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!'"
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, who had been waiting patiently for his wonted caresses, and wondering why I did not come in, looked accidently down at the invalid. He comprehended the whole business in a moment. He put down his great paw, and, as quickly and as gently as possible, rolled the invalid out of the way, and then drew himself back in order to leave room for the opening of the gate."
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Little Ruth, like the woman of old of that name, Returns from the field, where she gathered the grain. |