"But, ma'am, it's a--"

"Let him have it, I say."

Thus encouraged, Harry clutched at the bee and caught it. The yell that followed brought tears of joy to the pa.s.sengers.

The mother awoke again.

"Mary!" she cried, "let him have it."

Mary turned in her seat, and said, confusedly:--"He's got it, ma'am."

THE SWEET-GRa.s.s HOUSE.

MRS. S. J. BRIGHAM.

Two little mice went out one day Among the scented clover; They wandered up and down the lane, They roamed the meadow over.

"Oh, deary me!" said Mrs. Mouse, "I wish I had a little house!"

Said Mr. Mouse,--"I know a place Where nice sweet gra.s.s is growing; Where corn-flowers blue, and b.u.t.tercups And poppies red, are blowing."

"Oh, deary me!" said Mrs. Mouse, "We'll build us there a house."

So, of some sweet and tender gra.s.s They built their house together; And had a happy time, through all The pleasant summer weather.

"Oh, deary me!" said Mrs. Mouse, "Who ever had so nice a house?"

JOHNNY'S GARDEN.

Johnny had a garden plot, And set it all in order, But let it run to gra.s.s and weeds, Which covered bed and border.

Two stalking sun-flowers reared their heads, So firmly were they rooted, And Johnny, as he looked at them, Was any thing but suited.

Two children small, looked up and said, Oh, Mister, beg your pardon!

Or, if you will not answer that, Say, sonny, where's your garden?

"What d'ye call those two large flowers?

An' what'll ye take, an' sell em?

You'd better put a ladder up, So folks our size can smell 'em.

"We heard old Mrs. Grubber say, 'That spot ye needn't covet; He'd better turn it into hay, Or make a gra.s.s-plot of it.'"

But Johnny never answered back, But went and dug it over, And soon again, his sprouting seeds, He plainly could discover.

He said, "I'll have a garden yet.

And make a little money; I never liked those Podger twins,-- They try to be so funny."

BOY BILLY AND THE RABBIT.

Billy, boy! Billy, boy!

He was his mother's joy, But he couldn't shoot an arrow worth a cent; And a rabbit almost laughed As she watched the flying shaft, And the place upon the target where it went.

The rabbit pa.s.sing by, So very soft and sly, Took Billy for a hunter gaily dressed; But when she came anear, She said, "'Tis very clear It's safe enough to stay and take a rest."

Said the rabbit, "Billy, boy, You never will annoy Anybody, by your shooting at a mark; With an arrow and a bow, I just would like to show, I can reach the bull's-eye nearer in the dark."

Just then an arrow flew, That pierced it thro' and thro'

Which made Miss Bunny start, and jump, sky high!

She cried, "Oh, dear! Oh, dear!

It's safer in the rear;"

And scampered off and never said,--"Good-bye."

You see the reason why, 'Tis always best to try, Tho' others laugh and slander all the same; For be it late or soon, They'll always change their tune, When they see your arrow doesn't miss its aim.

A FISH STORY.

HOPE LEDYARD.

Six eager faces, all crowding around to "see the picture!" Four of the faces belong to girls--Edith and Mamie, Birdie and Jeanie, while Al and d.i.c.k, who are pretty big boys, "over ten," lean over the back of the chair.

"_He's_ had a good catch," says Al.

"_He's_ not caught those," says d.i.c.k, while the girls look first at the picture and then at the boys. "I guess that fellow standing up in the boat is his father. The men have caught the fish and the boy takes them to sell. Why, a fish as big as one of those fellows could pull a boy right into the water, easy!"

"My brother d.i.c.k _knows_," whispers Jeanie, proudly. "He took me fishing once and I caught two fish."

The little girls look as if they could hardly believe this, so Jeanie pulls mamma's arm and asks, "Didn't I catch two fish last summer?"

"Indeed she did," says d.i.c.k, before mamma has time to answer. "She caught two sun-fish. I never saw any one do it better. Mother fried 'em for her dinner, too."

"My sister goes to a cooking school and learns to bake fish," says Edith, "and she is teaching me at home. I know the verse about cooking fish."

We all begged Edith to say the verse, so, after a little coaxing, she repeated:

"Our lesson is fish, and in every dish We would like to meet our teacher's wish.

But many men have many minds, There are many fishes of many kinds; So we only learn to boil and bake, To broil and fry, and make a fish-cake.