In My Nursery. Richards Laura Elizabeth Howe

but the winds must wake

      Early and late, for the flowers' sake.

      Rocking the buds on the rose-mother's breast,

      Swinging the hyacinth-bells to rest.

      The children may sleep, but the winds must wake

      Early and late, for the children's sake.

      Singing so sweet in each little one's ear,

      He thinks his mother's own song to hear.

      GOOD-NIGHT SONG

      Good-night, Sun! go to bed!

      Take your crown from your shining head.

      Now put on your gray night-cap,

      And shut your eyes for a good long nap.

      Good-night, Sky, bright and blue!

      Not a wink of sleep for you.

      You must watch us all the night,

      With your twinkling eyes so bright.

      Good-night, flowers! now shut up

      Every swinging bell and cup.

      Take your sleeping-draught of dew:

      Pleasant dreams to all of you!

      Good-night, birds, that sweetly sing!

      Little head 'neath little wing!

      Every leaf upon the tree

      Soft shall sing your lullaby.

      Last to you, little child,

      Sleep is coming soft and mild.

      Now he shuts your blue eyes bright:

      Little Baby dear, good-night!

      ANOTHER "GOOD-NIGHT."

      Birds, birds, in the linden-tree,

      Low, low let your music be!

      Bees, bees, in the garden bloom,

      Hushed, hushed be your drowsy hum!

      Wind, wind, through the lattice waft

      Still, still, thy breathing soft!

      Flowers, sweet be the breath you shed:

      Two little children are going to bed.

      Eyes, eyes, 'neath your curtains white,

      Veiled, veiled be the sunny light!

      Lips, lips, like the roses red,

      Soft, soft be your sweet prayers said!

      Feet, feet, that have danced all day,

      Now, now must your dancing stay.

      Low, low lay each golden head!

      Two little children are going to bed.

      "A Bee Came Tumbling"

      A bee came tumbling into my ear,

      And what do you think he remarked, my dear?

      He said that two tens make up a score,

      And really and truly I knew that before.

      JINGLE

      I jumped on the back of a dragon-fly,

      And flew and flew till I reached the sky.

      I pulled down a cloud that was hiding the blue,

      And all the wee stars came tumbling through.

      They tumbled down and they tumbled round,

      And turned into flowers as they touched the ground.

      So come with me, little children, come,

      And down in the meadow I'll pick you some.

      LITTLE OLD BABY

      Little old baby, pretty old baby,

      Screams and cries at his little old bath,

      Pours on the head of his little old mother

      All the full vials of baby wrath.

      Little old baby, pretty old baby,

      If you could see just how queer you look, —

      Arms and legs in a knot together,

      Face twisted up in a terrible crook, —

      How you would straighten out every feature,

      Masculine vanity all aflame!

      Fie! what a noise from a little wee creature!

      Did they abuse him! and was it a shame!

      Little old baby, pretty old baby,

      Curls himself over and goes to sleep.

      Ah! such is life, my little old baby,

      Sleep and forget it, or wake and weep!

      BABY'S JOURNEY

      Hoppety hoppety ho!

      Where shall the baby go?

      Over dale and down,

      To Limerick town,

      And there shall the baby go.

      Hoppety hoppety ho!

      How shall the baby go?

      In a coach-and-seven,

      With grooms eleven,

      And so shall the baby go.

      Hoppety hoppety ho!

      When shall the baby go?

      In the afternoon,

      By the light of the moon,

      And then shall the baby go.

      Hoppety hoppety ho!

      Why shall the baby go?

      To dance a new jig,

      And to buy a new wig,

      And that's why the baby shall go.

      THE BUMBLEBEE

      The bumblebee, the bumblebee,

      He flew to the top of the tulip-tree.

      He flew to the top, but he could not stop,

      For he had to get home to his early tea.

      The bumblebee, the bumblebee,

      He flew away from the tulip-tree;

      But he made a mistake, and flew into the lake,

      And he never got home to his early tea.

      THE OWL AND THE EEL AND THE WARMING-PAN

      The owl and the eel and the warming-pan,

      They went to call on the soap-fat man.

      The soap-fat man he was not within:

      He'd gone for a ride on his rolling-pin.

      So they all came back by the way of the town,

      And turned the meeting-house upside down.

      YOUNG (ONE)'S NIGHT THOUGHTS

      "Hi!" said the baby.

      "Ho!" said the baby.

      "Ha!" said the baby,

      "I won't go to sleep!

      Naughty old mother,

      You make such a pother,

      Just for to bother

      You, awake I will keep.

      "Dance!"