He sees me, too, when I am rude,
And cry, and fret, and tease;
He loves to see me when I’m good
And try mamma to please.
Then, since He sees me day and night,
And is so kind to me,
I must do always what is right,
His gentle child must be.
[Illustration]
THE ARK AND THE DOVE.
[Illustration: Letter A.]
A rain once fell upon the earth
For many a day and night,
And hid the flowers, the grass, the trees,
The birds and beasts, from sight.
The deep waves covered all the land,
And mountain-tops so high;
And nothing could be seen around,
But water, and the sky.
But yet there was one moving thing,—
A still and lonely ark,—
That, many a weary day and night,
Sailed o’er that ocean dark.
At last, a little dove was forth
From that lone vessel sent;
But, wearied, to the ark again,
When evening came, she bent.
Again she went, but soon returned,
And in her beak was seen
A little twig—an olive-branch—
With leaves of shining green.
The waters sank, and then the dove
Flew from the ark once more,
And came not back, but lived among
The tree-tops, as before.
Then from the ark they all came forth,
With songs of joy and praise;
And once again the green earth smiled
Beneath the sun’s warm rays.
THE BEE.
[Illustration]
Now, Ellen, stop screaming and running away,
And come here and listen to me;
Is it true, my dear daughter, I want you to say,
That you’re foolishly scared by
a bee?
The bee is as frightened as you are, my dear,
For he can’t tell the way to get
out;
And as for his sting, that you never need fear,
If you do not run crying about.
If you were to catch him, why, then, I dare say
You’d soon feel his sharp little
sting;
But if you sit still at your work or your play,
Be sure that no harm he will bring.
So wipe off these tears and never again
Give way to so foolish a fright;
For if you indulge it ’t will cost you much
pain
And no one will want you in sight.
[Illustration]
SUNDAY.
[Illustration: Letter T.]
’T is Sunday morning, dear mamma!
I do not wish to play;
Last night I put my dolls and toys
Safe in my box away.
I’ll come and sit down by your side,
While you the story tell
Of the good little Joseph, whom
His father loved so well.
And of the time when waters dark
Covered the world around;
And all but Noah in his ark,
Beneath the waves were drowned.
And of the gentle dove, that forth
O’er those wide waters flew,
And twice, with weary wing, returned,
No resting-place in view.