And now our songs are minor key,
And now in merry tune;
The windward side will change to lee,
And January to June.

Day and night the sun is shining,
Though he may hide his head;
Each cloud has a silver lining,
The flowers are asleep not dead.

Every day may have its playtime
Made bright by cheerful lays;
And life be one long Maytime,
A year of golden days.

[Illustration: GOLDEN DAYS.]

[Illustration]

_A SLANDER._

"_Shake_ hands, shake hands my little girl,"
Said Mister Crab to Nell,
"I'm very glad to meet you dear,
I hope you are quite well.
I think it's very hot to-day,
I feel it in my shell."

"I can't shake hands with you," said Nell,
"It isn't thought polite,
Without an introduction;
Besides, no doubt it's spite,
It mayn't be true, but still they do,
They do say that you--BITE."

[Illustration]

_A SONG._

I _hear_ a Song
I think 'tis a thrush's.
He sings to the Wild Rose
See how she blushes!

[Illustration]

[Illustration: THE EVENING HOUR.]

[Illustration]

_NEARLY BEDTIME._

_Only_ half an hour or so
Before nurse calls them to bed,
And the ruddy light of a cheerful fire
Shines over each curly head.

No trouble have they, no sorrow--
Their hearts are lighter than air,
No fear that a dark to-morrow
May bring with it want or care.

God send them each on their pathway
Many a wayside flower;
And grant, in the evening of lifetime,
The joy of the evening hour.

* * * * *

[Illustration]

Lithographed
and
printed by
Ernest Nister
of Nuremberg.

+-----------------------------------------+
|Transcriber's Note: |
| |
|In the first line of the second verse of |
|The Pet Rabbit "than" has been changed to|
|"then". An apostrophe has been added to |
|the title of "Father's Boat" and a hyphen|
|added to "to-night". |
+-----------------------------------------+

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Christmas Roses, by
Lizzie Lawson and Robert Ellice Mack

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHRISTMAS ROSES ***

***** This file shou