LITTLE ALICE.

DANCING on the hill-tops,
Singing in the valleys,
Laughing with the echoes,
Merry little Alice.

Playing games with lambkins

In the flowering valleys,

Gathering pretty posies,
Helpful little Alice.

If her father's cottage
Turned into a palace,

And he owned the hill-tops
And the flowering valleys,

She'd be none the happier,
Happy little Alice.

CHRISTINA G. ROSSETTI.

THE SPARROWS.

SPARROWS in a nest,

One and two and three;
Under mother's breast,

Warm as warm can be!

Mother keeps you warm,

Father brings you food;

Troubles you have none,
Happy little brood!

Mind you do not fall

From your nest on high;
You've no feathers yet,
So you cannot fly.

When your feathers grow,
On a sunny day,

You shall learn to fly :

Chirp, chirp away.

CHRISTINA G. ROSSETTI.

OUT IN THE COUNTRY.

MINNIE and Mattie

And fat little May,

Out in the country,
Spending a day.

OUT IN THE COUNTRY.

Such a bright day,

With the sun glowing,'

And the trees half in leaf,
And the grass growing.

Pinky white pigling

Squeals through his snout,
Woolly white lambkin

Frisks all about.

Cluck! cluck! the nursing hen

Summons her folk,-
Ducklings all downy soft
Yellow as yolk.

Cluck! cluck! the mother hen

Summons her chickens

To peck the dainty bits

Found in her pickings.

Minnie and Mattie

And May carry posies,

Half of sweet violets,

Half of primroses.

Give the sun time enough,
Glowing and glowing,

He'll rouse the roses

And bring them blowing.

1 glowing, shining with great heat.

2

summons, calls.

9

ΙΟ

OUT IN THE COUNTRY.

Don't wait for roses
Losing to-day,

O Minnie, Mattie,

And wise little May.

Violets and primroses
Blossom to-day

For Minnie and Mattie

And fat little May.

CHRISTINA G. ROSSETTI.

BUTTERFLIES ARE PRETTY
THINGS.

BUTTERFLIES are pretty things,
Prettier than you or I ;

See the colours on his wings,—
Who would hurt a butterfly?

Softly, softly, girls and boys;

He'll come near us by-and-by;
Here he is, don't make a noise,—
We'll not hurt you, butterfly.

Not to hurt a living thing,
Let all little children try;

See, again he's on the wing;
Good-bye! pretty butterfly!