Singing, she sews the tiniest seam,
While the garments grow apace.
Ah, the sweetest work a mother knows
Is making the baby's dainty clothes.

Her thoughts reach out across the years,
Losing herself in a dream;

A hope is set with the stitches fine
Of every delicate seam.

An airy castle with turrets high

Stands in a golden gleam.

Ah, the dearest work a mother knows
Is making the baby's dainty clothes.

"Garments fit for a king!" she saith;
"My baby shall be a king!

Wise men will listen unto his words,
And the children offerings bring.
He shall be manly, true and brave;
His deeds will the poets sing."
Ah, the proudest work a mother knows
Is making the baby's dainty clothes.

Folding away the garments white,
The baby needs no more care-
A toy, a tiny pair of shoes,

And a lock of sunny hair.

Yellow with age each fragrant fold
Shall precious mem'ries bear.

Ah, the saddest work a mother knows
Is folding away the baby's clothes.

Those were worn by that stalwart man,

It seems only yesterday;

But these once held the little form
Of the baby "passed away."
Now in sunshine and now in storm
Life's river flow on for aye,

But the tenderest thought a mother knows
Is folded away with the baby's clothes.

THE VOICE OF THE GRASS.

SARAH ROBERTS.

[Give in a simple, natural manner.]

Here I come creeping, creeping everywhere;
By the dusty roadside,

On the sunny hillside,
Close by the noisy brook,

In every shady nook

I come creeping, creeping everywhere.

Here I come creeping, smiling everywhere;
All round the open door,
Where sit the aged poor;
Here where the children play,
In the bright and merry May,

I come creeping, creeping everywhere.

Here I come creeping, creeping everywhore
In the noisy city street,

My pleasant face you'll meet,
Cheering the sick at heart,
Toiling his busy part-

Silently creeping, creeping everywhere.

Here I come creeping, creeping everywhore
You cannot see me coming,

Nor hear my low, sweet humming,
For in the starry night

And the glad morning light

I come quietly creeping everywhere.

Here I come creeping, creeping everywhere; More welcome than the flowers

In pleasant summer hours;

The gentle cow is glad,

And the merry bird not sad

To see me creeping, creeping everywhere.

Here I come creeping, creeping everywhere; When you're numbered with the dead still and narrow bed,

In your

In the happy Spring I'll come

And deck your silent home-
Creeping, silently creeping everywhere.

Here I come creeping, creeping everywhere
My humble song of praise
Most joyfully I raise

To Him at whose command

I beautify the land,

Creeping, silently creeping everywhere.

THE FOUNTAIN.

JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL.

[With expression.]

Into the sunshine,

Full of the light,

Leaping and flashing
From morn till night.

Into the moonlight,

Whiter than snow,
Waving so flower-like

When the winds blow!

Into the starlight

Rushing in spray,

Happy at midnight,

Happy by day!

Ever in motion,

Blithesome and cheery,

Still climbing heavenward,

Never aweary;

Glad of all weathers,

Still seeming best,

Upward or downward
Motion by rest-

Full of a nature

Nothing can tame,
Changed every moment
Ever the same.

Ceaseless aspiring,

Ceaseless content,

Darkness or sunshine

Thy element.

Glorious fountain,

Let my heart be
Fresh, changeful, constant,
Upward, like thee!

TWILIGHT.

LONGFELLOW.

[Tenderly.]

The twilight is sad and cloudy.

The wind blows wild and freo,
And like the wings of sea birds
Flash the white caps of the sea.

But in the fisherman's cottage
There shines a ruddier light,
And a little face at the window

Peers out into the night.

Close, close it is pressed to the window,

As if those childish eyes

Were looking into the darkness

To see some form arise,

And a woman's waving shadow
Is passing to and fro,
Now rising to the ceiling

Now bowing and bending low.

No. 33 ROSE STREET, NEW York.

R. H. RUSSELL & SON, Proprietors.

**Any of the beoks in the following list will be forwarded by mail, post-paid, to any address, upon receipt of the published price.

In ordering give full name; also, post-office, county, and State, plainly writ ten. Address as above.

De Witt's Choice Readings and Select Recitations. Five Numbers. One hundred pages each. Specially adapted for the school and the family, being the best pieces of their kind ever written. Almost every different phase of passion and sentiment finds its best and most effective expression in some of the pieces in this series.

100 pp. each, paper covers.......................

Price 10 cents.

De Witt's Little Dialogues and Wee Pieces for Papa's Own BOY AND GIRL. Containing the largest number of tiny articles in prose and rhyme ever got together expressly for the use of the smallest readers and speakers. This book will please every parent. It tells pretty little stories, or illustrates pure ideas in a simple and attractive manner.

200 pp., half-bound........................

.......................Price 50 cents.

De Witt's Little Gems in Prose and Verse for Little People.
A careful compilation of choice little pieces, suitable for reading and recita,
tion by the smallest readers and speakers.
.Price 10 cents.

100 pp., paper covers.....

De Witt's Little Speeches for Little Folks. Being a careful compilation of many of the prettiest small pieces ever written for the use of our little ones just stepping from babyhood to childhood. A book exactly fitted to amuse and interest the very smallest young lispers; such as have just begun to speak and understand plain words and sentences. too pp., paper covers......... Price 10 cents.

De Witt's Perfect Orator. Comprising a great number of readings, recitations, dialogues, and harangues from the most celebrated tragedies, poems and speeches; accompanied by very carefully prepared prefatory remarks-historical, explanatory, and instructive. Also containing useful suggestions as to stage arrangements, making costumes, scenery, etc. 00 pp., paper covers.................................................. ...... Price 25 cents. Same, half-bound.... Price 50 cents.

De Witt's Wee Pieces and Dialogues for our Darlings. It is seldom that nice little dialogues can be found without searching the pages of a great many books; but here is a fine lot of them, joined to other very pretty pieces. They are just the things for children to learn when y first begin to speak at school, or in the parlor.

paper