Part 14 (2/2)

THE ROBIN'S SONG

”When the s gleareen in sunny nooks, In the sunshi+ne and the rain I hear the robin in the lane Singing, 'Cheerily, Cheer up, cheer up; Cheerily, cheerily, Cheer up'

”But the snow is still Along the walls and on the hill

The days are cold, the nights forlorn, For one is here and one is gone

'Tut, tut Cheerily, Cheer up, cheer up; Cheerily, cheerily, Cheer up'

”When spring hopes see at , 'Cheerily, Cheer up, cheer up; Cheerily, cheerily, Cheer up'”

UNKNOWN

WORK OR PLAY

Saturday ht and fresh and bri in every heart; and if the heart was young the music issued at the lips There was cheer in every face, and a spring in every step The locust trees were in bloorance of the blossoms filled the air

Tom appeared on the sideith a bucket of ash and a long-handled brush He surveyed the fence, and the gladness went out of nature, and a deep melancholy settled down upon his spirit Thirty yards of board fence nine feet high! It seemed to hi, he dipped his brush and passed it along the topain; conificant ashed streak with the far-reaching continent of unashed fence, and sat down on a tree-box discouraged

He began to think of the fun he had planned for this day, and his sorrowson all sorts of delicious expeditions, and they would ht of it burnt hiot out his worldly wealth and exah to buy an exchange of work h to buy so much as half an hour of pure freedoave up the idea of trying to buy the boys

At this dark and hopeless reat, nificent inspiration He took up his brush and went tranquilly to work Ben Rogers hove in sight presently; the very boy of all boys whose ridicule he had been dreading Ben's gait was the hop, skip, and juht and his anticipations high He was eating an apple, and giving a longdong dong, ding dong dong, for he was personating a stea--paid no attention to the steamer Ben stared a moment, and then said--

”Hi-yi! You're a stump, ain't you!”

No answer Toave his brush another gentle sweep, and surveyed the result as before Ben ranged up alongside of him Tom's mouth watered for the apple, but he stuck to his work Ben said--

”hello, old chap; you got to work, hey?”

”Why, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing”

”Say, I', I am Don't you wish you could? But of course you'd druther work, wouldn't you? 'Course you would!”

Tom contemplated the boy a bit, and said--

”What do you call work?”

”Why ain't that work?”