As Tittymouse sat in the witty to spin, Pussy came to her and bid her good e’en. “Oh, what are you doing, my little ’oman?” “A-spinning a doublet for my gude man.” “Then shall I come to thee and wind up thy thread?” “Oh, no, Mr. Puss, you will bite off my head.” THE BROWN THRUSH. [Illustration] 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! Don’t you hear? Don’t you see? 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? 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, “O, the world’s running over with joy!” But long it won’t be, Don’t you know? Don’t you see? Unless we’re as good as can be. —_Lucy Larcom._ [Illustration] The best doctors in the world are Doctor Diet, Doctor Quiet, and Doctor Merryman. —_Dean Swift._ OUR MOTHER. [Illustration] Hundreds of stars in the pretty sky, Hundreds of shells in the shore together, Hundreds of birds that go singing by, Hundreds of birds in the sunny weather. Hundreds of dew drops to greet the dawn, Hundreds of bees in the purple clover, Hundreds of butterflys on the lawn, But only one mother the wide world over. —_Unknown._ A LOBSTER QUADRILLE. “Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail, “There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail.” See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance! They are waiting on the shingle—will you come and join the dance? Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance? Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance? “You can really have no notion how delightful it will be When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!” But the snail replied, “Too far, too far!” and gave a look askance— Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance. Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance. Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.