One queen alone will reign,
And any interloper meets
With sure and sharp disdain.
Of workers, some are strong to fly,
While some are weak and small,
Unfitted quite, for load or flight,
Or outside work at all.
These last complete the larvae-cells,
And nurse and feed the young;
They mix the bee-bread, cleanse the hive,
And care for every drone.
All bees have stings except the drones,
And these, when Autumn nears,
Are stung to death with furious wrath,
As by the book appears.
{202}
And now I hope you children all,
Will use your wondrous power
To "gather honey all the day,
From every opening flower."
{203}
BBB R YYY
B U YY
[Footnote: Bees are wises; Be you wise.]
{204}
{205}
_HONEY-SWEET._
"Ah, but how do bees make honey?"
Now the children, eager, ask;
And we'll try to give them answer,
If we're able for the task.
See, the under-lip is lengthened,
Like a trunk or proboscis,
Ending by a kind of button,
Fringed with tiny moving hairs.
All along its length, too, fringes,
Just the same, are growing forth;
And by means of these, the honey
Is conveyed from flowers to mouth.
Then the bee has two small stomachs,
In the first of which is stored
All the honey it can gather,
But, when home, 'tis quick out-poured.
{206}
Bees have six legs; and in hindmost,
There are baskets found, or bags,
Into which the pollen gathered,
Is brushed off by the other legs.
And this pollen, for the bee-bread
And as food for young, they use,
Mixed with honey and with water,--
Swallowed and disgorged like juice
By the nurses, who digest it
Partly, for the larvae-food,
Taking care that each shall have it,
Just according to the brood.
{207}
Now we'll watch and see them working;
See them brush off pollen-dust;
See them, too, disgorge the honey,
Into cells the sweetness thrust.
Children, with your useful fingers,
Hands and arms and feet and head,
Do not let the bees surpass you,
Making honey, nay, nor bread.
{208}
_WHAT THEY SAY._
Those creatures that chew the cud,
The "RUMINANTS" we call,
From "Rumen," or the stomach-pouch,
In which their food doth fall.
A "SPECIES" is a kind
Of animals or plants;--
Each species has a different name,
And differing traits and wants,--
And species may unite
To form a RACE we know,
For _race_ from _root_ is always drawn,
And _roots_ must spread and grow.
{209}
That men and women are
The race most choice and fine,
We plainly see, and sometimes call,
The _Human Race Divine_.
{210}
The noble Horse neighs out,
"I am the race _Equine_,
And nearest seem, and dearest to
The 'human race, divine.'"
The Ox and Cow l-o-o, l-o-o,
"We are the race _Bovine_;
And we most useful are, unto
The 'human race, divine.'"
{211}
The Ass and Mule bray out,
"Our race is_ Assinine_,
And very like us seem some of
The 'human race, divine.'"
The Dog bow-wows as race
_Canine, Canine, Canine_; {212}
While Tigers, Cats and Catamounts,
G-r-o-w-l, growl, as race _Feline_.
The Lion, king of beasts
(Feline), roars "_Leonine_;"--
The Lamb that's to lie down with him,
Ba-a, ba-as for race _Ovine_.
{213}
Fishes in lakes or seas
or rivers Sport _Piscine_;
While birds in air or cages close,
Sing, "race _Avine, Avine_."
All bees in hives or wild,
Hum out the race _Apine_; {214}
And reptiles all rejoicing crawl
In race _Reptilian_.
* * * * *
I've a name that's made up of three letters alone,--
That reads backwards and forwards the same;
I speak without sound,--yes, I talk without tongue.
And to beauty I lay the first claim.
* * * * *
A word of three syllables, children, now find,
That holds the whole twenty-six letters combined. [1]
The B ing m t, John put some: [2]
stand take to taking
----- ---- -- ------ [3]
I you throw my
[Footnote 1: Alphabet]
[Footnote 2: The grate being empty, John put some coal on.]
[Footnote 3: I understand you undertake to overthrow my undertaking.]
{215}
_BRITAIN'S RULERS_.
Old Britain was under the Romans
From fifty-five years before Christ (55 B. C.)
To four hundred fifty-five (455 A. D.)
Then her eight States on home-rule insist.
