Boy. I have a better pair for Sundays.

Boy. I have a better hat at home; but I had as lief have none at all, for it hurts my head.

Mr. L.

What do you do when it rains?

Boy. If it rains very hard, I get under the fence till it is over. Mr. L. What do you do when you are hungry before it is time to go home?

Boy. I sometimes eat a raw turnip.

Mr. L. But if there are none?

Boy. Then I do as well as I can; I work on, and never think of it.

Mr. L. Are you not dry sometimes, this hot weather?
Boy. Yes, but there is water enough.

Mr. L.

Why, my little fellow, you are quite a philosopher! Boy. Sir?

Mr. L. I say you are a philosopher; but I am sure you do not know what that means.

Boy. No, sir

Mr. L. No, no.

no harm, I hope.

Well, my boy, you seem to want nothing at all, so I shall not give you money to make you want anything. But were you ever at school?

Boy. No, sir; but daddy says I shall go after harvest.
Mr. L.

You will want books, then?

Boy. Yes, sir; the boys have all a Spelling-book and Testament, and Easy Lessons.

Mr. L. Well, then, I will give you them,

tell your daddy

so, and that it is because I thought you a very good contented

boy. So now go to your sheep again.

Boy. I will, sir. Thank you.

Mr. L. Good-by, Peter.

Boy. Good-by, sir.

THE LITTLE ROAN COLT.

RAY, how shall I, a little lad,
In

Pin speaking make a figure?
PRA

You're only joking, I'm afraid,
Do wait till I am bigger.

But, since you wish to hear my part,
And urge me to begin it,

I'll strive for praise, with all my heart,
Though small the hope to win it.

I'll tell a tale, how farmer John
A little roan colt bred, sir,
And every night and every morn,
He watered and he fed, sir.

Said neighbor Joe to farmer John,
"Aren't you a silly dolt, sir,
To spend such time and care upon
A little, useless colt, sir?"

Said farmer John to neighbor Joe,
"I bring my little roan up,
Not for the good he now can do,

But will do, when he's grown up."

The moral you can well espy,

To keep the tale from spoiling,
The little colt, you think, is I-
I know it by your smiling.

And now my friends, please to excuse
My lisping and my stammers;
I, for this once, have done my best,
And so I'll make my stammers.

I

I'M FIVE YEARS OLD.

WAS a very little child,

But months have passed away,
And I am bigger, taller grown;
I'm five years old to-day!

At first I could not walk at all,
And not a word could say;
But now I talk and run about:
I'm five years old to-day!

I did not know the God above,
Who made the flowers so gay,
And me, and all; but now I know:
I'm five years old to-day!

I did not thank Him for His love,
I had hot learned to pray;
But now I kneel to ask His grace:
I'm five years old to-day!

TH

BY-AND-BY.

HERE'S a little mischief-making
Elfin, who is ever nigh,

Thwarting every undertaking,

And his name is ".

"By-and-By."

What we ought to do this minute

Will be done, he'll cry,

If to-morrow we begin it:
"Put it off," says By-and-By.

Those who heed his treacherous wooing

Will his faithless guidance rue;

What we always put off doing,

Clearly we shall never do.

We shall reach what we endeavor
"Now" we more rely;

If on

But unto the realms of " Never"

Leads the pilot By-and-By.

A BOOK.

Γ

"M a strange contradiction; I'm new and I'm old, I'm often in tatters, and oft decked with gold. Though I never could read, yet lettered I'm found;

Though blind, I enlighten, though loose, I am bound;
I'm always in black, and I'm always in white;
I'm grave and I'm gay, I'm heavy and light—

In form too I differ, -I'm thick and I'm thin;

I've no flesh and no bones, yet I'm covered with skin;
I've more points than the compass, more stops than the flute;

I sing without voice, without speaking confute.

I'm English, I'm German, I'm French, and I'm Dutch;
Some love me too fondly, some slight me too much;

I often die soon, though I sometimes live ages,

And no monarch alive has so many pages.

H°

THE CHILD'S INQUIRY.

Son.

OW big was Alexander, pa,
That people called him great?

Was he, like old Goliath, tall?

His spear a hundred weight?
Was he so large that he could stand
Like some tall steeple high;

And while his feet were on the ground,
His hands could touch the sky?

Father.

Oh, no! my child: about as large
As I or Uncle James.

'Twas not his stature made him great,

But greatness of his name.

Son.

His name so great? I know 't is long,

But easy quite to spell;
And more than half a year ago

I knew it very well.

Father.

I mean, my child, his actions were

So great, he got a name,
That everybody speaks with praise,

That tells about his fame.

Son.

Well, what great actions did he do?

I want to know it all.