Breakfast For The Robins

When supper is over, The birds fly away, And sing a new song At dawn of the day.

These sweet little robins Such lovely notes raise, They seem to be singing Their Creator’s praise.

Awake, little Minnie! Come, Ella, arise! The sun is beginning His course in the skies.

Your birdies already Are waiting for you To give them their breakfast; Now what will you do?

They rouse from their slumbers, Then kneel down to pray;-- Thus Minnie and Ella Begin the new day.

Before their own breakfast Is ready, they go To see if the robins Are waiting below.

And there one dear songster Is sure to be found As soon as his breakfast Is spread on the ground.

THE WIDOW OF ZAREPHATH.

No rain had descended, the fountains were dry, The streamlets no water afford; No clouds, thick and heavy, bespoke a supply, When a voice to Elijah descends from on high, And spoke the commands of the Lord.

Arise, O Elijah! to Zion repair, Awhile in Zarephath remain; A poor widow woman will welcome thee there, To thee of her little a portion will spare, And with food and with water sustain.

The Prophet arose at the heav’nly desire, His steps to Zarephath he bound, When lo! the poor widow in humble attire, And busied with gathering sticks for her fire, At the gates of the city he found.

He said, “I have travelled a wearisome way; From Cherith to-day I have hied; I have passed by no fountain my thirst to allay, Then fetch me a draught of cold water, I pray, Lest I perish with thirst at thy side.”

She turned, and again to the woman he spoke, “A stranger am I in the land, And since in compassion my thirst thou wilt slake, Remember I also am hunger’d, and take A morsel of bread in thy hand.”

She answered, “As liveth thy Maker and Lord, No bread for thy hunger have I; Of oil but a little my cruise can afford, But an handful of meal in my barrel is stor’d, And from none can I ask a supply.

“For fuel to dress this small portion, to-day, To the gates of the city I hie, And now with these sticks I return on my way, That my son and myself may our hunger allay, Then calmly resign us to die.”

Then answered Elijah, “As thou hast begun, Go on till thy home shall appear; Make cakes of thy meal, and first bake for me one, Then after another for thee and thy son, And your hunger allay without fear.

“For thus saith thy Maker, the meal shall not waste, And the oil in the cruise shall not fail, But thou and thy household his bounty shall taste, Till the day when his wrath and his anger is past, And showers of plenty prevail.”

No need had Elijah the words to repeat,-- To the house of the widow he went; Many days he sojourned in the quiet retreat, And she, and her son, and the prophet did eat, And the oil and the meal were not spent.

Yet more would you hear how this widow was bless’d, How her son from the dead was restored, Go turn to the Book where the tale is express’d, Of Elijah, beloved of the Lord.

SKATING.

Do not fear To venture out, Tho’ Jack Frost May be about.

Come, enjoy This bracing air; Ice is solid Everywhere.

It is safe To skate or slide; See how swiftly Now we glide!

O’er the pond, All together;-- Oh, what healthy, Charming weather!

TO MY INFANT NEPHEW.

Is this new life so sweet to thee, my little baby boy, That thus thy minutes seem to be a constant course of joy? I gaze upon thy laughing face, I hear thy joyous tone, Till the glad feeling of thy heart oft passes to my own.

No titled infant for whose brow a coronet shines fair Is blest with better health than thou or nursed with tenderer care; And be it prince or peasant’s child, the station high or low, These blessings are the only ones its earliest days can know.

I would not damp thy present joy with tales of future care, Nor paint the ills of life, dear boy, which thou must feel and bear; The early dew is fair to view although it vanish soon, And lovely is the morning flower that withers when ’tis noon.

Thy heavenly Father, by whose will a living soul is thine, By his good Spirit visits still this heritage divine, And children who in innocence the path of life hath trod, Hear often in their tender minds the indwelling voice of God.

As reason dawns, as mind expands, in childhood’s opening day, Thou oft wilt hear his high commands, to shun the evil way; And every evil thought resigned to this divine control, Will bring a sweetness to thy mind, a blessing to thy soul.

Dear as thy welfare is to me, I cannot frame a thought, I cannot breathe a wish for thee with happiness more fraught, Than that this heavenly Friend may prove the Ruler of thy way, And thy young heart incline to love, to hearken, and obey.