THE SUNSET.

And seemed delighted with his play,
Chasing the radiant scene away.

Nor he alone, for evening made

Them gently darken with her shade;

How soon all bright things always fade!

97

DISOBEDIENCE.

"MOTHER," said Henry one beautiful day,
"Shall I go to the fields, and find a bouquet,
Our pretty new vases to fill?

"Yes," said his mother, "but Henry, my dear, The banks of the pond I would not go near, But go to the side of the hill."

"Yet the flowers of which you are very fond, The brightest and sweetest, grow round the pond; Now pray, mother, do let me go.”

"I cannot, my child, it is dangerous there; Others there are in the field, quite as fair —

And now you have heard me say, No!"

DISOBEDIENCE.

99

Away ran the boy with the dog by his side,
For Tiger was oft his protector and guide,
And loved to take care of the child.

They found by the hill-side the flowers they sought,

And Henry had with him a basket brought,
Which he filled with the blossoms wild.

And Tiger and he in the high grass played,
And on its soft carpet themselves they laid,
Till 't was time to go away home.

Then Henry looked round toward the pond to see
If the flowers were there that he thought would

be,

And longed by the water to roam.

For the scarlet cardinal flowers were there,
That his mother loved, and the lilies fair;

And he thought they would look so bright

Mingled with those he had found by the hill, That were all of them white as the snow, yet still He knew that he should not do right.