{216}
For many a year now they wrangle,
Ah! yes, for quite three seventy-two,
Being ruled now by this king, now that one,
As each might the former o'erthrow.
But ever since eight-twenty-seven (827),
Britain's rulers have reigned by descent,
From Egbert, first "Monarch of England,"
To Victoria, daughter of Kent.
A score reigned and fell.--Second Harold
In ten-sixty-six (1066), proud; usurps,
But soon in fierce battle is conquered
By William of Normandy's troops.
Then came William the Conqueror, a Norman,
Then William the Second, his son;
Then Henry and Stephen and Henry,
Then Richard (Coeur de Lion), and John.
Next Henry the Third, and First Edward,
Edward Second and Third, Richard, two (II).
Henrys Fourth, Fifth and Sixth, and Fourth Edward
Fifth Edward,--Third Richard, they rue.
Henry Seventh and Eighth, and Sixth Edward,
Then Mary, Bess, James, and Charles First,--
Eleven years then with no monarch;
Second Charles, Second James, not the worst.
{217}
Then William and Mary, then Anne,
Four Georges, Fourth William, until
Came Victoria, long live her queenship,
For she wields her proud scepter with skill.
{218}
_OUR LAND_.
A ship sailed over the blue, salt sea,
For a man, Columbus called,
Had thought that the world was round, and he
Of the old ideas had palled.
So, in fourteen hundred and ninety-two,
He sailed across from Spain,
And found our continent so new--
The "land beyond the main."
{219}
But jealousies and rivalries
And bickerings begun,
And Christopher Columbus now
With grief was overborne.
Americus Vespucius soon
Our shores came sailing round,
And stole the naming of the land
Columbus sought and found;
While he, Columbus, lay in chains,
And died in sore distress;
Yet won for us who tread his land,
A lasting blessedness.
* * * * *
Young I-know is saucy and pert,
And thinks himself wondrously wise;
But I-know, the second, steps in all so curt,
And you'd think that each might lose his eyes.
{220}
_SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC_.
THE annual path of the Sun,
The_ Ecliptic_ is called, as we see,--
And a belt, eight degrees, on each side,
The _Zodiac_ ever will be.
The principal planets all seem
To move in the zodiac lines,
While the belt, of itself, is cut up
Into twelve equal parts, called the _Signs_.
And these signs were first named, we are told,
From their fancied resemblance to beasts,
Which astronomers thought they could see
In the stars, from the West to the East.
{221}
There is Aries, the Ram, then the Bull,
Which is Taurus,--then Gemini, Twins;
Then Cancer, a Crab and then Leo,
A Lion, and Virgo, Virgin.
Next Libra, the Balance or Scales,
And Scorpio, a Scorpion (with sting),--
Sagittarius, the Archer or Arrow,--
Capricornus, a Goat's horn we bring.
{222}
Aquarius, the Bearer of Water,--
And Pisces, or Fish from the sea,--
All together make twelve, and a wonder
It is, that these fancies should be.
{223}
_GRAPHO_.
Children, you ought to know
That _Grapho_ can but mean
To picture out, or tell about,
Some object or some thing.
Now _Geo_ means the _earth_;
And so Geography
Means picturing out or telling about
This earth of ours, you see.
As _Phono_ means a _sound_,
Phonography so terse,
Just pictures out or tells about
The sounds of the human voice.
{224}
As _Photo_ means the _light_,
Photography must mean
A picturing of the light that falls
Upon a thing, I ween.
Now _Astro_ means the _stars_;
And hence Astrography
Means to describe or tell about
The stars we all may see.
And then Astronomy
Tells all the various laws
That govern or relate to stars;
Of their motions tells the cause.
Now _Bios_ means a _life_;
And so Biography
Means writing out the life of one,
Which we may often see.
_Zoos_ means _animal_;
And your Zoography
Describes the animals that live
On land or in the sea.
{225}
Then there's Stenography,
A writing narrow, small,
Or, as so many call it now,
"Short-hand," which tells it all.
And then Xylography--
Engraving upon wood;
And Crystallography as well,
That tells of crystals good.
But these are _ographies_
Enough for now, you think;
Yet when you're older, wiser grown,
You many more will link.
