Our Girl's Rabbits
Mary, Kate, and Maria went down as agreed,
To the hutch in the garden, the rabbits to feed;
There was the mother, a steady old bunny,
Moving her nose in a manner so funny.
A young rabbit also, tho' seeming to dose,
Kept munching his breakfast and moving his nose;
Mary, Kate, and Maria gave the rabbits some food,
And lovingly stroked them because they were good.

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Page 15—Naughty Girls

Meddlesome Matty
One ugly trick has often spoiled
The sweetest and the best;
Matilda, though a pleasant child,
One ugly trick possessed,
Which, like a cloud before the skies,
Hid all her better qualities.
Sometimes she'd lift the teapot lid
To peep at what was in it;
Or tilt the kettle, if you did
But turn your back a minute.
In vain you told her not to touch—
Her trick of meddling grew so much.
Her grandma went out one day,
And by mistake she laid
Her spectacles and snuff-box gay
Too near the little maid;
"Ah! well," thought she, "I'll try them on,
As soon as grandmamma is gone,"
Forthwith she placed upon her nose
The glasses large and wide;
And looking round, as I suppose,
The snuff box she too spied:
"Oh! what a pretty box is that;
I'll open it." said little Matt.
"I know grandmamma would say,
'Don't meddle with it, dear;'
But then she's far enough away,
And no one else is near;
Besides, what can there be amiss
In opening such a box as this?"
So thumb and finger went to work
To move the stubborn lid;
And presently a mighty jerk
The mighty mischief did;
For all at once, ah! woeful case,
The snuff came puffing in her face.
Poor eyes, and nose, and mouth beside,
A dismal sight presented;
In vain, as bitterly she cried,
Her folly she repented.
In vain she ran about for ease;
She could do nothing now but sneeze.
She dashed the spectacles away,
To wipe her tingling eyes;
And as in twenty bits they lay,
Her grandmamma she spies.
"Heyday! and what's the matter now?"
Says grandmamma, with lifted brow.
Matilda, smarting with the pain,
And tingling still and sore,
Made many a promise to refrain
From meddling evermore.
And 'tis a fact, as I have heard,
She ever since has kept her word.
The Girl who Spilled the Ink
"Oh! Lucy! Fanny! Make haste here!
Mamma will be so vexed, I fear,
For I've upset the ink!
See, on my frock and pinafore,
Such great black stains! And there are more
Upon my socks, I think."
And Lucy cries, with open eyes,
And hands extended in surprise,
"Oh, naughty Mary Ann,
Those stains can never be washed out;
Whatever have you been about?
Look at her, sister Fan!"
Mamma comes in: "Heyday! what's this?
Why, Mary Ann, I told you, Miss,
The inkstand ne'er to move;
And little girls who won't obey,
And mind each word their parents say,
Good people ne'er will love."
The Naughty Girl
A naughty girl had got no toy,
And didn't know what to do,
So she rumpled her frock
And tore her sock,
And tried to eat her shoe.
The Girl who was Always Tasting
Little Miss Baster, of Sunnyside,
Was known as a taster, far and wide;
Picking and licking, spying and prying,
Each bottle and dish with her fingers trying.
Dangerous practice! dreadful little fact is!
Once almost poisoned, and very near dying.
Little Miss Baster, of Sunnyside,
Has got some poison in paper tied;
Harmless she deems it, yes, she must taste,
Like sugar seems it, ah! but 'tis paste.
Rat's-bane, the mixture. Oh! woe the day!
Run for the doctor, bid him not stay.
Dreadful her anguish—nearly she died,
Did little Miss Baster, of Sunnyside.
Children Stealing Jam
Four naughty little children thought
Some jam they'd try and steal;
But see how nicely they were caught
With a crash that made them squeal.
Their mother who was just next door,
And heard the horrid noise,
Came in and shook those naughty girls,
And whipped those naughty boys.
Sally, the Lazy Girl
Her sister would come to the bedside and call,
"Do you mean to sleep here all the day?"
I saw Kitty Miles up two hours ago,
A-washing and working away.
"The water is boiling, the table is spread,
Your father is just at the door;
If you are not quick, we shall eat all the bread,
And you will not find any more."
Then Sally sat up and half opened her eyes,
And gave both a grunt and a groan;
And yawning she said, in a quarrelsome voice,
"I wish you would let me alone."
But though she was lazy, she always could eat,
And wished for a plentiful share,
So tumbled her clothes on, and smeared her white face,
Forgetting her hands and her hair.
Her frock was all crumpled and twisted away,
Her hair was entangled and wild,
Her stockings were down and her shoes were untied,
She looked a most slovenly child.
She sauntered about till the old village clock
Had sounded and then died away,
Before she put on her torn bonnet and went
To school without further delay.
But soon as she came to the little cake shop,
She loitered with lingering eyes,
Just wishing that she had a penny to spend,
For one of the pretty jam pies.
Again she went on, and she loitered again
In the same foolish way as before,
And the clock in the school was just warning for ten,
As she lifted the latch of the door.
The governess frowned as she went to her place,
She had often so spoken in vain,
And now only said, with a sorrowful sigh,
"There's Sally the latest again!"
She hated her reading, and never would write,
She neither could cypher nor sew,
And little girls whispered, "We never will be
So silly as Miss Sally Slow."