HELP ONE ANOTHER.

"HELP one another," the snowflakes said,

As they cuddled down in their fleecy bed.

'One of us here would not be felt, One of us here would quickly melt;

'But I'll help you, and you help me,

And then what a splendid drift there'll be."

"Help one another," the maple spray
Said to its fellow-leaves one day;
"The sun would wither me here alone,
Long enough ere the day is gone;
But I'll help you, and you help me,
And then what a splendid shade there'll be."

"Help one another," the dewdrop cried,
Seeing another drop close to its side;
"The warm south wind would dry me away,
And I should be gone ere noon to-day;
But I'll help you, and you help me,

And we'll make a brook and run to the sea."

"Help one another," a grain of sand
Said to another grain close at hand;
"The wind may carry me over the sea,
And then, oh, what will become of me?
But come, my brother, give me your hand,
We'll build a mountain and then we'll stand."

And so the snowflakes grew to drifts;
The grains of sand to a mountain;
The leaves became a summer shade;
The dewdrops fed a fountain.

LITTLE SNOWFLAKES.

STILL

TILL and gentle all around,
Little snowflakes, soft and light
One by one spread o'er the ground,
Making it a fleecy white.

As we watch these little flakes,
Falling down so small and light,
Who would think so few it takes
Thus to form this robe of white?

Just like them are duties done,
Still and gentle, every hour;
Smallest deeds, we early learn,
Give to life its greatest power.

- Selected.

THE FIRST SNOW.

HE north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow

THE

And what will poor robin do then, poor thing?

He'll sit in the barn and keep himself warm,

And hide his head under his wing, poor thing.

The north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow,
And what will the honey bee do, poor thing?
In his hive he will stay till the cold's passed away,
And then he'll come out in the spring, poor thing.

The north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow,
And what will the dormouse do then, poor thing?
Rolled up like a ball in his nest, snug and small,

He'll sleep till warm weather comes back, poor thing.

The north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow,

And what will the children do then, poor things? When lessons are done they'll jump, skip, and run, And that's how they'll keep themselves warm, poor things.

66

THE SNOW-SHOWER.

EE, mamma, the crumbs are flying
Fast and thickly through the air;
On the branches they are lying,

On the walks and everywhere.
Oh, how glad the birds will be,
When so many crumbs they see."

"No, my little girl, 'tis snowing,
Nothing for the birds is here;
Very cold the air is growing,

'Tis the winter of the year;
Frost will nip the robins' food,
'Twill no more be sweet and good.

"See the clouds the skies that cover,
'Tis from them the snowflakes fall,
Whitening hills and fields all over,
Hanging from the fir-trees tall.
Were it warm, 'twould rain; but lo!
Frost has changed the rain to snow."

- Selected.

"If the robins food are needing,
Oh, I hope to me they'll come;
I should like to see them feeding,
On the window of my room;
I'll divide with them my store;
Much I wish I could do more."

- Mary Lundie Duncan

68

LITTLE SHIPS IN THE AIR.

FLA

LAKES of snow, with sails so white,
Drifting down the wintry skies,

Tell me where your route begins,
Say which way your harbor lies?"

"In the clouds, the roomy clouds,
Arching earth with shadowy dome,
There's the port from which we sail,
There is tiny snowflake's home."

"And the cargo that you take

From those cloudy ports above —

Is it always meant to bless,
Sent in anger or in love?"

"Warmth for all the tender roots,
Warmth for every living thing,
Water for the rivers' flow,

This the cargo that we bring."

"Who's the Master that you serve Bids you lift your tiny sails,

Brings you safely to the earth,

Guides you through the wintry gales?"

"He who tells the birds to sing,

He who sends the April flowers,

He who ripens all the fruit,
That great Master, he is ours."

THE SNOW-SHOWER.

-E. A. Rand

STAN

TAND here by my side and turn, I On the lake below thy gentle eyes; The clouds hang over it heavy and gray,

And dark and silent the water lies; And out of that frozen mist the snow, In wavering flakes, begins to flow; Flake after flake,

They sink in the dark and silent lake.

See how in a living swarm they come

pray,

From the chambers beyond that misty veil
Some hover awhile in air, and some

Rush prone from the sky like summer hail.
All, dropping swiftly, or settling slow,
Meet, and are still in the depths below;
Flake after flake,

Dissolved in the dark and silent lake.

Here delicate snow-stars, out of the cloud,
Come floating downward in airy play,