POETRY FOR RECITATION.

I.-A LITTLE GIRL'S FANCIES.
1. O little flowers, you love me so,

You could not do without me!
O little birds that come and go,

You sing sweet songs about me!
O little moss, observed by few,

That round the tree is creeping,
You like my head to rest on you
When I am idly sleeping!

2. O pretty puss, you love me so,
I see I must not leave you;
You'd find it very dull, I know-
I should not like to grieve you.
Don't wrinkle up, you silly moss!
My flowers, you need not shiver!
My little birds, don't look so cross!
Don't talk so loud, my river!

3. And I will make a promise, dears,
That will content you, maybe :
I'll love you through the happy years,
Till I'm a nice old lady!

True love, like yours and mine, they say
Can never think of ceasing;

But, year by year, and day by day,
Keeps steadily increasing.

Ceas-ing, stopping.

Creeping, moving very slowly.
In-creasing, getting greater.

Shiv-er, shake.

Wrin-kle, to close in ridges.
You'd, you would.

II. PRINCIPLE PUT TO THE TEST.

1. A youngster at school, more grave than the rest,
Had once his integrity put to the test :-
His comrades had plotted an orchard to rob,
And asked him to come and assist in the job.

2. He was very much shocked, and answered-
"Oh no!
What, rob our poor neighbour? I pray you, don't go;
Besides, the man's poor, his orchard's his bread;
Then think of his children, for they must be fed."
3. "You speak very fine, and you look very grave,
But apples we want, and apples we'll have;
If you will go with us, we'll give you a share,
If not, you shall have neither apple nor pear."

4. They spoke, and Tom pondered-"I see they will go ! Poor man! what a pity to injure him so !

Poor man! I would save him his fruit if I could,
But staying behind will do him no good.

5. "If this matter depended alone upon me,

His apples might hang till they dropped from the tree;
But since they will take them, I think I'll go too;
He will lose none by me, though I get a few."

6. His scruples thus silenced, Tom felt more at ease,
And went with his comrades the apples to seize ;
He blamed and protested, but joined in the plan;
He shared in the plunder, but pitied the man.

7. Conscience slumbered awhile, but soon woke in his breast,

And in language severe the delinquent addressed : "With such empty and selfish pretences away!

By your action you're judged, be your speech what it may."

Con-science, sense of right and | Pon-dered, thought over.

Pre-ten-ces, excuses.

Pro-test-ed, spoke against.
Si-lenced, made quiet.

III.-GOOD FOR NOTHING.

1. Caterpillar, caterpillar,
On the apple-bough!

Tell me how you get your living :
Do you earn it now?

"Earn my living!" answers he;
"What a thing to ask of me!
I for work was never made.

2. "Spinning is the spider's trade;
Tugging ant and busy bee
Toiling all the day I see;
I was born for higher things.
Soon, on red and yellow wings,
You will see me going by
As a splendid butterfly!

3. "Work is something I am sure
That I never could endure.

I can crawl and I can eat.
Apple-leaves, when fresh, are sweet;
And a pleasant place for me

Is this green young apple-tree."

4. Caterpillar, caterpillar,
On the apple-bough!

If you only earned your living,
I would spare you now.

What though apple-leaves are sweet?
Those who work not should not eat ;
And you never more shall be
On my green young apple tree.

Bough, branch.
But-ter-fly, a pretty insect flying
about, once a caterpillar.
Buz-zing, a low sound, like that
of a humming-top.
Cat-er-pil-lar, an insect that
changes into a butterfly.

En-dure', suffer.
Living, food.

Spin-ning, drawing out and
twisting into threads.
Splen-did, shining.
Toiling, working.
Tug-ging, pulling.

IV. THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH.

1. Under a spreading chestnut tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.

2. His hair is crisp, and black, and long,
His face is like the tan;

His brow is wet with honest sweat,
He earns whate'er he can,

And looks the whole world in the face,
For he owes not any man.

3. Week in, week out, from morn till night, You can hear his bellows blow;

You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
With measured beat and slow,

Like a sexton ringing the village bell
When the evening sun is low.

4. And children coming home from school Look in at the open door;

They love to see the flaming forge,
And hear the bellows roar,

And catch the burning sparks that fly
Like chaff from a threshing floor.

5. He goes on Sunday to the church,
And sits among his boys;

He hears the parson pray and preach,
He hears his daughter's voice
Singing in the village choir,

And it makes his heart rejoice.

6. It sounds to him like her mother's voice
Singing in Paradise!

He needs must think of her once more,
How in the grave she lies;

And with his hard rough hand he wipes
A tear out of his eyes.

7. Toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing,
Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begun,
Each evening sees its close;
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned a night's repose.

8. Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,
For the lesson thou hast taught!
Thus at the flaming forge of life,
Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed and thought!

At-tempt-ed, tried.
Brawn-y, strong.

Forge, place for heating iron.
Sledge, a heavy hammer.

V. THE HOMES OF ENGLAND.

1. The stately homes of England!

How beautiful they stand,

Amidst their tall ancestral trees,

O'er all the pleasant land!

The deer across their greensward bound
Through shade and sunny gleam,

And the swan glides past them with the sound
Of some rejoicing stream.

2. The merry homes of England!
Around their hearths by night,

What gladsome looks of household love
Meet in the ruddy light!