He has no thought of any wrong, He scans me with a fearless eye; Comrade, where wilt thou be to-night, Celia Thaxter. THE SORROWFUL SEA-GULL. THE sea-gull is so sorry! She flings herself about, And utters little, wailing cries, And flutters in and out. The fishes do not sympathize, Fish are so very cool! They make so many rules, you know ; They have a rule for swimming, They have a rule for pleasure trips, A rule for doing good. And people who make rules like that May drive, and work, and swim, But never know how sweet a thing It is to take a whim! I'd like to be a sea-gull, With lovely beak and claws; I world not like to be a fish, Subject to fishy laws. And if they make more changes soon By acts of Parliament, 1 won't consent to be a fish, I never will consent ! Why is the sea-gull sorry? I'm not allowed to tell. The fish, who will not sympathize, Know what's the matter well! And you who feel with all your hearts, Are not allowed to hear a word; - Child-World. THE BROWN THRUSH. THERE's a merry brown thrush sitting up in the tree, He's singing to me! He's singing to me!" And what does he say, little girl, little boy? Oh, the world's running over with joy! Hush! Look! In my tree, I'm as happy as happy can be !" And the brown thrush keeps singing, "A nest do you see, And five eggs hid by me in the juniper-tree? Don't meddle! don't touch! little girl, little boy, Or the world will lose some of its joy! Now I'm glad now I'm free! And I always shall be, If you never bring sorrow to me." So the merry brown thrush sings away in the tree, To you and to me, to you and to me, And he sings all the day, little girl, little boy, "Oh, the world's running over with joy; But long it won't be, Don't you know? don't you see? Unless we are as good as can be?" Lucy Larcom. WHO STOLE THE BIRD'S NEST. "To-WHIT! to-whit! to-whee! Will you listen to me? Who stole four eggs I laid, And the nice nest I made?" Such a thing I'd never do." "To-whit! to-whit! to-whee! "Bob-o'-link! Bob-o'-link! Now what do you think? From the plum-tree, to-day?" "Not I," said the dog, "Bow-wow! I would n't be so mean, any how! I gave hairs the nest to make, But the nest I did not take. Not I," said the dog, "Bow-wow! I'm not so mean, any how." "To-whit! to-whit! to-whee! Will you listen to me? "Bob-o'-link! Bob-o'-link! "Coo-coo! Coo-coo! Coo-coo! Let me speak a word, too! From little yellow-breast?" "Not I," said the sheep; "Oh, no! I would n't treat a poor bird so I gave wool the nest to line, But the nest was none of mine. Baa Baa !" said the sheep, "Oh, no, I would n't treat a poor bird so." "To-whit! to-whit! to-whee! Will you listen to me? Who stole four eggs I laid, And the nice nest I made?" "Bob-o'-link! Bob-o'-link! "Coo-coo! Coo-coo! Coo-coo! “Caw! Caw!" cried the crow; "I should like to know What thief took away A bird's nest, to-day?" "Cluck! Cluck!" said the hen; Don't ask me again, Why, I haven't a chick Would do such a trick. We all gave her a feather, And she wove them together. I'd scorn to intrude On her and her brood. Cluck! Cluck!" said the hen, |