When this song was ended, he proposed singing "The star-spangled banner," "because," as he said to his sister, "you ought to rejoice to be under the old flag again." [Illustration] The singing over, the excited boy roused up his little sister, who had almost fallen asleep in her mother's lap, and whirled her round in what he called a waltz, till his mother said it was quite time to dance off to bed. The last sound heard as he ran up stairs was, "Hurrah! there's no place like home!" IDA FAY. IN SCHOOL AND OUT. SCHOOL-TIME is coming again; "So much the better!" says Jane, And off, with her satchel and slate, She starts, for she scorns to be late. [Illustration] [Illustration] But ragged and barefooted Meg Does nothing but wander and beg. Oh, why does she not go to school? Poor child! She's by no means a fool. X. Y. Z. [Illustration] THE LITTLE SAILOR. I HAD just finished reading the last number of "The Nursery" to my little six-year-old boy. "Read it all over again, mamma," he said. "Why don't the 'Nurseries' come oftener, so you could read me a new story every minute?" What a silly question, wasn't it? But I didn't tell him it was silly. I sang the frog-song over again with a good many croaks and kerchugs to make it lively; then we all made ready--the two aunts, papa, my little boy, and myself--to go out sailing in the harbor. Did any of your "Nursery" readers ever take a sail in Captain Burdette's sail-boat "Fearless" on the smooth water at Nantucket? Well, if you did, didn't you have a jolly time? And, if you didn't, do try it some day when the wind blows just enough to fill the white sail. We had a merry party, and our little boy was so full of play, that he dragged the boat-broom in the wake of the boat. Then he tried to stand on the forward-deck, and hold on by the mast. But the wind shifted a little, and the sail turned about so suddenly, that it came near pushing him into the water. So papa ordered him into the stern, where the ladies were, and gave him permission to take hold of the tiller, and help steer the boat. He helped turn her toward the jetty which the government is building to make the water deeper, so that large ships may sail safely into the harbor. Just as we made the turn, we saw another boat coming towards us. The tide was driving it swiftly along, and it bobbed up and down on the sparkling ripples. A little chap was standing on the bow, drying his wet bare legs in the sunshine. He seemed to be enjoying himself hugely, and paid no attention to our party. He had a dark mantle thrown over his white vest, and was straight and slim like a naval cadet. By and by he gave his tail a little shake, lifted his two wings, and took himself off the water-soaked stick he had used for a sail-boat. Then he went screaming with his mates high up in the air.