Sometimes they learn to lie and cheat,
Sometimes to steal and swear:

These are the lessons in the street
For idle children there.

A GOOD NAME.

Children, choose it,

Don't refuse it,

'T is a precious diadem;

Highly prize it,

Don't despise it,

You will need it when you

Love and cherish,

're men.

Keep and nourish,

'T is more precious far than gold; Watch and guard it,

Don't discard it,

You will need it when you 're old.

BOY AND LARK.

Who taught you to sing,
My sweet pretty birds?

Who tuned your beautiful throats?

You make all the woods
And the valleys to ring,
You bring the first news
Of the earliest spring,

With your loud and silvery notes.

It was God, said a lark,

As he rose from the earth;

He gives us the good we enjoy :

He painted our wings,

He gave us our voice,

He finds us our food,
He bids us rejoice-
Good-morning, my beautiful boy!

PRIDE.

How proud we are, how fond to show
Our clothes, and call them rich and new,
When the poor sheep and silk-worm wore
That very clothing long before!

The tulip and the butterfly
Appear in gayer coats than I;
Let me be dressed fine as I will,

Flies, worms, and flowers exceed me still.

Watts.

GOOD GIRLS.

Two good little girls, Marianne and Maria,
As happily lived as good girls could desire;
And though they were neither grave, sullen,
nor mute,

They seldom or never were heard to dispute.

If one wants a thing that the other could get,
They never are scratching or scrambling for it,
But each one is willing to give up her right;
They'd rather have nothing, than quarrel and
fight.

If one of them happens to have something nice,
Directly she offers her sister a slice;
Not acting like some greedy children I've known,
Who would go in a corner and eat it alone.

When papa or mamma had a job to be done, These good little girls would immediately run, And not stand disputing to which it belonged, And grumble and fret and declare they were wronged.

Whatever occurred in their work or their play, They were willing to yield and give up their own way:

Then let us all try their example to mind, And always, like them, be obliging and kind.

Taylor.

THE BEST WAY FOR MOLLY TO BE HAPPY.

She said, "I should like to be happy to-day, If I could but tell which was the easiest way; But then I don't know any pretty new play:

And as to the old ones, why, which is the best? There's old blind-man's-buff, hide-and-seek, and the rest

Or pretending it's tea-time, when dollies are dressed.

But no; let me see- -now I've thought of a way Which would really, I think, be still better than

play:

I'll try to be good, if I can, the whole day,

Without any fretting or crying: O, no,
For that makes me wretched wherever I go;
And it would be a pity to spoil the day so.

I don't choose to be such a baby, not I,
To be peevish and cross, and just ready to cry;
And mamma will be pleased that at least I
should try.

GOOD-NIGHT.

Good-night, my dear mother-dear mother, good-night;

You may take out the lamp, and shut the door tight:

Your dear little Ellen will not be afraid, Though left quite alone in her own quiet bed.

Afraid, my dear mother, afraid, when I know God watches on high, while you watch below? And though the thick darkness all round me is spread,

I know that from him I can never be hid.

You say, my dear mother, whenever I pray, Although he's in heaven, he'll hear what I say; And So, if I should have some foolish fears rise, I'll pray in my heart when I shut up my eyes.