_Mother._--Here's the mark of Maggy's hand! And here's a deep hole which Fred's naughty finger must have made! And here, Bessy, are your marks. I'm ashamed of you all. Meddling with my nice cake without leave. _Bessy._--I'm very sorry I touched it, mother. _Fred._--So am I; but I wanted to see if it was well seasoned. _Mother._--Well seasoned, sir? You deserve to be well seasoned with a rod. Now, your punishment shall be, not to taste a crumb of this nice cake, any one of you. I shall give it to the poor family opposite. _Fred._--Hoo-oo-oo-oo! Oh, don't! _Maggy._--Don't, mamma; don't! _Bessy._--Such a beautiful cake! _Mother._--The cake shall be given to the poor; and you must be contented with your bread and water. _Fred._--Forgive us this once, mother. Remember it's the Fourth of July,--a day when we all want to be jolly. _Mother._--They who would be jolly, must begin by being good. The cake goes to those who need it much more than we do. (_The children all cry._) ALFRED SELWYN. [Illustration] [Illustration: SONG OF THE BROOK] WHAT was the song of the meadow brook, As under the willows his way he took? Wouldn't you like to know? "Let me play a while as I will: By and by I must turn the mill, As farther down I go. "Daisies, hanging over my side, Beautiful daisies, starry-eyed, Kiss me for I must go! But think of me as I turn the wheel, Grinding the corn into powdery meal And drifts of golden snow." A. D. W. [Illustration] HOW OUR SCHOOL CAME TO HAVE THE NURSERY. THERE are fifty little boys and girls who go to the Blank street Primary School. Brown heads, black heads, yellow heads, all shades of heads, may there be seen studying their A, B, C. Some are very pretty, and some are very plain; but they are all good children. I think so, and I ought to know; for I am their teacher. Well, they read and sing and spell; and some of the larger ones write a little. But we all get tired of doing the same thing day after day; and I felt that my little pupils needed a change. So, one day, I said to them, "If you will each of you learn a little verse so as to say it very nicely, we will have a good time next Saturday morning. There shall be no lessons,--nothing but speaking and singing." Some of the little children looked as if they did not know what I meant. But the older ones came to me, one after another, and said, "Please find a piece for me to learn." So I undertook to find pieces for them all. I thought that was an easy thing to do; but, when I came to try it, it proved to be a hard task. I looked through all my books and papers, without finding much of any thing to suit me.