son must have taken them!" said Marjie.

"I would like to catch him," said Robin.

"Then catch me, Robin!" said Marjie.

Robin gazed at her. Then a light broke over his face.

"Oh, I see!" he cried: "you put them on while I was sliding! Well, now
we can take turns with the skates!"

Marjie thought, as she gave Robin a hug, that there was never a dearer
friend than he!

NO JOKE AT ALL.

[Illustration]

"Ha!" thought Tommy Purr one day,
"Here's a chance a joke to play;
See him drop upon the floor
All those books, and hear me roar!"

Chuckling to himself in glee,
"I do love a joke," said he,
Pushed poor Whiskers, just for fun--
Down the books came, every one.

[Illustration]

But the biggest book of all,
Happened on his crown to fall;
Tommy roared with might and main,
Not with laughter but with pain.

Tommy now has gone to bed
With a big bruise on his head;
Vinegar and paper brown
Cover up his aching crown.

There in sorrow Tommy lies,
Wishing he had been more wise;
For although those books did fall,
His joke proved no joke at all.

WINTER HOLIDAYS.

O it's merry in the winter
When the holidays come round,
When the air is crisp and frosty
And the snow is on the ground.

Though Jack Frost may nip your noses,
There is nothing that I know
Like a jolly game of snowballs,
Making feet and fingers glow!

You can take your baby sister
For a voyage in a sleigh;
You can build a monster snow-man
That will pass the time away.

Then there's hanging up the holly
And the Christmas mistletoe,
Roasting chestnuts in the firelight,
When you can't go out, you know.

If you try, you can be happy
In a score of different ways.
O, it's wonderful how pleasant
Are the winter holidays!

[Illustration]

WHEN I GROW UP.

[Illustration]

"When I grow up my dress shall be
All made of silk and lace,
My hair I'll wear in some fine style
That best will suit my face;
With rings upon my fingers, too,
And bracelets on my arms,
I'll be the finest lady out,
With wondrous mighty charms.

"When I grow up, you understand,
I'll always dine at eight,
And go to dances and 'At homes,'
And sit up very late.
I'll never touch rice-puddings then,
But pastry eat, and cheese,
And always do just what I like
And go just where I please.

"When I gr