By and by the little cloud felt a dreadful shock, Something ran all through it, burning like a flame, Then old Grandpa Thunder, as he growled away, And old Grandma Lightning, flitting to and fro, Then lilies dear and pansies all began to bloom, And the cherries grew and grew till they took up all the room. Then by and by the little cloud, with all its duty done, -Selected. C FOREST TREES. HILDREN, have you seen the budding Have you watched it creeping, creeping D Have you watched the shades so varied, Have you seen the autumn frostings Red and yellow, dark and light? Have you seen the foliage, dropping, Is a symbol of our rising In a higher, holier sphere? Children, ye are buds maturing; Make your autumn rich and grand, That your winter be a passage Through the gates to Glory-land. -Mother Truth's Melodies Now HIDE-AND-SEEK. OW hide the flowers beneath the snow. And Winter shall not find them; Their safety nooks he cannot know; They left no tracks behind them. The little brooks keep very still, Gone are the birds; they're hiding where But comes the Spring at last to look Then shall the world be glad and gay, The brooks sing, too, along their way, Frank Dempster Sherman OH, A LAUGHING CHORUS. H, such a commotion under the ground When March called, "Ho, there! ho!" Such spreading of rootlets far and wide, Such whispering to and fro; And, "Are you ready?" the Snowdrop asked, Of laughter soft and low, From the millions of flowers under the ground- "I'll promise my blossoms," the Crocus said, "When I hear the bluebirds sing.' And straight thereafter, Narcissus cried, My silver and gold I'll bring." "And ere they are dulled," another spoke, "The Hyacinth bells shall ring." And the Violet only murmured, "I'm here," And sweet grew the air of spring. Then, "Ha! ha! ha!" a chorus came Of laughter soft and low, From the millions of flowers under the ground Oh, the pretty, brave things! through the coldest days, Imprisoned in walls of brown, They never lost heart though the blast shrieked loud, And the sleet and the hail came down, But patiently each wrought her beautiful dress, And now they are coming to brighten the world, And well may they cheerily laugh, "Ha! ha!" The millions of flowers hid under the ground- Selected. THE SNOWDROP. OW the spring is coming on, Now Now the snow and ice are gone, Come, my little snowdrop root, Will you not begin to shoot? Ah, I see your little head For the mild south wind doth blow, So your pretty flowers show, Down upon my flower-bed. - Songs for the Little Ones at Home. |