_Grandmother._ Aye, child, and all that moss and down Was brought by many a wing, Twigs from the distant upland wood, Moss from beside the spring; Remember, time, and pains, and care, Brought all those things together there. For do you think that in the tree Itself the nest would grow, So firmly built, and nicely wove, And lined?--“Oh, granny, no!”-- Then think, how every bird that flies Must labor ere his roof can rise. _Boy._ But, grandmother--the humming bees,-- Well--on a summer’s day, What can you see, from morn to eve, So busy as are they? Into each flower their trunks they dive, And laden cluster round the hive. _Grandmother._ Learning A B is not so hard As flying all the day; And to a bee’s industrious life Your book is only play; Beside, God gave you speech and thought, To be improved, and ruled, and taught. _Boy._ Ah, granny, this is very true, But I should like to know, If it is good to speak and think, Why don’t the birds do so? And why did God make them to fly, And us to walk through wet and dry? _Grandmother._ My child, why did he make the sun Above our heads to glow? Why did he bend upon the cloud His bright and glorious bow? Why did he make the thunder sound, And draw the solemn night around? Why, but because he saw ’twas _best_?-- He gave to flower and tree The power to blossom, bud, and fruit, And for man’s good to be. But man, he made to praise him still, And humbly do his Maker’s will. And we do not his laws obey In wasting time that flies, Or being idle all day long Instead of being wise. Then come, my child, begin, and we Shall soon outgrow our A B C. Our Correspondence. Thanks, gentle friends, for your many favors--but you must not expect me to insert them all here. I read them with great satisfaction, and even when you find a little fault, I am not the less pleased-- particularly if you tell me how to do better. But as to printing all your epistles, you must consider that I have Bill Keeler’s stories to put in, and the Old Man’s in the Corner, and a great many other things. I have, indeed, so many matters crowding into my columns, that I am this month obliged to leave out Dick Boldhero altogether! However, I find that our subscribers like Our Correspondence very well, and therefore I shall put in as much of it as my space will allow. * * * * * I am much obliged to A---- R----, who sends me the following PUZZLE.