Mrs. E. P. Miller

“ For in each hive and everywhere, One queen alone will reign, And any interloper meets With sure and sharp disdain. Of workers, some are strong to fly, While some are weak and small, Unfitted quite, for load or flight, Or outside work at all. These last complete the larvae-cells, And nurse and feed the young; They mix the bee-bread, cleanse the hive, And care for every drone. All bees have stings except the drones, And these, when Autumn nears, Are stung to death with furious wrath, As by the book appears. ”

“ The Sun, my child, attracts the Earth And holds it in its place.
Hi-diddle, ho-diddle, Pop-diddle-dee, A lovely Moon is shining for This Earth of ours, you see,-- Held in its cradle Ever since its birth, Because our globe attracted it, As the Sun attracts the Earth. Hi-diddle, ho-diddle, Pop-diddle-dee, What I mean by globe, child, You're wondering now, I see. {114} A globe or a ball, dear, Is what is round and true, And that is why I'm calling it, This Earth, a globe, to you. ”

“ And the lassie-bird, "Ah, yes, coo, coo, coo." 'Tis the old-new song that the birds have sung, Aye, the birds of every race, Since the world was planned, And came forth from the hand Of the Maker, aglow with grace. 'Tis the song they will sing till time is o'er,-- 'Tis the stream that from Paradise gushed; And the music that flows When the love-light glows, Will never, no, never be hushed. ”

“ Then the elfin of twelve and the boy of fifteen, Are pelting each other with snowballs so keen, That we, who are older, forget to be staid, {245} And shout, each with each, as the youngsters, arrayed In feathery garments, press on or retreat, Determined to win, nor acknowledge defeat, And the snow tumbles down with such beauty and grace That the air seems filled up with soft, bridal-veil lace, Through whose meshes the sunbeams shall kiss Mother Earth, Till the buds and the blossoms are bred into birth. ”

“ Yes, the North Pole and the South Pole, Where 'tis very cold and drear. Now we'll hold a bigger apple At a distance, for the Sun; Tip the smaller one a little, And then slowly wheel it round All around the larger apple, And it represents the Earth Circling round the Sun that holds it, Ceaseless, in its yearly path. Wondrous is the strong attraction Of the Sun which holds in place All the Planets in their turnings, All the Stars that see his face; But more wondrous far the power That created Sun and us, And that gave a form and being, To this mighty Universe. ”

“ It snows! yes, it snows! and the children are wild, At thought of the fun in the snow-drifts up-piled; The boy with his first new boots is in sight, And the wee baby-girl, with her mittens so bright. They are tramping and tossing the snow as they run, And laughing and shouting, so brimful of fun ”

“ Thus the three days passing by, Which the Fair must occupy-- Dollars ten--ah, yes! and more, Elzie holds within her store! Dues for cage and tickets met, And the ten is Elzie's yet,-- Which unto the Fair she gave With an air so joyful-grave, That it seemed a spirit bright, Nestled in her heart so light;-- And a happier child than she, We may never hope to see. ”

“ And this pollen, for the bee-bread And as food for young, they use, Mixed with honey and with water,-- Swallowed and disgorged like juice By the nurses, who digest it Partly, for the larvae-food, Taking care that each shall have it, Just according to the brood.
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Now we'll watch and see them working; See them brush off pollen-dust; See them, too, disgorge the honey, Into cells the sweetness thrust. Children, with your useful fingers, Hands and arms and feet and head, Do not let the bees surpass you, Making honey, nay, nor bread. ”

“ The day of baby's mastership To raise himself upright, An era marks along the way, By mother-love made light. Her mother-voice lures on his step, Her care protects from harm; While deeper into her heart he glides, With every opening charm. ”

“ Toss the baby high in air; Catch him though, with special care Lest his little back be strained, Lest his little joints be sprained, Lest his bones be bent or broken; Lest through life he bear some token Of a careless toss or fall, That for sympathy shall call, And that must forever be Painful to our memory. ”

