she "licked it into life." The little
kitten got well, and became, owing to its
narrow escape, and the love displayed, a
great pet ever afterward.

[Illustration]

PLAYING AT HORSES.

The copies and the lessons
Are finished for to-day,
And out the happy children
At "horses" come to play.

Conny, and Frank, and Archie,
With doggie "Trim," are there;
Conny and Frank are harnessed,
And Archie drives the pair.

Away, away they scamper,
Across the breezy park;
And doggie runs beside them
With merry, happy bark.

For breath they pause a minute,
Then off they start again,
For they pretend they're going
To meet papa's down train.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: Y]

To find these bright flags,
In the marsh you must hunt.

[Illustration: Z]

A Zigadenus flower,
Changing color each month.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

TROTTY'S CARD HORSES.

This stands
Firm, and strong
Another one
We'll build hereon.

Keep away,
Now we'll see,
If 'twill hold
A number three.

Try another,
One more,
Raise it to
A fourth floor.

Yet another;
Oh, what fun!
That's too many--
Down they come.

THE FIRST VALENTINE.

Rat-tat at the door! Rat-tat at the door!
Here are valentines one, two, three;
There is one for Harry, and one for Will,
And a big one for girlie, see!
Wildly she flies o'er the nursery floor,
Never was girlie so happy before,
As she shouts in her baby glee--
"Oh! I've got a valentine, all come, look!
As big as the sheet of a picture book!
Now, don't you wish you all, like me,
Had a great big heart painted red, you see?"

All day long--now in, now out--
Now up, now down--she wanders about
Showing her treasure; 'tis fast getting torn,
But paper, we all know, is very soon worn.
"Who do you think can love me the most
To buy this, and send it alone by the post?
Do look again, you must like to see,
'Tis a great big heart, and it 'longs to me,
And please to read me the written line
That says, 'God bless your sweet valentine!'"

[Illustration]

SAGACITY OF A DOG.

A very interesting story is told by Mr.
Youatt: "I wanted, one day, to go
through a tall iron gate, from one part of
my premises to another, but just within
it lay a poor lame puppy, and I could not
get in without perhaps seriously injuring
him. I stood for a while hesitating, and
at length determined to go round through
another gate, when a fine Newfoundland
dog,