The Nursery, June 1873, Vol. XIII.

Nearly every day in winter, when they cannot play out of doors, these little girls dress up to represent different characters. They call this "Playing Tableaux;" but their tableaux are something more than pictures, as they act their parts as well as dress them.

Sometimes, for instance, one of the little girls appears as a peddler, who is quite as hard to get rid of as a real one.

Sometimes a washerwoman comes in, and gets about tubs and clothes, and makes all the confusion of washing-day.

Sometimes papa's great shaggy black coat covers what pretends to be "your good old dog Tiger," who is very kind to his friends, but has loud, fierce "bow-wow-wows" and sharp bites for those who are not good to him.

Sometimes poor little lame Jimmy, who can only walk on crutches, comes in to sell shoe-strings, "because," he says, "you know I can do nothing else to help my poor mother."

Sometimes a ring at the door-bell calls our attention to the wants of a deaf-and-dumb beggar, who makes fearful gestures till he is fed, and then forgets that he cannot speak, and says, "Thank you!" in a very familiar voice.

When these little girls have company, they often fit out travelling parties for California, or a trip to Europe; and the baggage they make out to collect would serve very well if they were "really and truly going," as they tell us they are.

Their good-bys are very affecting as they kiss us all, and beg us write by the first mail.

    Aunt Mercy.

A-MAYING

When the wild March winds were blowing,
Not so very long ago,
And it still kept snowing, snowing,
Piling, drifting,
Heaping, sifting,
Snow on snow,
Faithless Fanny said, "Spring never
Will be here; 'twill snow forever;
And I don't believe I ever
Shall again a-Maying go!"

April pleased her little better:
Now 'twas rain as well as snow;
Every day was wet and wetter,
Drifting, dropping,
Soaking, sopping,
Raining so,
That poor Fanny feared the showers
Would quite drown her precious flowers;
And for what, in May's bright hours,
Could she then a-Maying go?

Now the gay May sun is shining,
Pink and sweet the Mayflowers blow;
And forgetting her repining,
Her complaining
Of the raining
And the snow,
With its fitful, frosty flurries,
Fanny lingers not, nor worries,
But to field and greenwood hurries;
For she must a-Maying go.

    Fenno Hayes.

LITTLE MISCHIEF

XV

What now? Will this child never be out of hot water? What is Bessie doing now? I will tell you. She found in one of her mother's drawers a box; and, on opening it, she found some little round things something like sugar-plums.

She began putting the little round things in her mouth, and swallowing them. They were not quite so pleasant as she had expected, or she would have taken more. "I wonder what makes them taste so bitter?" thought Bessie.

She will find that out by and by, to her sorrow.

XVI

"What makes me feel so?" thought Bessie as she sat in the big arm-chair in mother's best chamber, rubbing her eyes, and feeling very uncomfortable.

She had not sat there long, before she began to cry. Her mother, who had been wondering who could have been meddling with her pill-box, came in. "Have you been swallowing these pills?" she asked.

"Yes; but I didn't know they were pills," said Bessie.

"Well, you will be well punished for your fault," said her mother. "The pills will make you quite sick."

And so it happened.

THE SEASONS

MARY.
How I love the blooming Spring,
When the birds so gayly sing!

JOHN.
More the Summer me delights,
With its lovely days and nights.

EMILY.
Autumn is the best of all,
With its fruits for great and small.

RICHARD.
Nay! old Winter is the time!
Jolly then the sleigh-bells' chime!

GRANDMOTHER.
Every season will be bright,
Children, if you'll live aright.