Ah! then, is your life like ours, little brook, Ever hurrying, hurrying on, Till the waves of an unknown sea, little brook, We reach some day, and are gone. MRS. CHARLES HEATON. * 14 * CHERISH KINDLY FEELINGS. CHERISH kindly feelings, children, Kindly thoughts and kindly feelings Cherish kindly feelings, children, While on earth you stay. They will scatter light and sunshine All along your way, Make the path of duty brighter, Make your trials less, And, whate'er your lot or station, M. A. KIDDER. *15* FAULTS OF OTHERS. WHAT are another's faults to me? To pick at every flaw I see, It is enough for me to know And on my heart the care bestow, And let my friends alone. D. C. COLESWORTHY. * 16 * MARCH. THE cock is crowing, The small birds twitter, The green field sleeps in the sun : Are at work with the strongest ; The cattle are grazing, Their heads never raising; There are forty feeding like one! Like an army defeated The snow hath retreated, And now doth fare ill1 On the top of the bare hill; The plough-boy is whooping anon, anon; There's life in the fountains; The rain is over and gone! 2 W. WORDSWORTH. * 17 * SPRING. THE alder by the river Shakes out her powdery curls; For little boys and girls. The little birds fly over, And oh, how sweet they sing! To tell the happy children That once again 'tis spring. The gay green grass comes creeping So soft beneath their feet; The frogs begin to ripple A music clear and sweet. 1 gets on badly (as it is melting away). 8 prevailing, becoming general. 2 anon, at times. buds, puts forth buds. And buttercups are coming, And scarlet columbine; And just as many daisies As their soft hands can hold Here blows the warm red clover, O happy little children, God made them all for you! CELIA THAXTER. *18* BIRDS IN SUMMER. How pleasant the life of a bird must be, They have left their nests on the forest bough- 1 boon, gay, cheerful. And the young and the old they wander out, 1 And traverse their green world round about; "Come up, come up!" they seem to say, "Come up, come up! for the world is fair And away through the air what joy to go, MARY HOWITT. * 19 * HIE AWAY. 2 HIE2 away, hie away! Over bank and over brae,3 Where the copsewood is the greenest, 1 traverse, pass over or through. 2 hie, hasten. 3 brae (pronounced 'bray '), a Scottish word meaning 'a slope of a hill.' 4 copsewood, wood of small growth. 5 sheenest, brightest. trips it, runs or steps lightly or nimbly. |