"Coo," said the little doves;
"Coo," said she.

And they played together kindly
In the dark pine tree.

In this nursery of yours,
Little sister, little brother,
Like the turtle-dove's nest

Do you
love one another?
Are you kind, are you gentle,
As children ought to be?
Then the happiest of nests

Is your own nursery.

AUNT EFFIE'S RHYMES.

DAME DUCK'S FIRST LECTURE ON EDUCATION.

Old Mother Duck has hatched a brood
Of ducklings, small and callow:
Their little wings are short, their down.
Is mottled gray and yellow.

156

DAME DUCK'S FIRST LECTURE.

There is a quiet little stream,

That runs into the moat,

Where tall green sedges spread their leaves,
And water-lilies float.

Close by the margin of the brook

The old duck made her nest

Of straw, and leaves, and withered grass,
And down from her own breast.

And there she sat for four long weeks,
In rainy days and fine,

Until the ducklings all came out

Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine!

One peeped out from beneath her wing,
One scrambled on her back;

"That's very rude," said old Dame Duck.

"Get off! quack, quack, quack, quack!"

""Tis close," said Dame Duck, shoving out
The egg-shells with her bill;
"Besides, it never suits young ducks
To keep them sitting still."

So, rising from her nest, she said,
"Now, children, look at me:

A well-bred duck should waddle so,
From side to side-d'ye see?"

“Yes,” said the little ones, and then She went on to explain:

"A well-bred duck turns in its toes
As I do try again."

"Yes," said the ducklings, waddling on;
"That's better," said their mother;
"But well-bred ducks walk in a row,
Straight - one behind another."

"Yes," said the little ducks again,
All waddling in a row;

"Now to the pond," said old Dame Duck – Splash, splash! and in they go.

"Let me swim first," said old Dame Duck, "To this side, now to that;

There, snap at those great brown-winged flies, They make young ducklings fat.

"Now when you reach the poultry-yard,

The hen-wife, Molly Head,

Will feed you, with the other fowls,
On bran and mashed-up bread;

"The hens will peck and fight, but mind,
I hope that all of you

Will gobble up the food as fast

As well-bred ducks should do.

158

WAY TO BE HAPPY.

"You'd better get into the dish,
Unless it is too small;

In that case I should use my foot,
And overturn it all."

The ducklings did as they were bid,
And found the plan so good,
That from that day the other fowls

Got hardly any food.

AUNT EFFIE'S RHYMES.

WAY TO BE HAPPY.

How pleasant it is at the end of the day
No follies to have to repent;

But reflect on the past, and be able to say
That my time has been properly spent.

When I've done all my business with patience and care,
And been good, and obliging, and kind,
I lie on my pillow and sleep away there,
With a happy and peaceable mind.

But instead of all this, if it must be confessed
That I careless and idle have been,

I lie down as usual, and go to my rest,
But feel discontented within.

Then, as I don't like all the trouble I've had,
In future I'll try to prevent it;

For I never am naughty without being sad,
Or good without being contented.

JANE TAYLOR.

THE STRANGE LITTLE BOY.

Here is a little boy,

Look at him well:
Think if you know him;

If you do, tell.

I will describe him,

That you may see

If he's a stranger

To you and to me.

He has two hands

That can manage a top,
And climb a tall chestnut

To make the nuts drop.
They're just full of business,

With ball, hoop, and swing;

Yet are never too busy

To do a kind thing.