{226}
_THE STOP FAMILY_.
"I'm a dot with a quirk," whispers little Miss Comma,
"And you'll please not to pause long for me."
"I'm a dot over Comma," says Miss Semicolon,
"And you'll pause twice as long where I be."
"I am dot over dot," Master Colon speaks out,
"You'll pause longer for me than they say:"
"I am one dot alone," Period says with a tone
That means: "Stop when you see me obey!"
{227}
"I'm a hook over dot," says Dame Interrogation,
"I ask questions; but answer? O, nay!"
"I'm a splash over dot," says old Sir Exclamation;
"I show wonder, delight, or dismay!"
"I'm a line east and west," says Miss Dash, "and I'm best
At changing of subjects, you know."--
"I am Dash's small sister," says Hyphen, and kissed her;
"I unite words, or syl-la-bles, so."
Then said Marks of Parenthesis (carefully curved),
"We inclose what you well may omit;
But we're often displaced by Miss Dash (in your haste),
Whom you sadly mistake for a wit."
Now Apostrophe, Caret, Quotation, exclaimed:
"We are commas and hyphens combined;
We leave out, or put in, or reveal to your kin
What you've said, when their backs you're behind."
Then Star, Daggers, Parallels, Paragraph too,
Started up, staring wildly about, {228}
With "We rise to explain on the margin, 'tis plain,
Or to point a new paragraph out."
Of the whole Punctuation, each knew his own station.
Each did his own duty, we see;
If we do ours as well, and of their's, too, can tell,
We shall soon learn good readers to be.
* * * * *
"All is not gold that glitters;"
Yet think not, children mine,
That all that glitters is not gold;
The true must ring and shine.
{229}
_LITTLE MISCHIEF_.
Little Master Mischief
Lives in Nellie's eye,
Sitting in the corner,
Peeping out so sly;
Now he's crossed the snow-ground
And in chamber blue,
Thinking he is hidden,
Peek-a-boos at you.
Now he drops the curtain,
Sure that he is hid,
But you see him dancing
Even on the lid.
Now, the curtains lifting,
You can see he's crept
To the inner chamber,
Where the love-light slept.
Watching now his moment
He pops out, and see,
Mamma's spools and thimble
Quickly disagree.
{230}
{231}
Shall we punish Mischief?
Better teach the child
How to hold and lead him,
Running now so wild.
Would she like her playthings
Scattered here and there,
When she had arranged them?
Would she think it fair?
Would she like her puzzle
Portions of it, lost?
Would she like her dishes
Everywhere uptossed?
Would she like her apron
With a missing string,
Mamma hunting, meanwhile,
Thread and everything?
Nellie, learn the lesson:
Be to others true,
Always do as you would
Have them do to you.
{232}
This the dear Lord's precept,--
This the Golden Rule,--
This the highest lesson
In our Nellie's school.
* * * * *
Be gentle and loving,
Be kind and polite;
Be thoughtful for others,
Be sure and do right.
{233}
_GRANDMA'S CANARY._
Grandma loves her birdy,
And when he gaily sings,
She will laugh and chat with him,
At which he hops and springs.
Fearing though, that birdy
Might not understand,
Grandma from the toy-shop,
Brought a whistle grand.
Tuning now the whistle,
To his sweet bird-note,
He in singing back to her,
Nearly burst his throat,
{234}
Birdy, free outflying,
Often comes to light
On Grandma's tip-of-finger
Or chair-back, pretty sight!
From her hand she feeds him,
And he oft will take
From her mouth the sugar,
With a merry shake.
Yester-morn the window
Being open wide,
Birdy thought it brighter
On the outer side.
Grandma mourning sadly,
Shed of tears a few,
Then she prayed the Father,
"Show me what to do."
Soon she set his cage out
On the window-sill,
Saying, "Birdy'll come now,
Oh, I'm sure he will!"
{235}
Then she, hopeful, praying,
"Bring my birdy home,"
Took the sweet bird-whistle,
Playing "Birdy, come."
And the birdy hearing,
Quickly came and lit
On the cage, and shortly
Flitted into it.
Thankful now was Grandma,
To the dear Lord, who,
Listening to her prayer
Taught her what to do.
