Unheeding the moments as swiftly they fly, with
By, by, O baby, dear baby by. "Oh' the deep peace which can never be known,
Can never be felt, save by 'mother' alone!
As clasping, and folding, so close to her heart,
The helpless young life of her own life a part— "She dreams as she sings, of a future so fair,
Awaiting the child of her love and her care!
And welcomes the visions that day after day
With baby's sweet presence will nestle and stay. "Time passes, my baby has suddenly flown,
And left me a daughter to maidenhood grown.
As I did, e'en so does my bonny maid do,
And—learns that sweet lesson so old and so new. "For her comes a day when the wedding bells ring,
And my darling to other than 'mother' must cling.
Like mother, like daughter,' 'like father, like son,'
'Tis an adage will live till all living be done." Grandma pauses a moment. Her listener cries,
With a sweet look of sympathy in her young eyes:
"And then you were lonely, poor Grandma! I know,
But so was—my great grandmama, long ago." A smile lights the dear, aged face, and again
Grandma takes up her story. "Yes, dearie, but then
It wasn't for long, because, darling, you see,
A gift I once gave was soon given to me.

"The gift of a grandchild as fair and as sweet
As the baby my mother's heart bounded to meet;
Oh, how my fond prayers 'rose in gratitude true,
For the blessings of daughter and granddaughter too! "It seems but to-day! Oh, how proud am I now
As I lay welcome kisses on baby's wee brow!
A Grandmother, I? How the bright years have flown
Since I was a child scarce to maidenhood grown! "And now in my arms, looking up in my eyes,
With orbs that are bluer than June's sunny skies,
Behold my own grandchild! Ah, verily, youth
'On double wings flies,' Grandpa says in good truth, "As he looks in my face where no longer the rose
In my once dimpled cheeks in its loveliness grows,
And marks the white locks mingling faster each day
With the brown that old Time is fast stealing away.

"And I, as he kisses our grandchild so fair,
Note how soon has vanished the once raven hair
That crowned his dear head on the day when he came
To endow me with all his possessions and name. "So we grow old together, my husband and I,
Walking steadily on 'neath life's changeable sky,
As 'Grandpa' and 'Grandma' to little ones dear,
Who come round our hearthstone with comfort and cheer. "And dearly I love the wee darlings to hold,
And cuddle, and close to my warm heart enfold
The dear precious forms, singing low o'er and o'er,
The lullaby song I have sung long before. "The song which has sung their own mother to rest,
The song which hushed me on my dear mother's breast,
The song which belongs to the years long gone past,
But which mother-love thro' all time will hold fast "And now comes a day when another fair bride
From babyhood grown, stands so proudly beside
The man of her choice; and her sweet eyes of blue
Are glowing with happiness tender and true. "Within Grandma's arms for a moment she stands,
Then bows her bright head 'neath the trembling old hands
Uplifted to bless her, as Grandma's heart prays
That heaven may keep her thro' long sunny days. "To father and mother sweet kisses of love,
And prayers that God send truest peace from above;
Thus 'mid the farewells that are merry, yet sad,
My grandchild has entered her new life so glad.
"And lo! on this night while old Grandma is sitting
Alone in the gloaming, while moments are flitting
And bearing on wings that are sure and so fast
The year that now is, to the years that are past—