CHRISTINA G. ROSETTI.

WHEN the cows come home the milk is coming;
Honey's made while the bees are humming;
Duck and drake on the rushy lake,

And the deer live safe in the breezy brake;
And timid, funny, pert little bunny
Winks his nose, and sits all sunny.

JENNY WREN AND ROBIN REDBREAST.

OLD ENGLISH RHYME.

JENNY WREN fell sick;

Upon a merry time,

In came Robin Redbreast

And brought her sops of wine.

"Eat well of the sop, Jenny,

Robin, being angry,

Hopp'd upon a twig,

Saying, "Out upon you,

Fye upon you, bold-faced jig!"

THE OLD MARKET-WOMAN.

OLD ENGLISH RHYME.

THERE was an old woman, as I've heard tell,
She went to market her eggs for to sell;
She went to market all on a market day;
And she fell asleep on the king's highway.