And shadows are lying,
Lying where lately the sunbeams grew!

The pretty birds, little one, cease to sing,
Cosy are they in the mossy nest,
Birdies like we, dear,
Weary must be, dear,
Glad in the gloaming to get to rest!

The flowers are closing their petals fair,
Closing them up till the dawn of day,
Then in their beauty,
Doing their duty,
All will uncurtain their colours gay!

Sleep, little sister, a sweet, sweet sleep,
Dear little sister with eyes so blue,
Sleep without fear, love,
Sissie is near, love,
She will keep watch, and be guard over you!

E. Oxenford.

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"LITTLE ME."

I cannot tell how she came to be called "Little Me." She was a shy
little girl, and almost afraid of her own voice; though to hear her
playing with her brothers you would not have fancied that she was shy.
And now they were on their way to the country. There was Emma the nurse,
and Miss Brown the governess, Little Me, Tommy, aged seven, and Jack,
aged ten. There was first a long journey in a cab, with many boxes; then
a long journey in a train very full of people.

It seemed to Little Me as if that train had been going on all the day,
and the sandwiches and milk which nurse had in a little hamper tasted
quite warm; and Little Me's legs ached from dangling from a seat too
high for her feet to reach the ground, and at last she fell asleep.

She awoke suddenly with a start to find every one turning out of the
train, and she felt cross and inclined to cry, but there was no time.

[Illustration: "LITTLE ME."]

At last all three children, Miss Brown, and nurse were safely packed
into a carriage which was waiting for them. The luggage came behind in a
cart.

Little Me was really tired, so nurse put her to sit on a soft rug at the
bottom of the carriage. Here she could just see green trees overhead,
and the tops of green hedges, and soft white clouds turning to gold and
red, as the sun set behind some hills in the far-off distance.

They reached at last a pretty cottage, with a thatched roof and a white
wall quite covered with red roses. There was a little path of round
stones leading up to the front door, and all the windows had small
diamond panes.

A stout old lady, in a spotless white cap with pink ribbons, met them at
the door, and took Little Me in her strong arms and carried her up so