“ For your little body, Lizzie, God has said, 'Keep holy, pure,' {321} Tis His 'temple' He has lent you, Keep its every gate secure, "What you eat and drink makes muscles, Bones and nerves, and brain, and thought; And by food and drink improper, Fearful evils may be wrought. Much of meat and spice and candies, Makes your blood impure, and then All your body's in a jangle, And your temper's wild again. "And your clothes if tight or heavy, Help to make your blood impure; Help to make you weak and wicked, Into evil ways to lure. ”

“ The False is strewn with roses,-- The True looks bleak and bare; But this, 't is plain, is only That youthful, artless eyes Are open to show and glamour, But see not deep nor wise, {303} To Truth then, children, listen, And cultivate the seed That in your hearts God planted, To serve your every need;-- Yes, heed the voice within you, And follow it all the way, For it will help you choose the road That leads to endless day. ”

“ Be careful in your choosing, For if you take the Right, You will travel in the shadow Of the Rock that shields at night; 'T will lead through greenest pastures Where softest brooklets flow, And land you at a Station That is full of cheer and glow. {300} On the other track, the roses Are backed by sharpest thorns; While berries always nourish, And the violet but adorns;-- You will stumble into sluices, And what is worse than all, Your self-respect and conscience Grow weak with every fall. ”

“ When threads of thought begin to spin, And webs of mind to weave, When kindling soul looks out at eyes That know not to deceive,-- The mother's holiest task to keep Her darling pure and true; Her constant care, her watchful prayer, Alone can guide him through {244} The maze his youthful feet must tread, And if perchance he fall, Her baby still in him she sees, Her love can cover it all. O, the wondrous love the baby brings, Is far beyond our ken! We only know that the fount once oped, Can never be dry again. ”

“ THE FOG.
"What is the fog, Mamma?" "Sometimes the air is light And cannot bear up all the mists, And then 'tis foggy, quite; But when air heavier grows, The fog is borne above, And floated off, the cloudy stuff,-- Just see it, graceful, move."
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THE RAIN.
"What makes the rain, Mamma?" "The mists and vapors rise From land and stream and rolling sea, Up toward the distant skies; And there they form the clouds, Which, when they're watery, dear, Pour all the water down to earth, And rain afar or near."
THE SNOW.
"What makes the Snow, Mamma?" ”

“ A fearful thing, but 'tis the best That they can do,--now hear the rest.
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Sometimes they're buried deep, and find When they dig out they're almost blind And cannot tell which way to go, And thus are lost, a serious woe! Sometimes, when lost, the drink for men Gets short; is gone; they thirst, and then They kill a camel just for lack Of what he carries in his sac.
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In deserts bare and bleak and drear, The sun shines hot through all the year, But many an Oasis is found, Or spot where grass and trees abound. ”

“ Because Mother Truth is A-coming to-day. She'll tell you funny things, But they'll be true; She'll bring you pictures So charming and new; She'll sing you Melodies, helping to show How, to true women and men, you may grow. ”

“ Hi-diddle-diddle, The Sun's in the middle, And planets around him so grand, Are swinging in space, Held forever in place, In the Zodiac girdle or band. Hi-diddle-diddle, The Sun's in the middle, And Mercury's next to the Sun While Venus, so bright, Seen at morning or night, Comes Second, to join in the fun. Hi-diddle-diddle, The Sun's in the middle, And Third in the group is our Earth ”

“ Thus our Grandma, quaint but queenly, Taught us grand-bairns one by one; And the lesson relished keenly Filled each spring-time full of fun. For the watchful eyes were eager, And the flying feet must roam Till they every nook beleaguer Round the old ancestral home. * * * * * But 'twas not the broken brakelet That wrought good for after years; Not the killing of the snakelet, But the conquering of fears, And the patient, wistful watching, Educating thought and eye, Made the brakelet and the snakelet Types of weal for bye and bye. ”

“ They'll learn with grace their lives to fill, And thank dear grandma o'er and o'er, For this, and many lessons more. "'Tis guilt to wear the garb of sin, Though all be innocent within." "If you do well by others' ills, You'll do right well," she said, When we would come and tell about The naughtiness of Ned. "Now children, if you shun the bad You may in others find, And never let yourself be rude, Or naughty, or unkind, You'll learn to do by others' ills Right well," dear grandma said, "And in the way that's good and true, Your youthful feet shall tread." ”

