46 NOT READY FOR SCHOOL. For love and kindness please him more The gentle child, who tries to please, Great God forgive whenever we NOT READY FOR SCHOOL. PRAY, where is my hat, it is taken away, And my shoe-strings are all in a knot; Do, Rachel, just look for my Atlas up stairs, And sister, just brush down these troublesome hairs, NOT READY FOR SCHOOL. And sister, beg father to write an excuse, But stop, he will only say "No"; 47 And go on with a smile, and keep reading the news, While everything bothers me so. My satchel is heavy, and ready to fall, This old pop-gun is breaking my map; The town-clock will strike in a minute, I fear, I wish I'd not lingered at breakfast the last, Now Edward and Henry protest they won't wait, I suppose they will say I was dressing too late; MRS. GILMAN 48 BUSY LITTLE HUSBANDMAN. BUSY LITTLE HUSBANDMAN. I'm a little husbandman, At my work as if 't were play: When to work I go along, I've a hearty appetite, KINDNESS TO SERVANTS. KINDNESS TO SERVANTS. NURSERY SONGS OF SCOTLAND. Now what was that you said to May O, well you may feel shame to tell There's nothing spoils a bonny face It's not your part to scold at May, And oft she's sung you to your sleep, She cooks the meat, she does the work, And what would helpless bairnies be, The kindly look, the gentle word, Make friends of all who live, And give a charm to every face It's well for bairns to have a friend, Who watches them with care, 49 3 50 THE LITTLE TREE, ETC. THE LITTLE TREE THAT WANTED TO HAVE OTHER LEAVES. A LITTLE tree stood up in the wood, In bright and dirty weather; And nothing but needles it had for leaves, The needles stuck about, And the little tree spoke out: "My companions all have leaves While I've nothing but these needles; Might I have my fortune told, All my leaves should be pure gold." The little tree 's asleep by dark, Awake by earliest light; And now its golden leaves you mark ; There was a sight! The little tree says: "Now I'm set high; No tree in the wood has gold leaves but I." And now again the night came back; Through the forest there walked a Jew; With great thick beard and great thick sack, And soon the gold leaves did view. |