88

LITTLE BELL.

Little Bell looked up and down the glade:
"Squirrel, Squirrel, from the nut-tree shade,
Bonny Blackbird, if you 're not afraid,
Come and share with me!"

Down came Squirrel, eager for his fare,
Down came bonny Blackbird, I declare,
Little Bell gave each his honest share.
Ah, the merry three!

And the while those frolic playmates twain
Piped and frisked from bough to bough again,
'Neath the morning skies,

In the little childish heart below,
All the sweetness seemed to grow and
And shine out, in happy overflow,
From the blue, bright eyes.

grow,

By her snow-white cot, at close of day,
Knelt sweet Bell with folded palms, to pray

Very calm and clear

Rose the praying voice to where, unseen
In blue heaven, an angel shape serene
Paused awhile to hear.

"What good child is this," the angel said,
"That with happy heart, beside her bed,
Prays so lovingly!"

Low and soft, O very low and soft,
Crooned the Blackbird in the orchard croft,
"Bell, dear Bell!" crooned he.

KINDNESS TO ANIMALS.

"Whom God's creatures love," the angel fair Murmured," God doth bless with angel's care; Child, thy bed shall be

Folded safe from harm-love, deep and kind, Shall watch around, and leave good gifts behind, Little Bell, for thee."

T. WESTWOOD.

KINDNESS TO ANIMALS.

TURN, turn the hasty foot aside,
Nor crush that helpless worm;
The frame thy wayward looks deride,
Required a God to form.

The common Lord of all that move,
From whom thy being flowed,

A portion of his boundless love
On that poor worm bestowed.

The sun, the moon, the stars he made,
To all his creatures free;

And spreads o'er earth the grassy blade
For worms as well as thee.

Let them enjoy their little day,
Their lowly bliss receive;
O do not lightly take away

The life thou canst not give.

GISBORN.

89

90

THE OAK-TREE.

THE OAK-TREE.

SING for the Oak-tree,

The monarch of the wood;

Sing for the Oak-tree,

That groweth green and good;
That groweth broad and branching
Within the forest shade;

That groweth now, and yet shall grow
When we are lowly laid!

The Oak-tree was an acorn once,
And fell upon the earth;
And sun and showers nourished it,
And gave the Oak-tree birth.

The little sprouting Oak-tree!

Two leaves it had at first,

Till sun and showers had nourished it,
Then out the branches burst.

The little sapling Oak-tree!

Its root was like a thread,

Till the kindly earth had nourished it,
Then out it freely spread:

On this side and on that side

It grappled with the ground;
And in the ancient, rifted rock
Its firmest footing found.

THE OAK-TREE.

The winds came, and the rain fell;
The gusty tempest blew ;

All, all were friends to the Oak-tree,
And stronger yet it grew.

The boy that saw the acorn fall,
He feeble grew and gray;
But the oak was still a thriving tree.
And strengthened every day!

Four centuries grows the Oak-tree,
Nor doth its verdure fail;
Its heart is like the iron-wood,
Its bark like plated mail.
Now cut us down the Oak-tree,
The monarch of the wood;
And of its timbers stout and strong
We'll build a vessel good!

The Oak-tree of the forest

Both east and west shall fly;

And the blessings of a thousand lands
Upon our ship shall lie!

For she shall not be a man of war,

Nor a pirate shall she be ;

But a noble, Christian merchant ship,
To sail upon the sea.

91

MARY HOWITT.

92

SUNSHINE.

SUNSHINE.

I LOVE the sunshine everywhere,-
In wood, and field, and glen;
I love it in the busy haunts
Of town-imprisoned men.

I love it when it streameth in
The humble cottage-door,

And casts a checkered casement shade
Upon the red-brick floor.

I love it where the children lie
Deep in the clovery grass,
To watch among the twining roots
The gold-green beetles pass.

I love it on the breezy sea,

To glance on sail and oar,

While the great waves, like molten glass,
Come leaping to the shore.

I love it on the mountain-tops,
Where lies the thawless snow,
And half a kingdom, bathed in light,
Lies stretching out below.