{236}
_A BABY'S FAITH_.
Our Maude was dancing with her doll,
In childhood's chattering glee;
A brimming bucket standing by,
The maiden failed to see,
And skipping, tripped; the bucket tipped;
The water, cool and clear, {237}
Was rudely swayed, but, undismayed,
And quickly kneeling near,
Both little hands she spread above
The water's merry surge.
"And what's she doing there," we ask?
No answer, till we urge,
And then, "Why mamma, don't you know
God stilled the waves so wild,
With His great hand? And so I thought,
Although I'm but a child,
That I might still these little waves
With my two hands so small;
And mamma, see, they're quiet now!
But where's my baby-doll?"
* * * * *
_HEALTH AND HAPPINESS_.
Mamma keeps her children
In the happiest mood
When she feeds them only
With the simplest food.
Viands clog and pain them,
Then they fret and cry,
And then when she whips them,
Everything's awry.
{238}
_THE MEADOW QUAILS_.
Over in the meadow where the men make hay,
In an elm-tree shadow on a bright summer day,
Two speckled quails ponder as to what will be best,
Should the stout mower blunder on their pretty home-nest.
But a cloud in a minute from her great white bed
Threw a big silver bonnet o'er the sun's golden head
And the quails, though they wondered would their home be beset,
Cried aloud, and it thundered: "More wet! more wet!"
{239}
Then the great sturdy yeoman coming close to the nest,
With the heart of a true man beating soft in his breast,
Saw the parent-quails watching, with what fear who can tell?
Saw the baby-quails hatching, hardly out of the shell.
And who knows but he thought of his own precious baby
His dear little daughter in her mother's arms, maybe?
For he quickly made over that portion of meadow
With the sweetest of clover, and the softest of shadow.
To the quails who all summer lived alongside the lane,
Ever warning the farmer of the forth-coming rain;
For long ere it thundered and I hear the cry yet
They would call as they wandered, "More wet! More wet!"
* * * * *
DIDN'T-THINK is a heedless lad
And never takes the prize:
Remember-well wins every time.
For he is quick and wise.
{240}
_THE LITTLE HOUSEWIFE_.
This little girl knows how to make
A batch of bread, or loaf of cake;
She helps to cook potatoes, beets,
To boil or bake the fish and meats.
She knows to sweep and make a bed,
Can hem a handkerchief for Ned;
In short, a little housewife she,
As busy as the busy bee.
{241}
Let every girl learn how to do
All things that help to make life true;
That serve to keep the home-hearth bright;
That o'er life's burdens throw a light.
And then if she may never need
Herself to labor, she may lead
Her household in the better way,
That eft shall bring a brighter day.
The boys, too, let them learn to know
Of household duties, and to sew;
For oft a button, oft a rip,
By sewing they may save a "fip."
Yes, let them know that "woman's work"
With many a turn and many a quirk,
Is not "a play with straws," as some.
Would seem to think. 'Tis making home.
{242}
_MOTHER-LOVE_.
"AR-G-O-O, ar-g-o-o," is the song of songs,
To the loving mother's ear;
"Ar-g-o-o, ar-g-o-o," these baby notes
Fill all the house with cheer.
The baby's laugh, the baby's coo.
The baby's every move,
Is music, joy, and grace to her,
Who is rich in mother-love.
{243}
The precious pearl that is first unlocked
By Nature's mystic key,
From out the baby's jewel-box,
Makes mamma's jubilee.
The day of baby's mastership
To raise himself upright,
An era marks along the way,
By mother-love made light.
Her mother-voice lures on his step,
Her care protects from harm;
While deeper into her heart he glides,
With every opening charm.
And when he "ma-ma" sweetly says,
Or "pa-pa," in her breast
His throne is fixed forevermore,
This prince of babes confessed.
When threads of thought begin to spin,
And webs of mind to weave,
When kindling soul looks out at eyes
That know not to deceive,--
The mother's holiest task to keep
Her darling pure and true;
Her constant care, her watchful prayer,
Alone can guide him through
{244}
The maze his youthful feet must tread,
And if perchance he fall,
Her baby still in him she sees,
Her love can cover it all.
