18

POETRY.

If it please thee, Heavenly Father,
We would see him come once more,
With his olden step of vigour,

With the lovelit smile he wore;
But if we must tread life's valley,
Orphan'd, guideless, and alone,
Let us lose not, 'mid the shadows,
His dear foot prints to thy throne.

THE BOY WHO TOLD A LIE.

THE mother looked pale, and her face was sad ;
She seemed to have nothing to make her glad;
She silently sat with tears in her eye,
For her dear little boy had told a lie.

He was a pleasant, affectionate child;
His ways were winning, his temper was mild;
There was joy and love in his soft blue eye,
But O, this sweet boy had told a lie.

He stood by the window alone within,
And he felt that his soul was stained with sin;
And his mother could hear him sob and cry,
Because he had told her that wicked lie.

Then he came and leaned by his mother's side,
And asked for a kiss, which she denied;
And he told her with many a penitent sigh,
That he never would tell another lie.

Then she took his small hands within her own,
And bade him before her kneel gently down;
And she kissed his cheek while he looked on high,
And prayed to be pardoned for telling a lie.

A WORD OF ADVICE.

My dear little child, be gentle and mild,
For what can you get by passion and pet,
But sorrow and shame, a very bad name,
The loss of your peace, and guilt in its place.

VARIETIES.

19

VARIETIES.

THE CHILD'S PETITION.

"Dear father, drink no more, I pray,
It makes you look so sad;

Come home, and taste no more, I say,
'Twill make dear mother glad."

Thus spake in tenderness the child-
The drunkard's heart was moved;
He drank no more, he wept, he smiled,
And kissed the boy he loved.

YOU HAVE STOPPED THE SUPPLIES.

"You have stopped the supplies," said a working man whom we met in the street. "How?" said I. "Why! you have got both my wife, my daughter, and my son, to become abstainers, and I have no one to go for either pipe, tobacco, or dram." "I am glad to hear that, said I; "but what are you going to do?" Why! I have thrown the pipe into the fire, and I am now an abstainer myself also."

WHAT HARM IS THERE IN A PIPE? "What harm is there in a pipe?" said a young man to his companion, who was an abstainer. He answered, "It intoxicates and deranges the stomach and digestive organs,-indigestion brings on consumption, consumption brings on death." "Is that all?" said the smoker. "No," replied the abstainer, "it dishonours God for no man can say that he smokes to the glory of God."

DOES THE PIPE KEEP YOU FROM CHURCH?

"I can't go to church-I haven't got clothes," said a man taking his pipe out of his mouth, and puffing the smoke almost in my face, as he replied to my question, if he ever went to the place of worship. "How much do you spend on your pipe in a week?" "O, I just smoke about a pennyworth a-day." "Well," said I," if you'll put the sevenpence a-week into my hands, I'll give you a suit of clothes to-morrow, that you may appear in the house of God on Sabbath first; and if you are not satisfied with your bargain, tell me." The bargain was immediately concluded; and that reclaimed smoker is now in circumstances to make a similar bargain, with any slave to the pipe, who is in the same bondage from which he has escaped.

EFFICACY OF A MOTHER'S TEARS.

Willie was a bright blue-eyed, flaxen-headed little boy, three years old, when his mother, during a conversation with him, wished him to say, 66 Yes, mother," in reply to her. He sullenly refused. She reasoned and persuaded; but all to no purpose; for he repeatedly said, "I will not say "yes, mother." The mother, taking the advice of the Wise Man, applied the rod, but seemingly to no purpose. Again and again did she remonstrate, and again apply the rod. In this way she spent three hours, and he still remaind stubborn. The mother feeling the awful responsibility then resting upon her, and foreseeing the train of evil consequences that must follow a failure on her part, fell upon her knees, and before God wept bitter tears for her darling son. It was enough: his heart, before so stubborn, was melted; embracing and kissing her most affectionately, he feelingly said, "I will say yes, mother."" Then sobbing, he kissed her again and again. Ever after she had but to make a request, and his hearty_response, yes, mother," was immediately heard. Does any of my little readers break the fifth commandment like Willie? Let him immediately make Willie's confession.

6

66

THE LITTLE FLORISTS.

DEAR YOUNG READERS,-May, the first summer month, has come! Are you not glad at this? I'm sure you are. Well, you must try and learn something this month; and here comes the DewDrop once more, with a fresh lesson for you. I am certain you have given the wood-cut at the top of this paper a careful study ere you began to read, and this will have led you to think upon the subject chosen for your lesson. Come with me for a little into a flower-garden, for I wish you to become little florists. Look at our nice picture. There you see two little girls and boys very busy. They are little florists-they are training young plants, so that they may become strong and healthy, and produce beautiful flowers. You see that little glass frame. Well, they have preserved their tender flowers in it all the winter. The little frame has prevented the white frost from nipping their pretty green leaves, and sheltered them from the cold piercing winds of spring. Now, however, summer

May, 1852.

[Vol. V., No. 50.

22

THE LITTLE FLORISTS:

has come. The sun shines and warms the atmosphere; and these little florists rejoice and set to work. That little boy and his sister are removing the plants from the frame. They are going to put the most hardy in the flower-border, where they will bloom, and please the eye of all who may behold them; and they are going to take some other fine plants into the parlour, and place them on mamma's table near the window, so that she may enjoy their fragrance, and admire their delicate flowers. Other two are busy preparing the border for fresh plants. The little girl has got a rake : she is smoothing the earth and making it level behind her little brother, who is going on weeding before her. Is not this a pleasant and delightful occupation? Would you, my dear readers, not like to be little florists? I think you will all be shouting "Yes, yes! we will be little florists."

If so, you must try and learn how. You must get some knowledge how to train plants. You know that they require a great deal of care when young. They are just as tender as little babies. Were you left to take care of a very little baby for a short time, you would be afraid to move or lift it, lest you might injure its delicate frame. Well, you must be equally careful with your little plants. I must tell you, too, that plants can eat and drink! How wonderful! Yes, dear children, it is wonderful. But you see God, our heavenly Father, cares for the little plants, and he has given them very tiny holes at the bottom of their roots, which we may call mouths. The food upon which they live is formed from the juices of the earth, mixed with water which comes from the clouds. They draw this juice up through their roots to feed the stem, the branches, the leaves, and the buds.

Plants love water very much, and they are fond of being kept clean. You will generally see that