h dear!" said Trot.
The door opened, and nurse came into the room.
"Miss Trot, Master Toddles," said she, "you are to have tea down-stairs
with mistress to-day."
Toddles and Trot looked surprised; but they jumped up quickly from the
floor, forgetting for the moment all their aches and pains.
"Do you think," whispered Toddles to Trot, as they walked slowly
down-stairs, "that there will be two kinds?"
Trot nodded her head. "I hope so," she said.
And there were.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A SILENT FRIEND.
I who live in a house with a roof,
And the cow who lives out of doors,
The cow who walks with a cloven hoof
And I who have shoes like yours,
We two have been friends for many a day
Though we never have shaken hands,
It is true she has little or nothing to say,
But I'm certain she understands.
She was browsing the grass by the brink of the brook,
When I went down the garden to see
She lifted her head with an earnest look,
And slowly came over to me.
I stood by the fence which stretches about
Twixt garden and pasture-land,
I pulled up a lettuce and held it out,
And she munched it out of my hand.
Since then we are very good friends indeed,
But she never has spoken a word:
But whatever I tell her she seems to give heed,
I can see by her eyes she has heard.
F. W. Home.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
BUTTERCUP LAND.
They sailed away in a paper boat,
Nellie and Flo and Dan did,
Wondering how they managed to float,
For rather unsafe is a paper boat,
Better it is to be candid!
And after a voyage across the seas
They came to an island of flowers and trees.
And, wishing to feel rather more at ease,
They anchored their craft and landed!
A bright little Fairy cried out from the strand,
"You're welcome my darlings, to Buttercup Land!"
They gazed around on a lovely scene,
Nellie and Dan and Flo did,
Golden the leaves of the trees, not green,
No wonder they thought it a lovely scene,
Happiness surely it boded!
And buttercups grew on each inch of ground,
No room for a pin could between be found,
They gathered, and gathered, you may be bound,
Till pinafores all were loaded!
The bright little Fairy said, "Isn't it grand
To rule o'er the kingdom of Buttercup Land?"
"Alas!" they cried, "it is late, so late,
Home w
|