O, the wondrous love the baby brings,
Is far beyond our ken!
We only know that the fount once oped,
Can never be dry again.
* * * * *
_IT SNOWS! IT SNOWS!_
It snows! yes, it snows! and the children are wild,
At thought of the fun in the snow-drifts up-piled;
The boy with his first new boots is in sight,
And the wee baby-girl, with her mittens so bright.
They are tramping and tossing the snow as they run,
And laughing and shouting, so brimful of fun;
While the ten-year-old twins, in a somersault mood,
Have measured their length from the barn to the wood.
A dozen times, yes, or it may be a score,
Till their cheeks are as red as the roses, and more;
Then the elfin of twelve and the boy of fifteen,
Are pelting each other with snowballs so keen,
That we, who are older, forget to be staid, {245}
And shout, each with each, as the youngsters, arrayed
In feathery garments, press on or retreat,
Determined to win, nor acknowledge defeat,
And the snow tumbles down with such beauty and grace
That the air seems filled up with soft, bridal-veil lace,
Through whose meshes the sunbeams shall kiss Mother Earth,
Till the buds and the blossoms are bred into birth.
But the children, at length, tired out with their play,
And stamping the snow from their feet by the way,
Come slipping and stumbling and scrambling along,
While the big brother catching the baby-girl's song,
"Oh, my finders are told!" gives her now a gay toss,
The golden hair streaming like distaff of floss;
And so cheery the group that is ranged round the board,
That for snow, blessed snow! we all thank the good Lord.
{246}
{247}
AN OLD SAW.
"If you'll break the first brake
And will kill the first snake,
You'll be sure to go through
With what you undertake."
Thus our Grandma, quaint but queenly,
Taught us grand-bairns one by one;
And the lesson relished keenly
Filled each spring-time full of fun.
For the watchful eyes were eager,
And the flying feet must roam
Till they every nook beleaguer
Round the old ancestral home.
* * * * *
But 'twas not the broken brakelet
That wrought good for after years;
Not the killing of the snakelet,
But the conquering of fears,
And the patient, wistful watching,
Educating thought and eye,
Made the brakelet and the snakelet
Types of weal for bye and bye.
{248}
_THE DANDELION BLOSSOM._
In the spring when the grass
Had sprung up in the pass,
And the meadows with velvet were green,
We children would tease,
"O, dear mother, please
Let us doff shoes and stockings,
(Ah! naught gave us shockings),
And barefooted run o'er the leas,
Aye, barefooted run o'er the leas."
And mother, so wise,
Looking into our eyes,-- {249}
"There's a snowdrift down under the hill!
But when you will bring me,
Yes, when you will fling me
A dandelion blossom
To wear on my bosom
You may barefooted run as you will,
Aye, barefooted run as you will."
So for "guineas of gold,"
O'er the dandelion-wold,
We hunted afar and anear;
And with shouts of delight
We all greeted the sight
Of the fully-blown flower
Presaging the shower
Of bright blossoms that brought us such cheer,
Aye, the blossoms that brought us such cheer.
* * * * *
FEAR naught save that which slimes thee o'er
With falsity or fraud:--
Let thine own soul stand clean and white
Before its maker, God.
{250}
_SUNSHINE._
The sun shines on forever
Though clouds may hide his face;
His brightness and his glory
The whole wide world may trace
For clouds are naught but vapor
Whose fleecy veils unfold,
And softest silver lining
We then with joy behold.
* * * * *
_OUR ETHEL._
Our Ethel was not always,
As people may have thought,
A goody-goody little girl
Who never mischief wrought.
Oh, no, our darling Ethel,
The precious little woman,
Although so very dear to us,
Was most intensely human.
She waded into mischief
Like ducklets into water,
And kept us ever on the watch
With, "Daughter!" "Oh, my Daughter!"
{251}
She took the ribbon from her hair
The kitten to bedeck,
Then brought its tail between its legs
And tied it tail and neck.
She took her dolly to the pump
And pinned it on the spout,
And then with all her might and main
She pumped the water out.
"Oh, little Haynth tho' thelfith,'
She cried, because her cousin {252}
Besought one pillow, while she hugged
Them all, a half a dozen.
