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THOU SHALT NOT STEAL. ON the goods that are not thine, Little child, lay not thy finger; Round thy neighbour's better things Let no wishful glances linger.

Pilfer not the smallest thing;

Touch it not, howe'er thou need it; Though the owner have enough, Though he know it not, nor need it.

Taste not the forbidden fruit,
Though resistance be a trial;
Grasping hand and roving eye,
Early teach them self-denial.

Upright heart and honest name
To the poorest are a treasure;
Better than ill-gotten wealth,

Better far than pomp and pleasure.

Poor and needy though thou art,

Gladly take what God has given; With clean hands and humble heart, Passing through this world to heaven.

THE WATER-LILY.

I AM the Lady of the Lake,
On a green couch my rest I take;
The ripples rock me to and fro,

While wild swans arch their necks of snow,
Forget-me-nots around me blow.

Often on my leafy brink,

The little birds will stand to drink,
Then sing to me all the long day;
The dragon-flies around me play,
Bulrushes nod their heads alway.

I need not turn my head to see,
For all is mirrored before me;
The swallow with its skimming wing,
The butterflies that sit and swing
Upon me, and then upward spring.

At myself I look all day,

Can see the fishes under me play ;

No queen has such a glass as I,

That throws deep down the trees and sky, And all the birds that o'er it fly.

I sit upon a silver ground,

With silver I am hemmed all round,
Save where laburnum flowers unfold,
And o'er me swing their chains of gold,
Which in my mirror I behold.

The water-hen shows me her brood,
When paddling round in search of food;
The fishes make a silvery light,
Flashing their scaly armour bright,
Then starting at my shadow white.

At night my coronet I close;
Beneath the water I repose;
Nor from my crystal couch arise,
Until I see the eastern skies,
Dappled with gold and silver dyes.

The ripples murmur me to sleep,
The stars a watch around me keep;
I see them in my chamber lie,
Bright as if burning in the sky,
And Lady of the Lake am I.

RASH PROMISES.

RASH promises are often made,
And sometimes quickly broken,
Because too little care is had

Of words thus promptly spoken.

Some fault you promise to amend,
And never more repeat it,
But, though sincerely you intend,
Something may still defeat it.

To guard against some future snare,
Some tempting provocation,

Of making promises beware,
On every small occasion.

A promise is a solemn tie,

When once the words are spoken,

And bears the nature of a lie,

If

If subsequently broken.

any faults

you would resist, When conscience turns reprover,

The good intentions that exist,

Let deeds, not words, discover.

THE WORKS OF GOD.

GOD made the sun to shine by day,
The moon to shine by night;
And all the stars that sparkle so,
So very, very bright.

God made this world in which I live,
The sea and all the land;

And everything that lives and moves
Is nourished by His hand.

God made the flowers that bud and blow

About my little feet;

He made them look so very fine,

And smell so very sweet.

God made the little birds that sing
On every bush and spray;
Oh, how I wish that I had wings
To fly as well as they!

God made the lambs that skip and run,

In yonder mead all day;

Good little lambs, they are so kind,
They never fight, but play.

God gives me life, and food, and clothes,

And friends and all I need;

I cannot tell how good He is,
He's very kind indeed.

God bends His ear to all I say,
He hears an infant's praise;
O may He teach my heart to love
And serve Him all my days.

God lives in heaven, that happy world,
Above the bright blue sky;

O may He take me there to dwell,
And praise Him when I die.

GOOD MANNERS.

Ir good manners you wish to attain,
These maxims keep ever in view,
That your friends have no cause to complain
They find not good manners in you,—

Let cleanliness always be seen,

How simple soever your dress,

For the child who is tidy and clean

Will one point of good manners possess.

Never speak unless first spoken to;

Much talking will always offend;

Be modest in all that you do,

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And you will never want for a friend.

Never boast of the stores of your mind,
Or the number of things that you know,
Lest your friends should by questioning find
How little it is you can show.

A wish all nice dainties to share

By good manners is always suppress'd, For a well-behaved child will take care That his friends shall partake of the best.

If to these simple rules you attend,
And constantly keep them in view,
Each valued acquaintance and friend

Will acknowledge good manners in you.

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