LITTLE DANDELION
Little bud Dandelion
Hears from her nest,
"Merry heart, starry eye,
Wake from your rest!"
Wide ope the emerald lids;
Robin's above;
Wise little Dandelion
Smiles at his love.
Cold lie the daisy-banks,
Clad but in green,
Where in the Mays agone
Bright hues were seen.
Wild pinks are slumbering,
Violets delay—
True little Dandelion
Greeteth the May.
Meek little Dandelion
Groweth more fair,
Till dries the amber dew
Out from her hair.
High rides the thirsty sun,
Fiercely and high,—
Faint little Dandelion
Closeth her eye.
Dead little Dandelion,
In her white shroud,
Heareth the angel-breeze
Call from the cloud.
Tiny plumes fluttering
Make no delay,
Little winged Dandelion
Soareth away.
Helen L. Bostwick.
* * * * * * * * * *
INDEX OF TITLES
Afternoon in February Henry W. Longfellow
Ant and the Cricket, The Anonymous
April Day, An Henry W. Longfellow
April Welcome, An Phoebe Cary
Autumn Alice Cary
Autumn Fires Robert Louis Stevenson
Ballad of the Tempest, The James T. Fields
Birds in Summer Mary Howitt
Bluebird, The Emily Huntington Miller
Blue Jay, The Susan Hartley Swett
"Bob White" George Cooper
Brook-Song, The James Whitcomb Riley
Brown Thrush, The Lucy Larcom
Busy Day, A Anonymous
Calling the Violet Lucy Larcom
Camel's Hump, The Rudyard Kipling
Captain's Daughter, The (See "Ballad of the Tempest")
Chestnut Burr, The Anonymous
Child's Prayer, A Matilda B. Edwards
Child's Thought of God, A Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Choosing a Name Mary Lamb
Christmas Nahum Tate
Christmas Carol, A J.G. Holland