“This box little Lydia may put in its place,”
 Said her uncle, “for I am quite lame;
 My razor is nicely shut up in its case,
 Be careful, my dear, of the same.”
But Lydia had seen this razor so bright
 In the hands of her uncle display’d,
 And when she was once fairly out of his sight,
 She open’d the box, and saw with delight
 The beautiful handle and blade.
She met her young sister; “Dear Abby,” she said,
 “This beautiful thing only see;
 Sit down here directly, and hold up your head,
 I’ll shave you as nice as can be.”
Her sister consented, and now they begin
 Their dangerous play with delight;
 But, lo! the first stroke brings blood from her chin,
 And both scream aloud with affright.
At the sound of these voices their mother appear’d
 And well might such figures amaze her;
 For one little girl was with blood all besmeared,
 The other was holding a razor.
Now Abby was washed, and a plaster they bring
 For the cut on her face most befitting;
 And Lydia was told what a terrible thing,
 She’d been on the point of committing.
They were warned for the future such playthings to shun,
 And I trust they remember their warning;
 For I’ve heard of no mischief these children have done,
 Since that most unfortunate morning.

NATURE SPEAKS OF GOD.

How beautiful this world, O Lord!
 On every side thy hand I see;
 The earth is with thy bounties stored,
 All nature seems to speak of thee!
 Oh, teach a little child to know
 And love that God who made them so!
Each fowl that swiftly wings the air,
 And warbling birds on every tree,
 All claim our heavenly Father’s care,
 And they, too, seem to speak of thee.
 Oh, teach a little child to know
 And love that God who made them so!
The air, the ocean, and the land
 Are full of life as they can be,
 And all from thy kind, bounteous hand
 Receive supplies of food from thee.
 Oh, teach a little child to know
 That glorious God who loves them so!
And thou, my Father, dost provide
 A happy home and friends for me;
 My daily wants are all supplied,
 And all proceeds alone from thee.
 Oh teach a little child to know
 That glorious God who loves him so!

BABY HAS GOT A TOOTH.

“Papa, I have glorious news to tell!”
 Said a bright-eyed little boy,
 As his father alighted from the stage,
 And greeted his son with joy.
They had rattled away in the stage all day,
 Those passengers crowded together,
 And some had to fret because it was wet,
 And all were quite tired of the weather.
But now shouts of laughter arose from the stage,
 All lost their ill-humor in truth,
 As they heard that dear boy tell the glorious news,
 “Our baby has just got a tooth!”
Ocean steamers
 Come and go
 Very frequently,
 You know.
Once it took
 A month, or more,
 To cross the sea
 From shore to shore.

BIBLE HOUSE (Astor Place).

BIBLE STORIES AND HYMNS.

SOLOMON’S CHOICE.

“Be strong, and shew thyself a man!”
 Said David to his youthful son.
 “I die! keep thou the charge from God,
 And in his ways and precepts run!”
So David slept—and Solomon
 Desired to do just what was right,
 And God spoke to him in a dream,
 “What shall I give thee? Ask to-night.”
“Oh, God,” he said, “Thou hast been kind
 To place me on king David’s throne;
 Yet, I am but a little child,
 I am not fit to go alone.
“An understanding heart I want,
 To guard thine Israel, Lord, from sin—
 This mighty people! Teach me, Lord,
 How to go out—how to come in.”
“Thy choice is good!” the Lord replied,
 “An understanding heart I give;
 No monarch yet has ever reigned
 So well. No king so wise shall live.”
“’T is well that thou hast sought this thing,
 And hast not asked long life and health,
 Riches or honors,—yet I give
 To thee and thine abundant wealth!”
“Ask what thou wilt” in prayer, dear child;
 God promises to give it thee,
 And shouldst thou heavenly wisdom seek,
 All other things shall added be.

SOLOMON’S JUDGMENT.

“And all Israel heard of the judgment, and they feared King Solomon, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him."—Kings iii: 28.

