The Infant's Delight: Poetry   By: Anonymous

[Illustration: THE MISTLETOE SELLERS.]

[Illustration: THE DEAD ROBIN.]

[Illustration]

BLIND MAN'S BUFF.

When the win ter winds are blow ing, And we ga ther glad and gay, Where the fire its light is throw ing, For a mer ry game at play, There is none that to my know ing, And I've play ed at games enough, Makes us laugh, and sets us glow ing Like a game at Blind man's Buff.

THE DEAD ROBIN.

All through the win ter, long and cold, Dear Minnie ev ery morn ing fed The little spar rows, pert and bold, And ro bins, with their breasts so red.

She lov ed to see the lit tle birds Come flut ter ing to the win dow pane, In answer to the gen tle words With which she scat ter ed crumbs and grain.

One ro bin, bol der than the rest, Would perch up on her fin ger fair, And this of all she lov ed the best, And daily fed with ten der est care.

But one sad morn, when Minnie came, Her pre ci ous lit tle pet she found, Not hop ping, when she call ed his name, But ly ing dead up on the ground.

ALL THINGS OBEY GOD.

"He saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth."

God's works are very great, but still His hands do not ap pear: Though hea ven and earth o bey His will, His voice we can not hear.

And yet we know that it is He Who moves and governs all, Who stills the rag ing of the sea, And makes the showers to fall.

Alike in mer cy He be stows The sun shine and the rain; That which is best for us He knows, And we must not com plain,

Whe ther He makes His winds to blow, And gives His tem pests birth, Or sends His frost, or bids the snow "Be thou up on the earth."

[Illustration: HE SAITH TO THE SNOW: BE THOU ON THE EARTH. JOB 37.6]

[Illustration: SNOW BALL ING.]

SNOW BALL ING.

See these mer ry ones at play, On this snowy New Year's Day: How they run, and jump, and throw Hand fuls of the soft, white snow. You should hear them laugh and shout As they fling the snow about! 'Tis by Frank and Gus alone That the balls are chief ly thrown, While their cou sins make and bring Other balls for them to fling. Ka tie is pre par ing thus, Quite a store of balls for Gus; But her mer ry sis ter May From her task has run a way, All that heavy lump of snow, At her cou sin Gus to throw. E dith is not very bold, And at first she fear ed the cold; Now at last you see her run Down the steps to join the fun.

THE SICK DOLL.

Oh! is there any cause to fear That dol ly will be very ill? To cure my lit tle dar ling here, Pray, doc tor, use your ut most skill.

And dol ly, if you would get well, Hold out your arm, that Dr. Gray May feel your tiny pulse, and tell What best will take the pain a way.

And do not say: "I will not touch That nas ty phy sic, nor the pill." If lit tle dolls will eat too much, They must not won der if they're ill.

If your mam ma ate too much cake, She would be very poor ly too, And nas ty phy sic have to take; And, lit tle dol ly, so must you.

[Illustration: Those who the South ern O cean cross, Meet with the wide wing ed Al ba tross.]

[Illustration: In ri vers near the hot E qua tor, Lives the huge, sca ly Al li ga tor.]

[Illustration: In north ern snows, the Po lar Bear, 'Mid glit ter ing ice bergs makes his lair.]

[Illustration: In shel ter ed nooks, by ri ver sides, The strange ly beard ed Bar bel hides.]

[Illustration: THE SICK DOLL.]

[Illustration: LITTLE ROSE'S VALENTINE.]

[Illustration]

NEL LY'S PET LAMB.

This lit tle Lamb was brought to Nell The day its old ewe mo ther died, And, now it knows and loves her well, It will not go from Nel ly's side. A long the hall, and up the stair, You hear its lit tle pat ter ing toes: Her Pet will fol low every where A bout the house, where Nel ly goes.

ROSE'S VA LEN TINE.

ROSE.