val, while I was left standing here alone, with only the tempest for my playmate. Go, then, silly little flower; be satisfied with your lot in life; you only die to revive again, more beautiful and lovely than ever." "What answer did the little flower make to all this?" inquired a little boy, who, like most children, was fond of asking questions. "It felt ashamed and kept silent," said his mamma, "and never again indulged in ungrateful complaints." THE IMPATIENT HEN. GEORGE COOPER. [Simply and with distinctness.] This is the tale of a queer old hen She made her nest with pride and care, To brag of what we haven't got. Days passed, and when The sun began to warmer grow, And grass and leaves began to show Their twinkling green on hill and vale; "Oh, dear: oh, dear! here I am tied Why don't these tiresome chickens hatch? It worries me in heart and legs To sit so long upon these eggs; I'm sick of pining here at home. Oh, chicks, chicks, chicks, why don't you come? I've sheltered from the angry storm. "There's Mother Dominique, next door, My yellow bills, come out and walk, Or else I'll doubt my eggs are eggs, And think they are but lumps of chalk!" Then something rash and sad befell; And, not so wonderful to tell, Her treatment, which was very rude, This is the moral of my lay: THAT'S HOW. CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE. [Earnestly.] After a great snow storm a little fellow began to shovel a path through a large snow bank before his graudmother's door. He had nothing but a small shovel to work with. "How do you expect to get through that drift?" asked a man passing along. "By keeping at it," said the little boy, cheerfully, that's how!" That is the secret of mastering almost every difficulty under the If a hard task is before you stick to it. suu. Do not keep thinking how large or how hard it is, but go at it, and little by little it will grow smaller until it is done. OOPARTNERSHIP. BY LOUISE S. UPHAM. [In a descriptive manner.] Two little urchins started out To tramp the streets and lanes about By shunning all the " grocery stores " And rapping at the basement doors. So, armed with basket and with bag, A nice "tit-bit" in all their round- Now lucky Jimmy soon espied Now, wary Tom, made keen and bold And claimed his share by contract right, Jim passed the apple, while Tom agreed Of "give and take;" he opened wide "See here!" exclaimed the luckless wight, "You've taken the apple and left the bite !" THE SUN AND THE JACKAL. JOEL BENTON. [Descriptively.] The sun came down to earth one day Except the little Jackal. He Observed the sun admiringly: "This handsome little child, I find, The heedless men have left behind." Then lifting him upon his back, He screams with vigor at the heat: "Get down! Alack a-day, alack!" And hurries off with quickened feet. So, ever since, the Jackal's back SOMETHING THAT BEGINS WITH AN "S. CHILD'S WORLD. [To be given by a very little boy.] "I know what I'm going to be when I get big," said Vickery. "What's that?" asked Vickery's mother. "Something that begins with an "S." "Shoemaker ?" "No." "Sailor?" "No." "Soldier ?" "No." "What then?" "'Stronomer!" said Vickery. WATCH YOURSELF. CHILD'S WORLD. [Naturally and distinctly.] " we had a schoolOne day he called your books!' The "When I was a school-boy," said an old man, master who had an odd way of catching boys. out to us, 'Boys, I must have close attention to first one of you that sees another boy idle, I want you to inform me, and I will attend to his case.' Ah, thought I to myself, there's Joe Simmins that I don't like. I'll watch him, and if I see him look off his book I'll tell. It was not long before I saw Joe look off his book, and immediately I informed the master. 'Indeed,' said he, 'and how did you know he was idle?' 'I saw him,' said I. 'You did? And were your eyes on your book when you saw him?' I was caught, and I never watched for the boys again!" |