He cuts through the snow like a ship through the foam,While the white flakes around him whirl;
I know not who tells, but he findeth the homeOf each good little boy and girl.
His sleigh is long, and deep, and wide, It will carry a host of things,While dozens of drums hang over the side, With the sticks sticking under the strings.
And yet not the sound of a drum is heard, Not a bugle blast is blown,As he mounts to the chimney-top like a bird, And drops to the hearth like a stone.
The little red stockings he silently fills,
Till the stockings will hold no more;
The bright little sleds for the great snow hillsAre quickly set down on the floor.
Then Santa Claus mounts to the roof like a bird, And glides to his seat in the sleigh;Not the sound of a bugle or drum is heard As he noiselessly gallops away.
He rides to the East and he rides to the West, Of his goodies he touches not one;He eateth the crumbs of the Christmas feast When the dear little folks are done.
Old Santa Claus doth all that he can, This beautiful mission is his;Then, children, be good to the little old man,When you find who the little man is.
Author.-The author is not known.
General Notes.-Who is Santa Claus? Does he come through the snow in Australia? What other things does he carry in his sleigh besides those mentioned in the poem? It is said that his real name is Love. What do you think?
Drawn by W.S. Wemyss
A Welcome Visitor
Lesson 45
THE fAITHful WORkER
There was once a king of Persia who took delight in doing common things in very uncommon ways.
At one time, he was in need of a man that would always do just what he was told to do; and he took a very strange way to find him.
He sent out word that he wanted a man to work for him in his garden. More than a hundred came; and, from among them, he chose two.
He showed them a large basket in the garden, and toldthem to fill it with water from the well near by.
After they had begun their work, he left them, saying: "When the sun is down, I shall come and see your work; and, if I find that you have done it well, I shall pay you. "For a little while, the two men carried water and poured it into the basket without thinking much about it.
But, at last, one of them said: "What"s the use of doing this foolish work? We can never fill the basket, for the water runs out of it as fast as we pour it in. ""That is not our care, " said the other man, whose namewas Hassan. "The king has hired us to carry the water, and he must know why he wants it done. And then he has told us that, if we do our work well, we shall be paid for it. What more could we want? ""You may do as you please, " said the first man; "but I amnot going to work at anything so foolish, even for pay. " Thereupon, he threw down his bucket and went away.
Hassan said not a word, but kept on carrying water from the well to the basket all day long. At sunset, the well was almost empty.
As he poured the last bucketful into the basket, he saw something in it that was very bright. On picking it up, he found it to be a gold ring that his bucket had dipped up.
"Now I see the use of all this work, " he said. " If the king had told me to empty the well, I should have poured the water on the ground, and the ring might not have been found. "Just then, the king came. As soon as he saw the ring, he knew that he had found the kind of man he wanted.
He told Hassan to keep for himself the ring he had found. "You have done so well in this one little thing, " he said, "that now I know I can trust you with many things. You shall be the first of all my servants. "Author.-The author is not known.
General Notes.-Find Persia on the map. What task did the King set the men? Why? How did one take it? How did the other take it? How was the faithful worker rewarded? What lesson does this teach?
Lesson 46
EVENINg SONg
Little birds sheep sweetly In their soft, round nests,Crouching in the cover
Of their mothers" breasts.
Little lambs lie quiet
All the summer night, With their old ewe mothers,Warm, and soft, and white.
But more sweet and quiet Lie our little heads,With our own dear mothers Sitting by our beds;And their soft, sweet voices Sing our hushabies,While the room grows darker And we shut our eyes.
And We play at evening Round our fathers" knees;Birds are not so merry, Singing on the trees;Lambs are not so happy,
"Mid the meadow flowers;
They have play and pleasure, But not love like ours.
- C. Frances Alexander
Author.-Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1885) was an English poetess who wrote some well-known hymns and poems-"All Things Bright and Beautiful," "The Burial of Moses," "Once in Royal David"s City," "There is a Green Hill Far Away," etc.
General Notes.-What do little birds do at evening, little lambs, littlechildren? Why are children more blest than other young creatures?
Lesson 47
THE lITTlE MOTHER
It was a dull, heavy afternoon, and, on the long, dusty road, there was not a horse or even a person on foot to be seen. The birds were taking their afternoon nap; and the leaves were hanging lazily down from the poor trees, which were dying with thirst. There were three tumble-down cottages on one side of the road. The door of one of them opened, and a woman"s voice called out, "Come, Yvette (ee- vet"); go out and play. "In answer to the call, a little girl, of some three or four years, soon appeared, and, slowly and carefully, began to climb down the steep steps from the house to the footpath.
The child had on a little bonnet made of two pieces of muslin sewn together, from which a few tresses of fair hair fell over her forehead and down the back of her neck. Her little frock had been lengthened many times, and the waist was now up under the arms. As to shoes and stockings-- well, it was not very cold, and so, for the present, they were put away.
When once she had reached the bottom of the steps, the child stood upright, and looked round for a minute or two, deep in thought, her little finger pressed against her face. Play! Yes; it was all very well, but at what should she play?