“ He comes,—he comes,—the Frost Spirit comes!—from the frozen Labrador,— 5
From the icy bridge of the Northern seas, which the white bear wanders o'er,—
Where the fisherman's sail is stiff with ice, and the luckless forms below
[68] In the sunless cold of the lingering night into marble statues grow!
He comes,—he comes,—the Frost Spirit comes!—on the rushing Northern blast,
And the dark Norwegian pines have bowed as his fearful breath went past.
With an unscorched wing he has hurried on, where the fires of Hecla glow
On the darkly beautiful sky above and the ancient ice below. ”

“ To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall!
Now, dash away, dash away, dash away, all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So, up to the house-top the coursers they flew, 5
With the sleigh full of toys—and St. Nicholas, too. ”

“ HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW America, 1807-1882 Hiawatha's Childhood
By the shores of Gitche Gumee,
By the shining Big-Sea-Water, 10
Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,
Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis.
Dark behind it rose the forest,
Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees,
Rose the firs with cones upon them; 15
Bright before it beat the water,
[35] Beat the clear and sunny water,
Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water. ”

“ So, prithee, make my bed, mother,
For I'm tired as I can be!"
FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS England, 1793-1835 Night-scented Flowers
"Call back your odors, lonely flowers,
From the night-wind call them back; 10
And fold your leaves till the laughing hours
Come forth in the sunbeam's track.
"The lark lies couched in her grassy nest,
And the honey-bee is gone,
And all bright things are away to rest; 15
[64] Why watch ye here alone?"
"Nay, let our shadowy beauty bloom
When the stars give quiet light,
And let us offer our faint perfume
On the silent shrine of night. ”

“ Patience conquers everything!
BJÖRNSTJERNE BJÖRNSON Norway, 1832- The Tree
The Tree's early leaf buds were bursting their brown;
"Shall I take them away?" said the Frost, sweeping down.
"No, leave them alone
Till the blossoms have grown," 10
Prayed the Tree, while he trembled from rootlet to crown. ”

“ Twilight and firelight
Shadows come and go;
Merry chime of sleigh bells
Tinkling through the snow; 15
Mother knitting stockings,
Pussy's got the ball,
Don't you think that winter's
Pleasanter than all?
[96]
M. BETHAM EDWARDS America, 1836- A Child's Prayer
God make my life a little light,
Within the world to glow—
A tiny flame that burneth bright,
Wherever I may go. ”

“ To the breeze when no step is nigh:
Oh! thus forever the earth should send
Her grateful breath on high!
"And love us as emblems, night's dewy flowers,
Of hopes unto sorrow given, 10
That spring through the gloom of the darkest hours,
Looking alone to heaven."
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER America, 1807-1892 Indian Summer
From gold to gray
Our mild, sweet day
[65] Of Indian summer fades too soon; 15
But tenderly
Above the sea
Hangs, white and calm, the hunter's moon. ”

“ That soon the crocus buds will show;
For 'tis the wind who bids them wake
And into pretty blossoms break.
In summer, when it softly blows,
Soon red I know will be the rose; 10
For 'tis the wind to her who speaks,
[27] And brings the blushes to her cheeks.
In autumn, when the wind is up,
I know the acorn's out its cup;
For 'tis the wind who takes it out,
And plants an oak somewhere about.
LUCY LARCOM America, 1826-1893 The Violet
Dear little violet, 5
Don't be afraid!
Lift your blue eyes
From the rock's mossy shade.
All the birds call for you,
Out of the sky ”

“ The creature will soon be dimmer than dim."
He blew and blew, and she thinned to a thread.
"One puff
More's enough
To blow her to snuff!
One good puff more where the last was bred, 5
And glimmer, glimmer, glum will go the thread!"
He blew a great blast and the thread was gone;
In the air
Nowhere
Was a moonbeam bare; 10
Far off and harmless the shy stars shone;
Sure and certain the Moon was gone!
The Wind he took to his revels once more;
On down
In town, 15
Like a merry mad clown,
[73] He leaped and hallooed with whistle and roar,
"What's that?" ”

“ The editors have felt that the inclusion of critical notes in these little books intended for elementary school children would be not only superfluous, but, in the degree in which critical comment drew the child's attention from the text, subversive of the desired result. Nor are there any notes on methods. The best way to teach children to love a poem is to read it inspiringly to them. The French say: "The ear is the pathway to the heart." A poem should be so read that it will sing itself in the hearts of the listening children. ”

“ Oh, hush thee, my baby, the time will soon come,
When thy sleep shall be broken by trumpet and drum;
Then hush thee, my darling, take rest while you may,
For strife comes with manhood, and waking with day. 5
EUGENE FIELD America, 1850-1895 Dutch Lullaby [2]
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe—
Sailed on a river of crystal light,
Into a sea of dew.
"Where are you going, and what do you wish?" 10
The old moon asked the three.
[89] "We have come to fish for the herring fish
That live in this beautiful sea;
Nets of silver and gold have we!" ”

“ Consider
The birds that have no barn nor harvest-weeks;
God gives them food:
Much more our Father seeks
To do us good. 5
SIR WALTER SCOTT Scotland, 1771-1832 Lullaby of an Infant Chief
Oh, hush thee, my baby, thy sire was a knight,
Thy mother a lady, both lovely and bright;
The woods and the glens from the tower which we see,
They all are belonging, dear baby, to thee.
Oh, fear not the bugle, though loudly it blows, 10
It calls but the warders that guard thy repose;
[88] Their bows would be bended, their blades would be red,
Ere the step of a foeman draws near to thy bed. ”

“ And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle;
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" 10
[81]
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH England, 1770-1850 Lucy Gray
Oft I had heard of Lucy Gray;
And, when I crossed the wild,
I chanced to see at break of day
The solitary child.
No mate, no comrade, Lucy knew; 5
She dwelt on a wide moor,—
The sweetest thing that ever grew
Beside a human door! ”

“ They will be found softer than ringdove's cooings.
How silent comes the water round that bend!
Not the minutest whisper does it send 10
To the o'erhanging sallows: blades of grass
Slowly across the chequer'd shadows pass.
[50]
EMILY HUNTINGTON MILLER America, 1862- The Bluebird
I know the song that the bluebird is singing,
Out in the apple-tree where he is swinging:
Brave little fellow! the skies may be dreary:
Nothing cares he while his heart is so cheery.
Hark! how the music leaps out from his throat— 5
Hark! was there ever so merry a note? ”

“ And up to bed are sent away
[93] From mother and the rest—
Suppose you ask, "Who has been bad?"
And then you'll hear what's true;
For the wind will moan in its ruefulest tone:
"Yoooooooo!
Yoooooooo! 5
Yoooooooo!"
THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH America, 1836- Marjorie's Almanac [4]
Robins in the tree top,
Blossoms in the grass,
Green things a-growing
Everywhere you pass
Sudden little breezes, 5
Showers of silver dew,
Black bough and bent twig
[94] Budding out anew ”

“ That helpeth others to be strong,
And makes the singer glad.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] From "A Boy's Book of Rhyme."
[2] From "Poems of Childhood," published by Messrs. Charles Scribner's Sons.
[3] From "Poems of Childhood," published by Messrs. Charles Scribner's Sons.
[4] Selections from Thomas B. Aldrich are used by permission of, and by special arrangement with, Houghton, Mifflin & Co., publishers of his works. ”