Alice Lewis Richards

“ To be counted as naught but a poor useless thing?
"I know I'm not handsome, and my chirp is not sweet,
I know I'm not loved by the most that I meet;
But I'm just as God made me, a plain little bird,
And have, in this world, a right to be heard.
"And the birds of great beauty you like to see,
In the sight of our Maker are no better than me. ”

“ WHEN MY DOLLY WENT TO SCHOOL
When my dolly went to school
I bought her a slate and rule
With my only silver dime;
And I said to dolly dear,
"Now, my pretty, do you hear?
You must always be on time."
But I told her not to worry,
Nor get into a flurry
If she happened to be late;
And what teacher has to say
She must every word obey,
And must always sit up straight. ”

“ DOLLY DAYS
My mama says that I'm too old
To play with dolls much more,
That I must lay them all away
For dolly days for me are o'er.
But what I'll do, I do not know,
When they're all laid away;
I know I'll sigh and maybe cry,
When I've no doll with me to play.
Then with them all put out of sight
The days will lonely be ”

“ JUNE
The month of June brings roses sweet,
And daisies blooming at our feet;
When Nature sings her sweetest tune,
'Tis in the balmy month of June.
And glad vacation June will bring,
Then old school bells will cease to ring,
But wedding bells their sweet refrain
Will ring and ring out just the same.
Now lilies white upon the stream,
In early morning will be seen;
And cherries ripe upon the tree
Are tempting to the birds and me.
So robin hops from limb to limb,
And seems to think they're all for him ”

“ You are sleeping much too long;
For the bluebirds are returning,
And I've heard the robin's song.
"The South wind is gently blowing,
For I heard it 'mongst the trees
And the Hyacinth is waking
To perfume the gentle breeze.
"Come, Jonquil, do not linger! [Pg 56]
For the morn is passing fast;
If you soon are not awaking,
You will surely be the last." ”

“ As we ever onward go.
We are as the light of morning,
That comes peeping through the pane;
We are like the rays of sunshine,
That we welcome after rain.
We are just some little sunbeams
That are scattered here and there;
And without us little sunbeams,
This great world would not be fair.
[Pg 77]
WHERE DO BABIES GO?
Where has baby gone to?
Asks a mother dear;
Why has darling baby
Left me lonely here?
And my pretty home
Grown so still and drear?
Where are all the playthings
That lay upon the floor?
Where's the little dolly cab
That bumped against the door? ”

“ I don't think I'll trouble myself about you.
"You're a plain-looking bird with a dirty old coat,
And you never once sang a sweet little note
So, Mr. Sparrow, you may just fly along,
For I feed none but birds of beauty and song." ”

“ With dolly cabs and rubber balls.
She helped to wash the dishes too,
Like little sisters always do.
And in her sorrows I could share,
For sister was my only care.
And with a loving sister's arm
I used to shield her from all harm.
Then life for me was all a joy
Before Lisle turned into a boy.
But Time flies on his changing wings,
And many curious changes brings.
The creeping worm becomes a fly,
And wings his way toward the sky.
The golden egg within the nest,
Becomes a chick with downy breast. ”

“ My dolly is a mystery too, [Pg 119]
And so I wonder why,
When I am washing dolly's face,
She does not pout and cry.
And then it never seemed quite right
To have the world turn round;
It seems so strange we do not fall
Or tumble off the ground. ”

“ And others will follow right on in my track.
"So watch for my coming and list for my song,
For winter is short and you won't wait long";
Then he sang unto me a robin's adieu,
And opened his wings and southward he flew. ”

“ Then what good could a dolly do [Pg 121]
To cry, or fret, or scream,
Because her mama's gentle hand
Was trying to wash her clean.
And then I think it is all right
Because the world turns round;
For gravitation in the earth
Does keep us on the ground.
So then, to me, this world of ours
Seems just as it should be;
And with it all I'm satisfied,
And hope it is with me.
[Pg 122]
HOW HAZEL KEPT HOUSE
"I'm going to be the housekeeper,
While you are gone away,"
Said Hazel to her mama,
One lovely summer day;
"For I can tend the baby,
It's nothing more than play. ”

“ From her long and wintry sleep,
And dandelions are peeping
In the grasses at our feet.
The bullfrog loud is calling
From the pond or running stream,
And the nesting birds are cooing
In their early "love's young dream." ”

“ Don't let them see your babe at all.
"She must not talk, nor even smile;
So keep her quiet for a while.
"Be careful what you give to eat,
Now don't give salads or cold meat.
"Nor don't give biscuits that are warm,
For they will do your dolly harm. ”

“ Of the birds and pretty flowers.
They have played among the daisies,
And among the lilies too;
They were romping in the clover,
And were picking violets blue.
They have chased the shining sunbeams
That came flitting from the skies ”

“ She was sitting on four small eggs of blue.
Her mate on a limb was sitting close nigh,
And thinking of birds that would come by-and-by.
He always kept near that little home-nest,
And often would sit to give his mate rest. ”

“ An' often tease us girls,
About our dresses an' our tresses,
An' pull our pretty curls.
They laugh at us jess 'cause we cry [Pg 23]
When we gits hurt at play;
But we don't care,—they do their share
Of cryin' every day.
They calls us little "frady-calves,"
'Cause we's afeard of mice,
An' dogs, an' cats, an' snakes, an' rats,
An' other things not nice.
But we'd ruther all be little girls,
An' let them call us babies,
Than all the boys with pistol toys,
For they don't grow to ladies.
[Pg 24]
WHAT JANIE THINKS
I'd like to see old Santa Claus
And find out who he really was. ”

“ And in a bird's way he began there to say:
"Chirp, chirp, little girl, please listen to me
I'm hungry and cold as a sparrow can be!
"I'd like a small crumb or something to eat,
And may I come in and warm my poor feet?
They're almost frozen out here in the snow ”

“ And the birds in her nest numbered just four.
A sweet little girl lived near to this tree,
Who was happy as ever a girl could be;
She had a nice doll, that had a nice swing,
That had hung in this tree since early in spring.
One day she was swinging her doll to and fro, [Pg 65]
Mother Robin was peeking at her below;
She said: "Little girl, little girl, look up to me,
I've four little birdies for you to see."
"O Mother Robin, I'm glad they have come! ”

“ An' sings a lullaby.
An' there's my little bruver Joe,
He's such a naughty tease,
He always wants my dolly boy,
But never will say "Please."
He makes such lots an' lots of work [Pg 83]
For mama an' for me ”