“ While those for queens are large and free, And fashioned fine with care, And lined with softest, silken shreds So daintily they fare. The queen-bee lays the worker-eggs, A dozen days, I ween, And then the drones as many more, Then workers, then the queen. ”

“ You, child, can never Be a woman good and true, If you let your fiery temper And your own will govern you; And they told me 'even Jesus Said, 'Thy will, not mine, be done,' And that if I grew up wilful, All my life I can but mourn. ”

“ It will make your lungs grow tender, And they'll soon be sore, and cough; It will make your stomach feeble, And your head ache hard enough. Then your heart can not be joyous, And your other organs, too, Will get weak, and be unable For the work they ought to do; Quaking nerves will groan and quiver, Weary bones be racked with pain, And you'll all the time be saying: "How can I be well again?" HEAT and BATHING widely open All the pores, when discords dire, Quick flow out in perspiration, Quenching all the fever-fire. ”

“ The small cocoons of working-bees, The larger ones of drones, The large and plump and perfect ones Of all the coming queens. {200} In twenty days they now burst forth, Equipped from tip to toe, The working-bees and drones, I mean, For queens come forth more slow. The queen cocoons ope from behind, And I will tell you why, 'Tis that the reigning queen may sting The others till they die. If mother queen leads off a swarm, A young queen they release, And she may take another swarm, And leave the hive in peace. ”

“ Don't tell a lie, dear children, No matter what you do,-- Own up and be a hero, Right honest, brave, and true. You'd better have a whipping Each day than tell a lie,-- No, not a "white one," even, They lead to blackest dye. ”

“ And children dressed In very best, Are sure to please his dainty eye. No matter where his feet have been, He'll spring and plant them, little pest, On something white, And then will fight To hold, and hide it in his nest. ”

“ Our lungs are formed of curious cells, And tubes to draw in air,-- And if we breathe quite deep and full And take our needful share, 'Twill keep our blood so red and pure, Our health so firm and true, We scarce shall know what suffering means, But joyous feel, and new. ”

“ For when you once have done a Wrong, The Right receives a blow,-- And Wrong will triumph easier now, So haste and answer, No. There's many a little boy and girl, And man and woman too, Have gone to ruin and to death For want of saying, No! ”

“ The working bees might all be queens, If cared for and well-fed When they are in the larvae state, But they're half-starved instead,-- While those intended for young queens Are fattened overmuch, And nursed and petted every hour, That they full growth may reach. For every different kind of egg That makes the different bees, A different kind of cell is made, The queen directing these. For drones or males, six-sided cells, Quite neat, and smooth, and nice; For working-bees a smaller cell, Uncouth, and rough, and coarse ”

“ And if we eat improper food It harms from top to toe. We all have teeth quite sharp and strong, With which to chew our food, And in the mouth are glands and glands-- Yes, quite a numerous brood. These glands pour out saliva, free, To moisten what we eat And then a trap-door at the throat Performs a wondrous feat In guiding all the food along Into the Esophagus, And thence to stomach through a pass Called Cardiac Orifice. And here 'tis mixed with Gastric Juice, And into chyme is churned Then through the gateway, Pylorus, As wiser ones have learned. ”

“ No wonder such things should make babies fret. Humpty-dumpty, hip-o'-to-hop, Baby is crying, oh, when will he stop? What does he cry for? his feet are a-cold; No wonder such things should make baby scold. {25} Humpty-dumpty, hip-o'-to-hop, Baby is crying, but soon he will stop; What does he cry for? he had too much food; No baby in this way can ever be good. Humpty-dumpty, hip-o'-to-hop, Baby is laughing and scarcely will stop; What does he laugh for? Oh, when he feels well, He always is happy,--'tis thus we can tell.
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HUSH-A-BYE.
Hush-a-bye, baby, On Grandmother's lap ”

“ Do not let a playmate tell you Anything that must be kept As a secret from your mother;-- Something's wrong, so don't accept. "Always tell a thing precisely As it is; don't try to make It more fine and entertaining; Tell the truth for Truth's dear sake. Never lay a finger, darling, On what is not quite your own, Lest temptation overtake you, And your honesty be gone. "In the silence of your chamber, When no human being's nigh, {323} Don't forget that God is with you, Watching with all seeing-eye ”