s small sister," says Hyphen, and kissed her;
"I unite words, or syl-la-bles, so."

Then said Marks of Parenthesis (carefully curved),
"We inclose what you well may omit;
But we're often displaced by Miss Dash (in your haste),
Whom you sadly mistake for a wit."

Now Apostrophe, Caret, Quotation, exclaimed:
"We are commas and hyphens combined;
We leave out, or put in, or reveal to your kin
What you've said, when their backs you're behind."

Then Star, Daggers, Parallels, Paragraph too,
Started up, staring wildly about, {228}
With "We rise to explain on the margin, 'tis plain,
Or to point a new paragraph out."

Of the whole Punctuation, each knew his own station.
Each did his own duty, we see;
If we do ours as well, and of their's, too, can tell,
We shall soon learn good readers to be.

* * * * *

"All is not gold that glitters;"
Yet think not, children mine,
That all that glitters is not gold;
The true must ring and shine.

{229}

_LITTLE MISCHIEF_.

Little Master Mischief
Lives in Nellie's eye,
Sitting in the corner,
Peeping out so sly;
Now he's crossed the snow-ground
And in chamber blue,
Thinking he is hidden,
Peek-a-boos at you.

Now he drops the curtain,
Sure that he is hid,
But you see him dancing
Even on the lid.
Now, the curtains lifting,
You can see he's crept
To the inner chamber,
Where the love-light slept.

Watching now his moment
He pops out, and see,
Mamma's spools and thimble
Quickly disagree.

{230}

{231}

Shall we punish Mischief?
Better teach the child
How to hold and lead him,
Running now so wild.

Would she like her playthings
Scattered here and there,
When she had arranged them?
Would she think it fair?
Would she like her puzzle
Portions of it, lost?
Would she like her dishes
Everywhere uptossed?
Would she like her apron
With a missing string,
Mamma hunting, meanwhile,
Thread and everything?

Nellie, learn the lesson:
Be to others true,
Always do as you would
Have them do to you.

{232}

This the dear Lord's precept,--
This the Golden Rule,--
This the highest lesson
In our Nellie's school.

* * * * *

Be gentle and loving,
Be kind and polite;
Be thoughtful for others,
Be sure and do right.

{233}

_GRANDMA'S CANARY