No King e’er reigned like Solomon,
 So good was he and wise;
 When distant nations heard his fame,
 It filled them with surprise.
And all the people feared to do,
 Unjust and wicked things;
 They feared the secret he would learn
 From God the King of kings.
For they all knew at Gibeon,
 God made the heart rejoice,
 When in the silence of the night,
 He made that happy choice.[8]
And asked an understanding heart,—
 The wisdom he should need
 To guide the people, and that God
 Would be his friend indeed.
They knew that God approv’d his choice,
 And gave him such a name,
 For wisdom and integrity,
 That all would hear his fame.
One day a mother came to him,
 To claim an only son,
 An infant only nine days old,
 And thus in tears begun:—
“My lord, O king, behold and see,
 This woman by my side!
 She had a son the age of mine,
 But in the night he died.
“No one was with us in the house,
 So she was not afraid
 To place her dead child, while I slept,
 Where my dear boy was laid.
“And when I woke, at early dawn,
 To nurse my little son,
 I thought my darling dead, but soon
 I saw what she had done.”
“It is not so,” the woman cried,
 “The dead boy let her bring,
 That is her child, the living one
 Belongs to me, O king!”
“Bring in a sword!” said Solomon,
 “Now cut the child in two!
 We’ll give the other woman half,
 One half belongs to you.”
Joyful the wicked woman spoke,
 “But half the babe is thine;
 O righteous king divide the boy,
 And let one half be mine.”
Her bowels yearning for her son,
 The mother quick replied,
 “No, take the living child for thine,
 Give me the one that died.
“O king, in pity, spare my boy,
 And let him not be slain!
 Thy handmaid then will hasten home,
 Nor trouble thee again.”
“In nowise slay or hurt the babe,”
 King Solomon replied,
 “The mother’s heart shall plead for her,
 Give her the living child!”

SOLOMON’S WISDOM.

And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt."—Kings iv.

In Solomon’s most peaceful reign
 What happiness was felt!
 Under his vine and fig tree, then,
 Each man in safety dwelt.
Israel and Judah lived secure,
 In Canaan’s fruitful land,
 And God enlarged the Monarch’s heart,
 And made him understand
All wisdom Eastern sages learn’d,
 And those of Egypt, too;
 Of trees of Lebanon he wrote,—
 All living plants he knew.
Of beasts,—of fowl,—of creeping things,
 And fish the king could write,
 And in his Songs and Proverbs still
 All nations take delight.
Silver, and gold, and precious stones,
 Were sent him day by day,
 And camels laden with rich goods,
 From regions far away.
So prosperous a reign as this,
 God’s people ne’er had known,
 And mighty kings oft came to see
 The monarch on his throne.
Thus God had said,[9] “Since thou dost choose
 To walk in wisdom’s ways,
 Thou shalt be rich, and wise, and great,
 Before me all thy days.

SOLOMON AND THE QUEEN OF SHEBA.

“And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to prove him with hard questions. And she gave the king of gold and of spices a very great store, and precious stones."—Kings x.

Uttermost parts of the earth
 Had heard the wondrous fame
 Of Solomon’s most mighty acts,—
 The greatness of his name.
Thence came the Queen of Sheba down
 With camels bearing gold,
 And precious stones, and spices sweet,—
 Their worth has ne’er been told.
Arabian spices—such a store
 Was never seen again
 Within the Holy Land as then
 The queen brought in her train.
Communing with King Solomon
 Of what was in her heart,
 With questions hard she led the king
 His wisdom to impart.
Then said the queen, “In mine own land
 Of thy great name I heard,
 The wisdom and prosperity
 God had on thee conferred.
“The fame of thy most mighty acts
 So filled me with surprise
 That I resolved to venture down
 And see with mine own eyes,
“And bring a present from the East,—
 Spices, and gems, and gold;
 O king! I heard a true report,
 Yet half has ne’er been told.
“Thrice happy are thy men, great king,
 And these thy servants, too,
 Who wait before thee all the day,
 And see what thou dost do.
“And blessed be the Lord thy God,
 Who takes delight in thee;
 Because the Lord loved Israel well,
 Thy wisdom now they see.
“Then of his royal bounty he
 Gave what the queen liked best,
 And thus King Solomon dismissed
 His pleased and grateful guest.

