—Catherine, child of a neighbour, curly and rosy-red,
(Wedded since, and a widow,—something like ten years dead,)
Hearing a gush of music such as none before,
Steals from her mother's chamber and peeps at the open door.
Just as the "Jubilate" in threaded whisper dies,
—"Open it, open it, lady!" the little maiden cries,
(For she thought 'twas a singing creature caged in a box she heard,)
"Open it, open it, lady! and let me see the bird!"
Oliver Wendell Holmes.
* * * * *
THE HIRED SQUIRREL.
(A RUSSIAN FABLE.)
A Lion to the Squirrel said:
"Work faithfully for me,
And when your task is done, my friend,
Rewarded you shall be
With barrel-full of finest nuts,
Fresh from my own nut-tree."
"My Lion King," the Squirrel said,
"To this I do agree."
The Squirrel toiled both day and night,
Quite faithful to his hire;
So hungry and so faint sometimes
He thought he should expire.
But still he kept his courage up,
And tugged with might and main.
"How nice the nuts will taste," he thought,
"When I my barrel gain."
At last, when he was nearly dead,
And thin and old and grey,
Quoth Lion: "There's no more hard work
You're fit to do. I'll pay."
A barrel-full of nuts he gave—
Ripe, rich, and big; but oh!
The Squirrel's tears ran down his cheeks.
He'd lost his teeth, you know!
Laura Sanford.