She found a bell that tinkled,
And fastened it, for fun,
'Round kitty's neck then clapped her hands,
And cried, run! Kitty, run!
She fain would pick the eyes out,
Of little baby-brother,
"To find the pretty balls like those
In fishes' eyes, and other."
{253}
And then she'd fold her little hands
So quaintly and demurely,
You'd think she must be quite a saint,
Or not a sinner, surely.
And thus her pranks from day to day
And hour to hour repeated,
Would bring the thought, "Tis all for naught,
Our aims are all defeated."
* * * * *
Nay, nay, not so, the years roll by,
And Ethel's baby-mischief
Becomes the power that leads her kind,
For by her force she is chief.
* * * * *
_THE SIX SISTERS._
ONE of us e'er lives in dates,
One in every peach awaits;
One in pine-apple is found,
One in orange, bright and round,
One in plum, so luscious sweet,
And our last in strawberry--treat.
{254}
_THE LITTLE GIRLS' LETTER TO GOD._
Now Susy's such a naughty dirl,
And I ain't any better,
And so we thought we just would wite
The dear dood Dod a letter.
And tell him all about our bad,
Betause he'd have to know,
Or else he touldn't mate us dood,
And so we told him how,
{255}
Once when I spit on Susy's dwess
Then Susy spit on me;
And when I bwote her dolly's arm
She smashed my Twistmas-twee.
Then when I pushed her off the wall,
She spattered me with mud;
When I pulled up her tolumbine,
She snapped my wed wose-bud
{256}
I talled her "old dwanmother Dwill"
And she tailed me "old maid,"--
And then we stwatched each others' eyes
Down in the darden shade.
And then my ma and Susy's ma
Both said the only way
Would be to teep us little dirls
Apart in all our play.
{257}
And so the bid, brown date was shut,
And that was such a bother,--
'Tause Susy's yard was on one side
And mine was on the other.
But we tould peet thwough all the twats,
And tiss us thwough the hole
Where the bid, udly knot tame out,
As bid as Susy's bowl,
For I love Susy awful much,
And Susy she loves me,
And so we told the dear, dood Dod
We'd twy dood dirls to be.
So now when we just feel the bad
A-tomin' in our heart,
We both wun home and shut the date
And teep ourselves apart.
And in a minute all the dood
Tomes bat,--and then our plays
Seem nicer yet, and we fordet
The naughty,--naughty--ways.
{258}
{259}
_GRANDMA'S LESSONS._
"Tis guilt to wear the garb of sin,
Though all be innocent within,"
These little girls heard grandma say,
And wondered if 'twere half in play.
But when they're wiser, older grown,
And when the world to them is known,
They'll learn to shun even seeming ill;
They'll learn with grace their lives to fill,
And thank dear grandma o'er and o'er,
For this, and many lessons more.
"'Tis guilt to wear the garb of sin,
Though all be innocent within."
"If you do well by others' ills,
You'll do right well," she said,
When we would come and tell about
The naughtiness of Ned.
"Now children, if you shun the bad
You may in others find,
And never let yourself be rude,
Or naughty, or unkind,
You'll learn to do by others' ills
Right well," dear grandma said,
"And in the way that's good and true,
Your youthful feet shall tread."
{260}
_MY LITTLE FOUR-YEARS-OLD_
Telling Dolly what she will say to her birthday friends
I'm four years old to-day, and I
Can talk enough for ten birth-days,
And I shan't rhyme it, neither;--
For little girls can't do it nice.
No matter what they think, and so
They needn't try, no, never.
I'm glad you all are here, and now,
With all our dollies in a row,
I'm sure we'll have good times;
And when we have our apples, grapes,
And nuts and figs and patty-cakes,
Who'll care for silly rhymes!
{261}
_HANDSOME DICK._
ELZIE'S kitty, white as snow,
Loves his little mistress so,
That he'll come at her command,
Lift his paw to shake her hand,
Bow his head and kneel to her,
Rumpling all his milk-white fur;
Many another pretty trick,
Too, he's learned, our Elzie's Dick.
{262}
Well, the Church-Fair coming on,
Elzie thought, "What can be done
By a little girl like me,
In the cause of charity?"