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MAY MORNING.

WELCOME, welcome, lovely May!
With breath so sweet and smiles so gay;
With sun, and dew, and gentle showers,
Welcome, welcome, month of flowers!

I love the violet, so sweet and blue,
When it drinks a drop of morning dew;
And the pretty web, which the spider weaves,
All round and round the lupine leaves;

And I love to hear from every spray,

The warbling birds sing, "Welcome, May!"
The merry calves are full of glee,
So is the little busy bee;

And children are as glad as they,
To welcome in the first of May,
Come, sister, come-away, away-
For you shall be the queen of May.

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THE WIND IN A FROLIC.

THE wind one morning sprang up from sleep,
Saying, "Now for a frolic! now for a leap!
Now for a mad-cap galloping chase!
I'll make a commotion in every place!"

So it swept with a bustle right through a great town,
Cracking the signs and scattering down

Shutters; and whisking, with merciless squalls,
Old women's bonnets and gingerbread stalls.
There never was heard a much lustier shout,

As the apples and oranges trundled about;
And the urchins that stand with their thievish eyes
For ever on watch, ran off each with a prize.

Then away to the field it went, blustering and humming,

And the cattle all wonder'd whatever was coming;
It pluck'd by the tails the grave matronly cows,
And toss'd the colt's manes all over their brows;
Till, offended at such an unusual salute,

They all turn'd their backs, and stood sulky and

mute.

So on it went capering and playing its pranks,
Whistling with reeds on the broad river's banks,
Puffing the birds as they sat on the spray,
Or the traveller grave on the king's highway.
It was not too nice to hustle the bags
Of the beggar, and flutter his dirty rags;
'Twas so bold, that it fear'd not to play its joke
With the doctor's wig or the gentleman's cloak.
Through the forest it roar'd, and cried gaily, "Now,
You sturdy old oaks, I'll make you bow!"

And it made them bow without more ado,

Or it crack'd their great branches through and through. Then it rush'd like a monster on cottage and farm, Striking their dwellings with sudden alarm ;

And they ran out like bees in a midsummer swarm : There were dames with their kerchiefs tied over their

caps,

To see if their poultry were free from mishaps;

The turkeys they gobbled, the geese scream'd aloud,
And the hens crept to roost in a terrified crowd;
There was rearing of ladders, and logs laying on,
Where the thatch from the roof threaten'd soon to be

gone.

But the wind had swept on, and had met in a lane

With a schoolboy, who panted and struggled in vain ; For it toss'd him, and twirl'd him, then pass'd, and he

stood

With his hat in a pool, and his shoes in the mud.

Then away went the wind in its holiday glee,
And now it was far on the billowy sea,
And the lordly ships felt its staggering blow,
And the little boats darted to and fro.
But lo! it was night, and it sank to rest
On the sea-bird's rock in the gleaming west,
Laughing to think, in its fearful fun,

How little of mischief it had done.

H

Do

ANSWER TO A CHILD'S QUESTION.

you ask what the birds say? The sparrow, the dove, The linnet and thrush say, "I love and I love!"

In the winter they're silent-the wind is so strong,
What it says I don't know, but it sings a loud song.
But green leaves, and blossoms, and sunny warm
weather,

And singing, and loving-all come back together.
But the lark is so brimful of gladness and love,

The green fields below him, the blue sky above,
That he sings, and he sings; and for ever sings he-
"I love my Love, and my Love loves me!"

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