Part 34 (1/2)

PLANTING

_The sky is blue and soft to-day, The gra.s.s is green this month of May, And Muvver with her spade and rake My little garden helps me make; For every one must plant more seeds To grow the food that each one needs: Potatoes, corn, green peas, and beets, The kind of beans that sister eats, We plant in rows marked by a string, For neatness is the one great thing; The earth is then raked smooth and pressed And Nature 'tends to all the rest._

ROBERT LIVINGSTON

SPRING PATCHWORK

If I could patch a coverlet From pieces of the Spring, What dreams a happy child would have Beneath so fair a thing!

A center of the dear blue sky, A bordering of green, With patches of the yellow sun All chequered in between.

Bright ribbons of the silky gra.s.s Laced prettily across, With satin of new little leaves, And velvet of the moss.

In every corner, violets, Half-hidden from the view, With many-flowered squares betwixt, Of pinky tints and blue;

Of flossy silk and gossamer, Of tissue and brocade; A warp of rosy morning mist, A woof of purple shade.

Embroideries of little vines, And spider-webs of lace, With ta.s.sels of the alder tied At each convenient place.

With gold-thread I would sew the seams, And needles of the pine, Oh, never child in all the world Would have a quilt like mine!

ABBIE FARWELL BROWN

BABY'S VALENTINE

Valentine, O Valentine, Pretty little Love of mine; Little Love whose yellow hair Makes the daffodils despair; Little Love whose s.h.i.+ning eyes Fill the stars with sad surprise: Hither turn your ten wee toes, Each a tiny shut-up rose, End most fitting and complete For the rosy-pinky feet; Toddle, toddle here to me, For I'm waiting, do you see?-- Waiting for to call you mine, Valentine, O Valentine!

Valentine, O Valentine, I will dress you up so fine!

Here's a frock of tulip-leaves, Trimmed with lace the spider weaves; Here's a cap of larkspur blue, Just precisely made for you; Here's a mantle scarlet-dyed, Once the tiger-lily's pride, Spotted all with velvet black Like the fire-beetle's back; Lady-slippers on your feet, Now behold you all complete!

Come and let me call you mine, Valentine, O Valentine!

Valentine, O Valentine, Now a wreath for you I'll twine.

I will set you on a throne Where the damask rose has blown, Dropping all her velvet bloom, Carpeting your leafy room: Here while you shall sit in pride, b.u.t.terflies all rainbow-pied, Dandy beetles gold and green, Creeping, flying, shall be seen, Every bird that shakes his wings, Every katydid that sings, Wasp and bee with buzz and hum.

Hither, hither see them come, Creeping all before your feet, Rendering their homage meet.

But 'tis I that call you mine, Valentine, O Valentine!

LAURA E. RICHARDS

BABY SEED SONG

Little brown brother, oh! little brown brother, Are you awake in the dark?

Here we lie cosily, close to each other: Hark to the song of the lark-- ”Waken!” the lark says, ”waken and dress you; Put on your green coats and gay, Blue sky will s.h.i.+ne on you, suns.h.i.+ne caress you-- Waken! 'tis morning--'tis May!”

Little brown brother, oh! little brown brother, What kind of flower will you be?

I'll be a poppy--all white, like my mother; Do be a poppy like me.

What! you're a sun-flower? How I shall miss you When you're grown golden and high!

But I shall send all the bees up to kiss you; Little brown brother, good-bye.

E. NESBIT

RAIN IN THE NIGHT