THE LITTLE MOTHER
By Ferruzzi

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A FAREWELL

My fairest child, I have no song to give you,
No lark could pipe to skies so dull and gray,
Yet ere we part, one lesson I can leave you,
For every day.
Be good, sweet child, and let who will be clever;
Do noble things, not dream them all day long,
And make life, death, and that vast forever,
One grand, sweet song.
--Charles Kingsley.

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GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD MORNING

A fair little girl sat under a tree
Sewing as long as her eyes could see;
Then smoothed her work and folded it right,
And said, "Dear work, good night, good night!"
Such a number of rooks came over her head
Crying "Caw, caw!" on their way to bed;
She said, as she watched their curious flight,
"Little black things, good night, good night!"
The horses neighed and the oxen lowed;
The sheep's "Bleat, bleat!" came over the road,
All seeming to say, with a quiet delight,
"Good little girl, good night, good night!"
She did not say to the sun "Good night!"
Though she saw him there like a ball of light;
For she knew that he had God's own time to keep
All over the world, and never could sleep.
The tall pink foxglove bowed his head,
The violets curtsied and went to bed;
And good little Lucy tied up her hair,
And said, on her knees, her favorite prayer.
And while on her pillow she softly lay,
She knew nothing more till again it was day,
And all things said to the beautiful sun,
"Good morning, good morning! our work is begun!"
--Lord Houghton.

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CHRISTMAS BELLS
By Edwin Howland Blashfield (1848- )

"It is the calm and solemn night!
A thousand bells ring out, and throw
Their joyous peals abroad, and smite
The darkness, charmed and holy now!
The night that erst no name had worn,
To it a happy name is given;
For in that stable lay new born,
The peaceful Prince of Earth and Heaven,
In the solemn midnight
Centuries ago!"
--Alfred Domett