Valentine, O Valentine, Now a wreath for you I'll twine. I will set you on a throne Where the damask rose has blown, Dropping all her velvet bloom, Carpeting your leafy room: Here while you shall sit in pride, Butterflies all rainbow-pied, Dandy beetles gold and green, Creeping, flying, shall be seen, Every bird that shakes his wings, Every katydid that sings, Wasp and bee with buzz and hum. Hither, hither see them come, Creeping all before your feet, Rendering their homage meet. But 'tis I that call you mine, Valentine, O Valentine! LAURA E. RICHARDS BABY SEED SONG Little brown brother, oh! little brown brother, Are you awake in the dark? Here we lie cosily, close to each other: Hark to the song of the lark-- "Waken!" the lark says, "waken and dress you; Put on your green coats and gay, Blue sky will shine on you, sunshine caress you-- Waken! 'tis morning--'tis May!" Little brown brother, oh! little brown brother, What kind of flower will you be? I'll be a poppy--all white, like my mother; Do be a poppy like me. What! you're a sun-flower? How I shall miss you When you're grown golden and high! But I shall send all the bees up to kiss you; Little brown brother, good-bye. E. NESBIT RAIN IN THE NIGHT Raining, raining, All night long; Sometimes loud, sometimes soft, Just like a song. There'll be rivers in the gutters And lakes along the street. It will make our lazy kitty Wash his little dirty feet. The roses will wear diamonds Like kings and queens at court; But the pansies all get muddy Because they are so short. I'll sail my boat to-morrow In wonderful new places, But first I'll take my watering-pot And wash the pansies' faces. AMELIA JOSEPHINE BURR A LITTLE GIRL'S SONGS I SPRING SONG I love daffodils. I love Narcissus when he bends his head. I can hardly keep March and spring and Sunday and daffodils Out of my rhyme of song. Do you know anything about the spring When it comes again? God knows about it while winter is lasting: Flowers bring him power in the spring, And birds bring it, and children. He is sometimes sad and alone Up there in the sky trying to keep his worlds happy. I bring him songs when he is in his sadness, and weary. I tell him how I used to wander out to study stars and the moon he made And flowers in the dark of the wood. I keep reminding him about his flowers he has forgotten, And that snowdrops are up. What can I say to make him listen? "God," I say, "Don't you care! Nobody must be sad or sorry In the spring-time of flowers." II VELVETS