5. Swing back slowly, letting your arms well out.
6. Follow through freely, and keep your eye on the ball.
[FOR KATY'S BIRTHDAY.]
BY CELIA CURRIER.
As I walked down the garden path
In the pleasant bright May weather,
I saw two busy robins
A-hopping there together.
They were talking low, with heads quite close,
But still I heard one say—
Mr. Redbreast to his mate—
"Katy's ten years old to-day."
"Dear me! ten years! how very old!
How wise the child must be!
I suppose, now, she could build a nest
Just as well as we.
"You know it isn't much to do,
As you and I have found;
Just lay the sticks, and weave the hairs,
And make it nice and round."
"She build a nest? you silly wife!
I'm astonished at your words!
She couldn't even catch a worm
To feed the little birds!
"She knows arithmetic and grammar,
Can read and write and sing,
But as for building nests like ours,
She isn't worth a thing."
Then the bees set up a humming
In the apple-tree close by,
And I watched them very closely
To see what I could spy.
And I listened, too, to hear,
If I could, what they would say,
And they said, just like the robins,
"Katy's ten years old to-day."
And then they seemed so very pleased,
They said, still buzzing gladly,
"So much to do in this great world,
We need her help so badly.
"We wonder which she would prefer,
To store the sweets or gather;
Because, you know, we'll let her do
Exactly what she'd rather."
Then up spoke Madam Queen Bee,
Clad in velvet, black, and gold—
Her dress was very charming,
But she was cross and old—
"She can knit and sew, I dare say,
And she knows the use of money,
But I'd rather have the smallest bee
When it comes to making honey."
So I left them buzzing earnestly;
They couldn't quite agree
Whether Katy was as useful
As the very smallest bee.
And I walked back to the door,
Where, upon the braided mat,
Sleeping soundly in the sunshine,
Lay the gray old pussy-cat.
Then, tearing round the corner,
Came the kittens, one, two, three—
Black Bess, and Star, and Dicky—
Tumbling headlong in their glee.
"Oh Mamma Cat, wake up!" they cried,
"Hear what we've got to say.
We know you'll be astonished,
Katy's ten years old to-day."
The old cat yawned and blinked,
Stretched herself upon the mat,
Sweetly smiled on Star and Dicky,
Gave Bess a gentle pat,
Said, "She sweeps and dusts the parlor,
And that is very nice,
But she isn't worth as much as you;
You know she can't catch mice."
I laughed a little softly;
It really seemed absurd
That, because she couldn't do their work,
The cat, the bee, the bird,
Should think her worth so little,
When her friends all join to say
They wouldn't part with Katy
For millions such as they.
So, ten happy years behind her,
Six times ten, we trust, to come,
We leave our little maiden
To make sunshine in her home.
That, I'm sure, is better far
(It can't be bought for money)
Than catching mice, or building nests,
Or even making honey.