n.o.bODY

"n.o.body b'oke it! It cracked itself; It was clear 'way up on the toppest shelf.

I--p'rhaps the kitty-cat knows!"

Says poor little Ned, With his ears as red As the heart of a damask rose.

_n.o.body_ lost it. I carefully Put my cap just where it ought to be (No, 'tisn't ahind the door), And it went and hid, Why, of course it did, For I've hunted an hour or more.

"_n.o.body tore it_! You know things will Tear if you're sitting just stock stone still!

I was just jumping over the fence-- There's some spikes on top, And you have to drop Before you can half commence."

n.o.body! Wicked Sir n.o.body!

Playing such tricks on my children three!

If I but set eyes on you, You should find what you've lost!-- But that, to my cost, I never am like to do!

[Ill.u.s.tration: n.o.body]

MY GARDEN

I have a little garden All edged with four-o'clocks; And some of it is sunflowers, And some is hollyhocks.

And all around the border I've planted little stones-- A lot of round beach pebbles-- To keep out Rover's bones.

And then, as plain as daylight, A sign, "Keep off the gra.s.s,"

Warns hens and everybody That here they shouldn't pa.s.s.

But Rover makes his pantry Right in that garden patch; And all the hens and chickens Think that's the place to scratch.

ANNA BURNHAM BRYANT.

MAMMA'S LITTLE HOUSEMAID

I am mamma's little housemaid, don't you see?

They couldn't get along so well if it were not for me; For every Friday morning I take my little broom, And sweep and sweep the pretty rugs that lie in mamma's room.

And then I sweep the door-steps off, and do not leave a crumb, And wipe the dishes, too, and oh, it is the bestest fun!

And then, when mamma starts to bake, she says that maybe I Can make all by my very self a cunning little pie.

When I am big enough for school I think I'll like to go, But truly I would rather stay at home, you know, And help my mamma do the work, and bake a little pie, For mamma says all little girls, if they would only try, Can help their mammas very much with willing hands and feet, By sweeping rugs and door-steps and keeping porches neat.

So I am mamma's housemaid, and she pays me with a kiss, And papa, when he comes at night, says, "Bless me, what is this!

How bright and clean the rugs do look!" And then I laugh and say That my little broom and I work for mamma every day.

HARRIET CROCKER LEROY.

TOYS

Toys have a bedtime, too.

Oh, but it's really true!

This is what you should do,--

Just as the sun sinks low, Off to bed make them go, Laid in a tidy row.

There let them rest all night, Sleep until morning light, Then wake when day shines bright.

ALICE VAN LEER CARRICK.

THE BATH

It always has seemed queer to me, When I give Bess a bath In our big, shiny, new, white tub, She shorter grows by half.

But when I take her out again She hasn't changed at all.

If you have doubts of what I say, Just try it with your doll!

REBECCA DEMING MOORE.

NAP-TIME

Rock-a-bye me! Rock-a-bye me!

I'm just as tired as I can be.

We've swung and swung as high as the sky, Then slower, to let the "old cat die;"

We played we were gra.s.shoppers--hippity-hop The gra.s.shoppers go, and they never stop; And then we played kangaroo--just look, The way they do in the picture-book!

And then--I want to get on your knee!

Rock-a-bye me! Rock-a-bye me!

F. LILEY-YOUNG.

CHUMS

We're chums, and we love it---dear father and I!

He's tall and grown-up, of course--ever so high!