Chapter M: N. O

KITTY DIDN'T MEAN TO.

JOANNA scolds my kitty every day:
I'm filled with grief.
Just now to Mary Ann I heard her say,
"That cat's a thief!"
Poor kit! you did not wish for milk to-day,
But wanted meat.
You took a little bit from off the tray,
And, with your feet,
A glass of water, standing in the way,
You tumbled down;
And just for this you had to bear, all day,
Joanna's frown.
I think that Miss Joanna must be seen to;
For, kitty, I am sure you didn't mean to.

AMANDA SHAW ELSEFFER.

A SAUCY VISITOR.

ONCE upon a time a mother-sparrow and her three children lived in a great big maple-tree, which stood before a great big house, which had a broad piazza in front of it. The mother-bird often used to talk to her children about the people who lived in the house, and their pets.

"See, Polly Dolly Adeline," she said to her oldest child one day, "see those lazy yellow canaries down there on the piazza. They have every thing they want. See how they are coddled while we are left to shift for ourselves."

"Boo-hoo!" said Polly Dolly. "I don't think it is a bit fair."

"I don't either," said the youngest of all. He was a pert little fellow. His name was Flop. He was so called, because, when he first began to fly, he would flop over on one side.

But he could fly well enough now, and so he said boldly, "I mean to go down to one of those cages, and eat some of that nice seed myself. I'll let young Canary know that I am as good as he."

At these words Mrs. Sparrow was so frightened that she fell off the branch; but she soon flew back, and said, "Flop, you naughty boy, don't you go! you may get killed."

"Cats, you know, Flop!" said Polly Dolly Adeline. "Cats with green eyes!"

"Pooh!" said Flop. "Who cares? I'm not afraid."

Flop flew gaily down to the piazza railing. Here he stopped, and looked around; while his mother and sisters watched him in fear and trembling. Nobody was on the piazza: so Flop flew straight to one of the cages.

"How do you do, my young friend?" he said, saucily helping himself to the seed that had been scattered. "I've come to take dinner with you."

Mr. Canary did not like this at all. "You've not been invited," he squeaked out, ruffling up his feathers, and flying at Flop with all his might. But the bars were between them; and Flop went on eating his dinner as calmly as possible.

Then the canary became so angry that he danced back and forth on his perch, and screamed. Flop made another very polite bow. "Oh, how good that hemp-seed tastes!" said he. "The rape-seed, too, is very nice,--nice as the fattest canker-worm I ever ate."

So he went on eating, looking up now and then to wink at his angry host. When he had eaten all he could find, he made his best bow and said saucily, "Thank you, sir, thank you. Don't urge me to stay longer now. I'll come again some other day," and he flew back to his anxious mother and sisters.

B. W.

HOW GEORGIE FED HIS FAWN.

GEORGIE stood at the kitchen-door with a piece of bread in his hand to feed his pet fawn. There was the fawn chained to a post in the grass-plat. Between them was a long gravel walk. How was Georgie to get the bread to the fawn?

Easily enough, one would think,--by carrying it straight to the fawn. But Georgie didn't find this such an easy thing to do. He met with difficulties.

In the first place there was Rover, the big brown pup. Georgie had not taken three steps, when Rover spied the bread, and, thinking it was for him, began jumping after it. Georgie thought he would have to run back to the house; but, seeing a stick on the ground, he picked it up, and shook it at Rover. Rover was afraid of the stick, and ran meekly away.

Nothing else happened to trouble Georgie until he had gone halfway up the walk. Then he met another difficulty. Two big turkey-gobblers, looking very red about the head, and with feathers all ruffled up, rushed towards him for the bread, crying, "Gobble, gobble!" in a frightful manner.

Georgie hesitated. Dare he go past them? "Gobble, gobble!" screeched the turkeys. Down went the bread on the ground, and back to the house, as fast as his legs could carry him, ran Georgie.

His mother saw two big tears in the little fellow's eyes and felt sorry for him. She cut another piece of bread, turned his apron up over it so the turkeys could not see it, and told him to run bravely past them. He hoped they were still eating the other piece, and would not notice him; but they had swallowed every crumb and ran toward him for more.

He screwed up his courage, and tried to run by them. Alas! he stumbled and fell. Away rolled the bread, and, before he could get it again, the gobblers had it and were quarrelling noisily, each trying to pull it away from the other one.

This second loss was more than little Georgie could bear. He went crying into the house. Then his sister Jennie said she would go with him, and keep off the turkeys. She took some bread in one hand, and held Georgie's hand with the other, and this time the turkeys were passed safely.

Georgie fed the pretty fawn, who took the bread from his hand, and capered about with delight, for he likes to have Georgie pet him, and pines for his company. Georgie is going to ask the gardener to buy two chains and fasten the two old gobblers in some other part of the yard. Then he can visit the fawn often.

AUNT SADIE.

THE ROSE.

ANNIE.

THE sweetest and the brightest days
Of all the happy year!
The green leaves dance, the gay birds sing,
The merry June is here!
We will of roses weave her crown,
The fairest that unclose;
Each one of different form and hue,
Yet each a perfect rose.

BESSIE.

(_With a red rose._)

And this one will outshine them all;
Amid the garden's rare
And splendid flowers, it raised its head,
The brightest blossom there.
All decked with dew like gems, its robe
Of royal crimson glows--
The matchless queen of summer-time,
The beautiful red rose!

CHARLOTTE.

(_With a white rose._)

But this to me is lovelier far,
So pure and sweet it seems;
Among the green leaves on the bough
Like fallen snow it gleams.
Its breath gives perfume to the wind,
As over it it blows;
'Tis stainless as an angel's wings,
The fragrant, fair white rose.

DELIA.

