THE SNOW.

The clouds look sad,

And mother is glad,

For it is going to snow;
And her dear boy

Will dance with joy,
When he on his sled can go.

"O mother, say,

Will it snow to-day?"

Has frequently been his cry;

"I cannot tell,

But I think it will,"

Has been the quick reply.

But look, now look,

O quick, drop your book!

The snow has now come at last;

So soft and white,

So pretty and light,

It is falling thick and fast.

Now Bennie boy

Is filled with joy,

He runs for his boots and sled;

Now get his coat

And tie up his throat,

And put a cap on his head.

Then o'er the snow
How fast he'll go,
Giving his sisters a ride;
They'll run about,

And caper and shout,

And down the hill they will slide.

THE MEDDLESOME CHILD.

Matilda was a pleasant child,
But one bad trick she had,

That e'en when all around her smiled,
Oft made her friends feel sad.

Sometimes she'd lift the teapot-lid,
To peep at what was in it;
Or tilt the kettle, if you did
But turn your head a minute.

As grandmamma went out one day,
Her snuff-box and her specs

She down upon the table lay,
Forgetting Tilly's tricks.

Immediately upon her nose

She placed the glasses wide, Then looking round, as I suppose, The snuff-box too she spied.

So thumb and finger went to work,
To move the stubborn lid;
And as she gave it quite a jerk,

Much mischief then she did.

The snuff came puffing in her face
And eyes and nose and chin,
And as she ran about for ease,
The snuff got further in.

She dashed the spectacles away,
To wipe her tingling eyes;
And there in twenty bits they lay,
As grandmamma she spies.

She then, while smarting with the pain,
Sneezing, and sick and sore,
Made many a promise to refrain

From meddling any more.

Now, before I run to play,

I must not forget to pray

To Him who kept me through the night,
And woke me with the morning light.

Help me, Lord, to love thee more
Than I ever loved before;

In my work and in my play,
Be thou with me through the day.

THE ROBINS.

Good-morning, bonnie Annie,
I'm very glad you've come,
Bringing smiles and kisses
From your pleasant home.

Come and sit beside me
In this little chair;
I'll tell you pretty stories,
My cousin, blithe and fair.
A very pretty sight

This morning I did see-
Four little robins
Sitting on a tree.

A bright red cherry
One of them did pull;
It was large and ripe,
And very beautiful.

So he gave it to his mate,
As if wishing her to see;
And then all along,

To each of the three.

And then they all began
To peck a little piece;
Stopping to whistle,
Oh how very nice.

And when they had eaten it,
All so lovingly,
They flew away again,

Singing right merrily.

These little robins,

That live so happily,

Teach many lessons

Sweet and dear to me.

How boys can harm them

I do not know,

And be so cruel to them,

And make them fear us so.

Taylor.