KING OF TYRE.

“Hiram, King of Tyre, was ever a lover of David."—Kings v.

King Solomon his servant sent
 To Hiram, King of Tyre,
 To say, “thus saith King David’s son
 Thy servant doth desire
To build a temple for the Lord,
 And he would buy of thee,
 Cedars of Lebanon, and firs,
 To be sent down by sea.”
And Hiram heard these words, and said,
 “My servant shall convey
 All thou dost need from Lebanon;
 Blessed be the Lord this day!
“David, thy father, was my friend,
 I love thy people, too;
 And I rejoice that God doth give
 Wisdom and grace to you.
“Now, therefore, let us make a league
 Of friendship and of peace;
 All thou shalt need, I will supply,
 Until the work shall cease.”
Thousands of men were thus employed,
 Sidonians, Tyrians, Jews,
 To cut the timber and the stones,
 For Solomon to use.
No sound of hammer, axe, or tool,
 Around God’s house was heard,—
 All was prepared in Lebanon,
 According to his word.
The temple was magnificent,
 Most wondrous to behold!
 The ark and house were overlaid
 With pure and beaten gold.
And God was pleased, that Solomon
 Urged on the work with speed,
 He promised still to dwell with him,
 And be his friend indeed.

CHRIST’S LOVE.

“Behold thy Son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home."—John xix.

Jesus, my Lord, when here on earth,
 Was always an obedient child,
 Yielding his mother filial love,
 And ever humble, meek, and mild.
Loving his mother; Jesus sought
 A strict obedience to her will,
 And when upon the cross he hung,
 He loved his tender mother still;
And left her to the watchful care
 Of loving John, his dearest friend,
 That in that dear disciple’s home,
 She her remaining days might spend.
My mother, I would yield to thee,
 The warm affection of my heart,
 Nor ever false or wayward prove,
 Or from thy precepts e’er depart.
Help me to serve my mother’s God,
 And bear his image on my heart!
 Then, when these scenes of earth are o’er,
 We’ll meet in heaven no more to part.

ON FAITH.

How sweet it is my child,
 To live by simple faith,
 Just to believe that God will do
 Exactly what he saith.
Does faith mean to believe
 That God will surely do
 Exactly what he says, Mamma,
 Just as I know that you
Will give me what I ask,
 Because you love me well,
 And listen patiently, to hear
 Whatever I may tell?
Yes; you may trust in God,
 Just as you trust in me;
 Believe, dear child, he loves you well,
 And will your father be.
For, when you sought his love,
 Your Father up in heaven,
 Looked kindly down, for Jesus’ sake,
 And has your sins forgiven.
And now, to pray in faith,
 Is simply to believe
 That what you ask in Jesus’ name,
 You surely shall receive.
Go with your simple wants,
 And tell him all you need;
 Go put your trust in Christ alone,
 Such faith is sweet indeed.

BE LIKE JESUS.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”

To be like Jesus! O how sweet;
 Living on earth as Jesus did—
 Never to speak one angry word,
 But always do as one is bid.
To be like Jesus! he, dear child,
 With God and man in favor grew,
 Never was known to tell a lie,
 But always spoke just what was true.
To be like Jesus! When, O Lord,
 Thou givest a holy heart to me;
 Never shall I delight to sin,
 But always try to be like thee.
To be like Jesus! pure in thought,
 And word, and deed; O help me, Lord,
 Never thy Spirit more to grieve,
 But always love thy holy Word.
To be like Jesus! O, how sweet!
 When I go home to heaven above
 Never shall I forget thee more,
 But always dwell with thee in love.

