that Spring has come,
And all will soon be green.

Who would not sing in sweet spring-time,
The time of song and flowers?
Dear children, youth is your spring-time;
Improve its precious hours.

[Illustration]

GIRLS should be gentle, soft, and mild;
Never be rough and rude;
It always makes a happy home,
Where little girls are good.

And they should love sweet Jesus, too;
His blessed laws obey;
At morning's light, at evening's shade,
For his kind blessing pray.

[Illustration]

HIVES are the homes of little bees,
And when the day is fair,
In busy haste they sally forth
Into the sunny air,

To gather honey from the flowers,
And bear it to the hive.
Buzz--buzz--work--work--the livelong day;
O, how the busy thrive!

[Illustration]

"IBEX! what is an Ibex, pa?"
Said little John, one day;
"A strange and funny animal,
Where do they live, I pray?"

"It is a kind of goat, my son,
Whose horns are wondrous long,
They climb the rough and snowy Alps,
With nimble feet and strong."

[Illustration]

JUGS that we use are chiefly made
Of stone or earthen ware;
We find them very useful, and
Must handle them with care.

But jugs are sometimes used by men,
To hold their rum or gin--
These are temptations, children dear;
Pray to be kept from sin.

[Illustration]

KEGS, too, so useful in their way,
Are tightly made of wood;
We pack our butter and our lard
In kegs to keep them good.

Their form is homely--but if clean,
They very useful are;
The meanest household article,
Requires the nicest care.

[Illustration]

LAMB--pretty, little, quiet lamb,
So gentle and so mild;
O, do not be afraid of me,
I'm but a little child.

O, may I be of that dear flock,
Of which the Saviour told;
Within the pastures of his love,
He keeps his precious fold.

[Illustration]

MELONS do in the garden grow,
And very fine are they;
Cool and refreshing to the taste,
Upon a summer's day.

And melons grow upon a vine
That creepeth on the ground;
Amidst the green and silky leaves,
The rich, ripe fruit is found.

[Illustration]

NEST! O, a little robin's nest!
Up in the apple tree!
Four little eggs all blue and white,
So close and snug, I see.

"Mother, how could a little bird
So neat a nest have made?"
"'Twas God that taught the little bird
How every straw was laid."

[Illustration]

"O, how I hate an ugly owl!"
Cr