an old street
With a hard French name.

And still walking onward,
Through streets we can't see,
At length reached the Creche
Of "Soeur Rosalie"--
Where poor women's children
Are kept all day through,
Amused, taught, and tended,
And all for one _sou_.

[Illustration]

Children are happy with "Sister" all day,
Mothers can't nurse them--they work far away.
Good Sister Rosalie, she is so kind,
E'en when they're troublesome, she doesn't mind.
Here in the first room the Babies we see, sitting at _dejeuner_ round
Rosalie.

Dodo is crying, he can't find his spoon--some one will find it and
comfort him soon.
Over yon cradle bends kind Sister Claire,
Dear little Mimi is waking up there.
Sister Felicite, sweetly sings she,
"Up again, down again, _Bebe_, to me."

[Illustration]

The school-room of the _Creche_ is wide,
The children sit there, side by side,
While "Sister" hears their lessons through,
And when there's no more work to do
They all get up, and form a ring,
And as they stand, together sing.
Now hand in hand, tramp, tramp they go,
Now in a line march to and fro,
For with the rattle in her hand
The "Sister" makes them understand
When to advance and when draw back--
Click-clack it goes, click-clack, click-clack.
On Stephanie now turn your eyes,
She's only five, but she's so wise--
She knows the alphabet all through,
And, more than that, can teach it too.
Just now, she moves her wand to J,
And tells the children what to say.
But 'tis no use to tell Ninette,
For she is but a _bebe_ yet.

[Illustration]

ARRIVAL AT CAEN.

Through Rouen when our friends had been,
And all its famous places seen,
They travelled on, old Caen to see,
Another town in Normandy.

Arrived at Caen, the travellers here
Before the chief Hotel appear,
Miss Earle, Rose, Bertie you descry--
The rest are coming by-and-by.

_Monsieur le Maitre_, with scrape and bow,
Stands ready to receive them now,
And Madame with her blandest air,
And their alert _Commissionaire_.

Next up the staircase see them go,
With _femme de chambre_ the way to show.
Father and Dennis, standing there,
Are asking for the bill of fare.

_Monsieur le Maitre_, who rubs his hands
And says, "What are _Monsieur's_ commands?"
With scrape and bow, agai