“ The way they do in the picture-book!
And then—I want to get on your knee!
Rock-a-bye me! Rock-a-bye me!
F. LILEY-YOUNG.
CHUMS
We're chums, and we love it—-dear father and I!
He's tall and grown-up, of course—ever so high!
But you don't mind that, though you're little as me;
He always stoops down, or you sit on his knee
When you're chums.
We go for long walks—he says, "Now for a hike!"—
With beautiful talks about things that I like;
Some folks do not care about beetles and toads
And little green snakes that you find in the roads,
But we're chums. ”

“ ONE MILE TO TOYLAND
"One mile, one mile to Toyland!"
Just s'pose, to your intense
Astonishment, you found this sign
Plain written on a fence.
Just one short mile to Toyland,
To happy girl and boy-land,
Where one can play the livelong day!
Now who will hurry hence?
There dollies grow on bushes,
And wooden soldiers stand
With frisky rocking-horses near,
A brave and dauntless band;
And whips and tops and whistles
They grow as thick as thistles,
And every kind of toy you find—
A strange and magic land! ”

“ MAMMA'S LITTLE HOUSEMAID
I am mamma's little housemaid, don't you see?
They couldn't get along so well if it were not for me;
For every Friday morning I take my little broom,
And sweep and sweep the pretty rugs that lie in mamma's room.
And then I sweep the door-steps off, and do not leave a crumb,
And wipe the dishes, too, and oh, it is the bestest fun!
And then, when mamma starts to bake, she says that maybe I
Can make all by my very self a cunning little pie. ”

“ How many picture-books he buys,
And reads the fairy tales to me!
HANNAH G. FERNALD.
THE LITTLE BOOK PEOPLE
At half past eight I say "good night" and snuggle up in bed.
I'm never lonely, for it's then I hear the gentle tread
Of all the tiny book people. They come to visit me,
And lean above my pillow just as friendly as can be!
Sometimes they cling against the wall or dance about in air.
I never hear them speak a word, but I can see them there.
When Cinderella comes she smiles with happy, loving eyes,
And makes a funny nod at me when she the slipper tries. ”

“ I always hurry home because I know you'll be so glad.
I had a thought in school today—I quite forgot my book—
I seemed to see you waiting, and how lonely you must look,
And all the other children's dolls, ten thousand, I suppose,
All sitting up so patiently, and turning out their toes.
And then when I was called upon to answer "four times four,"
I failed, and teacher told me that I ought to study more.
She asked if I had done my best. I had to answer, "No'm."
I don't believe she leaves a little lonely doll at home! ”

“ My pretty, jolly jingle-book!
MR. TONGUE
A little red man in a little red house
With gates of ivory!
He might stay there, as still as a mouse,
And nobody could see;
But talk he will, and laugh he will,
At everything you do;
And come to the door and peep, until
I know his name—don't you?
KISSES
"Here's a kiss for every year,
And here is one to grow on!"
Father says and mother says
And auntie says, and so on.
"Here's a pat and there's a pat!"
If growing comes of kisses,
I know how one girl found a way
To grow as big as this is! ”

“ Not one does she forget.
What wonder that her garden grows
And blooms, and blooms again,
When every grateful blossom knows
Who "carries round the rain!"
HANNAH G. FERNALD.
OUR LITTLE BROOK
Our little brook just sings and sings
In such a happy way,
I'd love to sit beside it,
And listen all the day.
In spring it has a merry sound,
I know the reason why—
Because the ice has gone and now
The brook can see the sky.
It loves to glisten in the sun
And sparkle in its light. ”

“ A SLEEPY-HEAD TOP
My top is just the very best,
But, my! it is the laziest.
It sleeps, and sleeps, and sleeps all day,
And doesn't want to come and play.
Then, when it spins, it sleeps the more.
It stands up straight, but it will snore,
Until it is so sound asleep
It tumbles over in a heap.
SINCLAIR LEWIS.
A CHRISTMAS "TELEPHONE"
"Ullo, Mr. Santa! Ullo! Ullo! Ullo!
If must be 'most to Christmas, and I think you ought to know
About the things we're needing most—of course I'd like a doll,
And Jimmy wants a rocking-horse, and Charlie wants a ball. ”

“ He doesn't wander up and down
And hoarsely call all day,
"O' clo'! O' clo'!" This old-clothes man
Has not a word to say.
He stands so stiff among the corn,
His one stiff arm stuck out,
And points a musket at the crows
That circle all about.
He doesn't tramp the dusty streets,
Nor travel, ankle-deep,
Through mush and slush, but quiet stands
Where baby corn-cobs sleep.
He's such a funny old-clothes man!
I wonder if it's hard
To stand amid the growing corn
All summer long on guard. ”

“ If some one adopted Angelica Sue.
It's always Angelica falls in the dust,
Angelica's frock that gets torn on the fences,
The other dolls sit as I tell them they must,
But when she comes out, then the trouble commences. ”

“ I'm just a wooden horsy, and I work hard all the day
At hauling blocks and dollies in my little painted dray.
Sometimes they feed me make-believe, sometimes nothing at all,
And sometimes I'm left standing on my head out in the hall.
I try to be most patient, but 'twas just the other day
I got provoked with Teddy Bear and almost ran away.
REBECCA DEMING MOORE.
AFTER SCHOOL
I've come to you again, my dear. There's no more school today. ”

“ To take a lot of boards and bricks and shut the outdoors in!"
An Outdoor Girl
THE BEDTIME STORY-BOOK
There's something very, very queer
About a story-book,
No matter what's the time of year,
Nor where you chance to look;
No matter when it is begun,
How many pages read,
The very best of all the fun
Comes just the time for bed,
When mother whispers in your ear:
"'Tis almost eight—just look!
Now finish up your chapter, dear,
And put away your book."
The minutes almost seem to race
When it is growing late ”

“ To put in some surprises that we never thought about;
For in the whole long stocking, clear down into the toe,
The presents that are nicest are the ones you didn't know."
A LOST BABY Baby's hidden all away!
Nobody can find her!
Where's the baby, mamma? Say,
Let's go look behind her!
Baby? No, she isn't there—
Have we lost our baby?
Let's go hunting down the stair,
There we'll find her, maybe.
Papa's lost his little girl!
What will he do for kisses?
What is this? A yellow curl?
And please to say what this is
Inside my coat! ”

“ He says, "Little Partner, it's your turn today!"
So we're chums.
A TOUCH OF NATURE
A little maid upon my knee
Sighs wearily, sighs wearily;
"I'm tired out of dressin' dolls,
And havin' stories read," says she.
"There is a book, if I could see,
I should be happy, puffickly!
My mamma keeps it on a shelf—
'But that you cannot have,' says she!"
"But here's your Old Man of the Sea,
And Jack the Giant!" (Lovingly
I tried the little maid to soothe.)
"The interestin' one," says she,
"Is that high-up one!—seems to me
The fings you want just has to be
Somethin' you hasn't got ”

“ His little wiggle-waggle toes
That carry him about.
They look so soft and pinky,
And good enough to eat!
How lucky that the little toes
Are fastened to his feet!
Ten little pinky playthings
He cannot eat or lose ”