advantage, that, while infants delight in them, they have also a charm for adults without containing the least touch of irony, which is so common in the books now provided for the nursery. Many of them which now serve merely for the amusement of children were once the expression of the thoughts of maturity during the childhood of the race. Some, for instance, seem to contain notions with a religious association; others had a (long lost) political signification. They survive in the nursery, but they did not originate there, and hence they have an attraction for adults as well as for children. No poems have been selected merely because they contain a good moral. Too many of the poems written for little children with a didactic purpose seem to miss their mark. They often do harm by rendering first thoughts concerning truthfulness, obedience, and kindness commonplace and wearisome. Childish virtues are tender plants, the growth of which is retarded, not cherished, by prosy verses and feeble rhymes. Besides, it is very doubtful whether anything ought to be converted into an exercise for the wits which is intended to give light and warmth to the heart.

In the second part of the book will be found, some passages suitable for that transition stage when children are passing from infants' schools to those for older children. It is believed that the name of the poet in each case will be a guarantee as to the merit of the piece. seems of the utmost consequence to avoid giving children any poem to learn which is less good than the best of those written in a language which they are able to understand.

It

The author ventures to append one or two hints to teachers in using this book. Before any rhyme is repeated to a class (it is essential that the teacher should know the rhyme by heart herself), it would be well to exhibit to the children some picture-book1 which

1 The Babies' Museum, price 1s., or the Favourite Picture Book, 5s., or in parts 1s. each, illustrates nearly all the verses in Part 1. (may both be had of the Publishers).

illustrates the verses. The little ones may be made absorbingly interested in pointing out in the picture the House that Jack built,' and in discovering and naming all the accessories which the inventive genius of the child's own artist has devised for their delectation. Where possible, the piece should be treated dramatically, as a kind of dialogue between one part of the class and the other. The ingenuity of the teacher can easily arrange 'Cock Robin' into a chorus and series of solos. The effect of a very small child repeating,

'I, said the Fly,

With my little eye.'

in answer to an infantile chorus, Who saw him die?' is very pleasing.

When children are describing a picture their remarks should be made in complete sentences and not in single words. The answer to What colour is this rose ?' should be, 'That rose is red.' If the answers are confined to single words the children are not learning to speak English. This book is intended to be used as part of the apparatus employed in giving first lessons in speaking English. The art of speaking the mother tongue is one of the most useful which can possibly be acquired in an infants' school, and, indeed, is almost the only art which can never be equally well mastered in later years.

The compiler is not aware of having used any copyright pieces in the volume; if she has unwittingly done so, she trusts that the usefulness of the book, with this apology, will be accepted as an equivalent to a more formal acknowledgment.

RECITATIONS FOR INFANTS'

SCHOOLS.

PART I.

NURSERY RHYMES.

1

Hush-a-by-baby on the tree top,

When the wind blows the cradle will rock, When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, Down will come baby and cradle and all.

Bell horses, bell horses, what time of day? One o'clock, two o'clock, off and away.

5

4

Jack and Jill went up the hill,
To fetch a pail of water;

Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.

5

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all of a row.

6

To market, to market to buy a plum bun. Home again, home again, market is done.

7

POLLY.

Polly put the kettle on,
Polly put the kettle on,
Polly put the kettle on,
And let's drink tea.

Sukey take it off again,
Sukey take it off again,
Sukey take it off again,
It will all boil away.

8

Jack Sprat could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean,
And so betwixt them both
They licked the platter clean.

9

PAT A CAKE.

Pat a cake, pat a cake,

Baker's man!

So I do, master, as fast as I can,

Pat it, and prick it,

And mark it with T,
And put it in the oven,
For Tommy and me.

10

HANDY SPANDY.

Handy Spandy, Jacky Dandy,
Loves plum cake and sugar candy.
He bought some at a grocer's shop,
And pleased, away went hop, hop, hop.

11

Little Jack Horner sat in the corner,
Eating a Christmas pie;

He put in his thumb and pulled out a plum,
And cried, What a good boy am I!'