little miser. All the beggars in the world could'nt have coaxed one out of his pocket had they been starving to death. Then Matthew was such a cry-baby. I love a brave boy. He would go screaming to his mother if he got a scratch, as if a wild tiger were after him. And if you said any thing to him about it, he would fly into a passion. He ought to have had a little world all to himself, ought he not? Well, I used to pity him. He always seemed to me like a little miserly old man. He never tossed his cap up in the air, or laughed a good hearty laugh. He never sprang or ran, or climbed or shouted. No! he crawled along as if he had lead weights on his heels, and talked without scarce moving his lips. He wore a face as long as a walking stick. Such a boy as he was! Had he been mine I should have tried to get some life into him some how or another. When his mother was told of his faults, she would say, "Oh, he'll out-grow them by and by;" I knew better. I knew that his selfish'ness would grow as fast as he did; I knew that when he came to be a man, he would be just as he was as a child. Oh, dear children, be kind to each other. If you have but half a stick of candy, give some body a bit of it. Your own piece will then taste ever so much sweeter. THE TWO GOATS. Two Goats set out for the mountains. One Goat went one way, and the other another. After some time, they met again, but a stream of water ran between them; and over the stream was laid a plank of wood. Now this plank was so narrow, there was just room for one Goat to cross it at a time. Now these Goats were proud, and neither of them was willing to let the other cross first. "I have as good a right to the bridge as you have," said the one to the other. Thus they quarrel'd for some time. At last one goat set his foot on the plank, and the other did the same. They looked very fierce at each other, as much as to say, "I will go on in spite of you." And so they did! But when they met in the middle, there was no room for either to pass;. so both slipped into the water, and were drowned. THE THREE LITTLE KITTENS. THREE little kittens lost their mittens, And they began to cry, We very much fear That we have lost our mittens. LOST YOUR MITTENS! Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow. No, YOU SHALL HAVE NO PIE. Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow. The three little kittens found their mittens, And they began to cry, Oh! mother dear, See, we have found our mittens. FOUND YOUR MITTENS, YOU DARLING KITTENS, Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r, Oh! let us have some pie, ·Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r. The three little kittens put on their mittens, And soon ate up the pie; Oh! mother dear, We greatly fear, That we have soil'd our mittens. SOIL'D YOUR MITTENS! Mi-ow, mi-ow, mi-ow. Then they began to sigh, Mi-ow, mi-ow, mi-ow. The three litttle kittens wash'd their mittens, And hung them out to dry; Oh! mother dear, Do not you hear That we have wash'd our mittens. WASH'D YOUR MITTENS! YOU DARLING KITTENS- HUSH! HUSH! MEE-OW, MEE-OW. We smell a rat close by, Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow. |