SABBATH HYMN.

Little traveller, Zionward
 Turn thy willing steps to-day,
 Haste thee to the house of God,
 Lift thy youthful heart and pray.
May this Sabbath be the best—
 Happiest day of all the seven,
 Day of sweet and sacred rest,
 Emblem of the rest of heaven.
Little pilgrim, keep thy feet
 From the devious ways of sin;
 Go, where Christians love to meet,
 Go, where Jesus oft hath been.
Seek his presence and his love,
 On this holy Sabbath day,
 Lift thy heart, and voice above,
 In his temple praise and pray!
Little lamb, mayest thou be seen
 Far from dangerous paths to roam,
 In thy shepherd’s pastures green—
 In his bosom find a home.
Never wander from his side;
 Trust thy tender shepherd’s love;
 He thy wayward steps will guide
 Safely to his fold above.

FEED MY LAMBS.

“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd—he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom."—Isaiah xl: 11.

“Forbid them not,” the Savior says,
 “But suffer them to come,
 For children in my arms of love,
 There always has been room.”
Those who would win the Savior’s love,
 And be his friend indeed,
 Must not neglect the little ones—
 These dear lambs they must feed,
And lead them to the quiet streams
 Where they may sweetly rest,
 Till the Good Shepherd calls them home
 And folds them to his breast.

CONTENTS.

Almira and Minnie,131
Baby has got a tooth,184
Baby’s first steps,28
Be like Jesus,198
Bible sold by weight,36
Blackberry girl,145
Breakfast fur the robins,149
Charlie and his youthful teacher,109
Christ’s love,196
Close of the day,76
Conversation upon ice,30
Cooking in old times,73
Create in me a clean heart, O God,96
Cross girl,39
Cross girl,65
Dolly’s name,71
Eddie in the country,34
Ella and the roses,12
Envy,118
Faithful Fido,83
Feed my lambs,200
God the Creator,162
Grandmamma’s story,141
Granite hills in winter,56
Happy cat,168
Happy Dolly,33
Holiday gift,124
Ida May,13
Jane’s question,44
John Mason and his sled,47
King of Tyre,194
Little Eddie,80
Little Ellen’s request,158
Little Lydia and the razor,181
Little Mary and her wicked father,84
Lost child,160
Milking the Cows,159
Minnie’s faithfulness,18
Morning song and morning prayer,25
Mother Goose,7
My son give me thine heart,177
Nature speaks of God,182
Nursery children needing homes,129
Ocean steamers,185
Oh spare the birds,38
On faith,197
Papa’s request,43
Playtime,27
Precious Bible,103
Pulsifer children,22
Remember the poor,123
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,107
Ride to school in winter,48
Sabbath hymn,199
Sallie M——,87
Shun the swearer,59
Skating,153
Sleep, Dolly,10
Sleep, little birdie,156
Solomon and the Queen of Sheba,192
Solomon’s choice,187
Solomon’s judgment,188
Solomon’s wisdom,191
Spring,173
Strawberry girl,115
Succotash,74
Supper for the robins,147
The falls,60
The first theft,68
The Helen Maria,97
The Indian and the basket,138
The Indian and the planter,136
The infant Savior,99
The kind brother,53
The Lake, Isles and White Mountains,58
The little boy’s request,99
The morning walk,114
The peacock,17
The proud girl,89
The sabbath breaker,175
The sacrifice,104
The sailor and the monkeys,111
The stolen pen-knife,63
The tell-tale,60
The two cousins,101
The widow of Zarephath,150
The wounded foot,156
The youthful king,97
Tibby and her kitten,165
Tibby’s death172
To my infant nephew,154
Trenton Falls,41
Up! up! away!174
Visit to the country,178
Wake, Dolly,11
Willie’s fears. Part I,93
Willie’s fears. Part II,94
Wonderful instinct of the ant,78