light
For me to listen to all night!"

And so, I smile,
And think,--"Now I'll
Not listen for a little while!"--
Then, sweet and clear,
Next "_cheep_" I hear
'S a _kiss_.... Good morning, Mommy dear!

[Illustration]

* * * * *

BILLY AND HIS DRUM

Ho! it's come, kids, come!
"With a bim! bam! bum!
Here's little Billy bangin' on his big bass drum!
He's a-marchin' round the room,
With his feather-duster plume
A-noddin' an' a-bobbin' with his bim! bom! boom!

Looky, little Jane an' Jim!
Will you only look at him,
A-humpin' an' a-thumpin' with his bam! bom! bim!
Has the Day o' Judgment come
Er the New Mi-len-nee-um?
Er is it only Billy with his bim! bam! bim!

* * * * *

[Illustration: "HE'S A-MARCHIN' ROUND THE ROOM."]

* * * * *

I 'm a-comin'; yes, I am--
Jim an' Sis, an' Jane an' Sam!
We'll all march off with Billy an' his bom! bim! bam!
Come _hurrawin'_ as you come,
Er they'll think you're deef-an'-dumb
Ef you don't hear little Billy an' his big bass drum!

* * * * *

THE NOBLE OLD ELM

O big old tree, so tall an' fine,
Where all us childern swings an' plays,
Though neighbers says you're on the line
Between Pa's house an' Mr. Gray's,--
Us childern used to almost fuss,
Old Tree, about you when we 'd play.--
We'd argy you belonged to _us_,
An' them Gray-kids the other way!

Till _Elsie_, one time _she_ wuz here
An' playin' wiv us--Don't you mind,
Old Mister Tree?--an' purty near
She scolded us the hardest kind
Fer quar'llin' 'bout you thataway,
An' say _she'll_ find--ef we'll keep still--
Whose tree you air _fer shore_, she say,
An' settle it _fer good_, she will!

* * * * *

[Illustration: "THE OLD TREE SAYS HE'S ALL OUR TREE."]

* * * * *

So all keep still: An' nen she gone
An' pat the Old Tree, an' says she,--
"Whose air you, Tree?" an' nen let on
Like she's a-list'nin' to the Tree,--
An' nen she say, "It's settled,--'cause
The Old Tree says he's _all_ our tree--
His _trunk_ belongs to bofe your Pas,
But _shade_ belongs to you an' me."

* * * * *

THE PENALTY OF GENIUS

[Illustration]

"When little 'Pollus Morto