(_With a yellow rose._)

And this, to greet the early morn,
In yellow mantle shone,
Bright as is China's emperor
Upon his dazzling throne.
It opens wide its golden leaves,
Its gleaming heart it shows,--
A sunshine-loving, cheery thing,
The winsome yellow rose!

EVA.

(_With a brier rose._)

Among the brambles and the brake
Beside the dusty way;
This dainty little blossom sheds
Its sweetness all the day.
It makes the rough hill pastures fair;
Amid the rocks it grows;
It clambers o'er the gray stone wall,--
The simple brier rose!

FRANCES.

(_With a blush rose._)

This blushes like a morning cloud.

GERTRUDE.

(_With a moss rose._)

And this is veiled in moss.

HELENA.

(_With a cluster of climbing roses._)

This, with the honeysuckle-vines,
My lattice twines across.

ANNIE.

(_To whom all the roses are given._)

And which one is the fairest flower
I'm sure cannot be told:
We'll twine them all in one long wreath,
The white and red and gold.

MARIAN DOUGLAS.

VOL. XXIX.--NO. 6.]

A PICNIC IN A STRANGE GARDEN.

IF I should ask you children to tell me what a garden is, I think you would all say, "A place where trees, flowers, and grass grow." That would be a good answer.

But the garden where this picnic took place is of a very different kind. Instead of bright leaves and flowers, there are hundreds of rocks of many sizes and shapes. Its name is the "Garden of the Gods," and it lies at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, in Colorado.

The color of most of the rocks is red; but some are silvery gray, and some nearly white. Seen together they make a fine contrast. Many have strange shapes, and look like nuns and priests, animals, birds, and fishes turned into stone.

On one high rock may be seen the image of a man and a bear; on another, the outline of a lion's head, and part of its body, so perfect in shape, that it seems as though some one must have drawn it.

Some of the rocks are very high. One reaches up three hundred and thirty feet. Near the top of it is a hole, which looks from the ground to be about the size of a dinner-plate, but is really large enough for a horse and buggy to pass through.

A few trees manage to live high up on the rocks, and the prickly cactus grows in the soil around them.

To this garden went, one bright summer day, a wagon-load of people--six happy little girls and boys, with their mothers and fathers--on a picnic.

The children were dressed in big shade hats, and clothes that they might tear and tumble all they wished. Such fun as they had! The older ones climbed the smaller rocks, and made speeches to the little ones on the ground below. Then they all played "hide-and-seek," and never were there such grand hiding-places.

At noon they had lunch. Their table was a large flat rock. Mountain air and play give good appetites. How they did enjoy eating the nice things, chatting and laughing all the while!

After lunch away they ran in search of "specimens," by which they meant pretty stones. They chipped pieces off the rocks with hammers, playing they were miners finding gold and silver. They filled their baskets, and pretended to have made great fortunes.

They kept up the sport until five o'clock, when their mammas said it was time to start for home, and counted the children to see if all were there. Only five could be found. There should have been six. Who was missing?

It was four-year-old Willie. "Willie, Willie!" shouted every one, and from the great red rock came a faint reply. Then began "hide-and-seek" in earnest, and soon they spied the little fellow sitting on the side of the rock full five yards up.

"Why, Willie!" called his mamma. "What are you doing up there?"

"Going to climb through the little hole, mamma; but I'm tired."

His uncle climbed after him, and soon brought him down.

Six tired little children went early to bed that night, and dreamed of stony men and women, lions and bears.

AUNT SADIE.

MARGIE'S TRIAL.

MY beautiful Evelina,
Come listen to me, my dear;
I want to tell you a secret
That nobody else must hear:
We're going away to the country,--
Mamma and baby and I,
And grandmamma doesn't like dollies,
Now please, my darling, don't cry.

Oh, don't you remember last winter
She called you an image, my pet!
Just think, like those ugly old idols:
I'm sure I shall never forget.
She's the loveliest grandma, my precious;
But some things are not to be borne:
I'm sure that my heart would be broken
If she should treat you with scorn.

I'll put on your very best bonnet,
Your pretty pink shoes on your feet;
And you shall sit up by the window,
And look at the folks in the street.
Oh, dear! but I never can leave you
A whole summer long on the shelf;
If you are an "image," my baby,
I'll just be a heathen myself.

EMILY HUNTINGTON MILLER.

TWO SMALL GIRLS.

ANN is not yet five years old. But she knows how to read, and is very fond of her book. She does not care to sit down, but reads her book as she walks. This is not a good plan. It hurts the eyes.

Grace, who is nine years old, often has a book in her hand. But she does not read and walk at the same time. She sits down on the floor. It would be quite as well for her to take a chair and sit up straight.

P. Q. R.

THE CAREFUL NURSE.

THIS is little Grace taking Dolly out for an airing. It is a bright June day. The birds are singing. The flowers are in bloom. It is so warm that Grace goes without a hat.

Dolly is snugly seated in her carriage; and Snip the dog, who barks, but never bites, has a place in it too. He is one of the breed known as the _toy_ dog. He does not bark unless you squeeze him. He is never cross.

Grace rolls them down the broad path through the garden. She gives Dolly a nice ride, and then takes her home, and puts her to sleep in her little bed. She never lets Dolly miss her nap. Grace is a careful nurse.

JANE OLIVER.

WHY THE CHICK CAME OUT.

BENNY BRIGHT-EYES, climbing over
Heaps of crisp and fragrant clover,
Spies the dearest, cutest thing,
Hiding under Biddy's wing.

What sees Benny next? A wonder!
Rudely pushed quite out from under
Biddy's breast, an egg comes sliding,
In its shell a chicken hiding.

"Ah!" says Benny as he gazes,
And his merry blue eyes raises,
"I know why his house he's spoiled:
He's afraid of being boiled."