their redemption; not a word they spoke could be recalled, and so they perished-their light went out in darkness, and they were not remembered more than the insects of yesterday. Will you thus live and die, oh, man immortal? Live for something! Do good and leave behind you a monument of virtue that time can never destroy. Write your name in kindness, love and mercy on the hearts of thousands you come in contact with, year by year, and you will never be forgotten. No; your name, your deeds, will be as legible on the hearts you leave behind as the stars on the brow of the evening. Good deeds will shine as brightly on the earth as the stars of heaven. THE BALLAD OF BABY BELL. ADAPTED FROM T. B. ALDRICH. [To be recited in a tender, sympathetic manner.] Have you not heard the poets tell The gates of Heaven were left ajar; She saw this planet, like a star, Hung in the glistening depths of even Its bridges running to and fro, O'er which the white-winged angels go, She touched a bridge of flowers-those feet They fell like dew upon the flowers, Into this world of ours. It came upon us by degrees, We saw its shadow ere it fell, The knowledge that our God had sent His messenger for Baby Bell. We shuddered with unlanguaged pain, And all our hopes were changed to fears, And all our thoughts ran into tears, Like sunshine into rain. We cried aloud in our belief, "Oh, smite us gently, gently, God! She only crossed her little hands, We wove the roses round her browWhite buds, the summer's drifted snow-Wrapped her from head to foot in flowers! And thus went dainty Baby Bell Out of this world of ours! THE SNAKE IN THE GRASS. J. G. SAXE. [In a descriptive vein.] Come, listen awhile to me, my lads, Come listen to me a spell! Let that terrible drum For your uncle is going to tell A youth that loved liquor too well. A clever young man was he, my lads, He began to decline, And behaved like a person possessed The temperance plan is the best. One evening he went to the tavern, my lads. And drinking too much Rum, brandy, and such, The chap got exceedingly "tight," What your aunts would entitle a "fright." The fellow feil into a snooze, my lads- And acts very queer; My eyes, how he shivers and shakes And raves about great horrid snakes! 'Tis a warning to you and to me, my ladsA particular caution to all, Tho' no one can see The viper but he— To hear the poor lunatic howl All over the floor and the wall! The next morning he took to his bed, my lads, Next morning he took to his bed; You have heard of the snake in the grass, my lads, Of the viper concealed in the grass; But now you must know Man's deadliest foe Is a snake of a different class! Alas! 'Tis the viper that lurks in the glass! POP. [With humor and vivacity.] And there they sat, a popping corn, John Styles as fat as any ox, And Susan as fat as butter. And there they sat and shelled the corn, Then Susan she the popper shook, And then they shelled, and popped, and ate, All kinds of fun a-poking, While he haw-hawed at her remarks, And still they popped, and still they ate- The clock struck nine-the clock struck ten, It struck eleven, and then struck twelve, And John he ate, and Sue she thought— Till John cried out, "The corn's a-fire! Said she, "John Styles, it's one o'clock; I'm sick of all this popping corn— DISCONTENT. GEORGE COOPER. [Speak in a spirited way. A dozen tadpoles wriggled out And see the older frogs, no doubt— They roamed among the rushes green, They saw the lilies o'er them lean; Their hearts were gladdened by the sceneAdmiring little tadpoles. A greater wonder was to come: They heard an old frog say "Jug-rum!" "Oh, could we only speak like that! Their yearning hearts beat pit-a-pat— They sighed that they were tadpoles. |