Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-08-20
Our Young Folks.
h BABY SHOW.

The names of the others did not hear plain. |
How came | to hear them2 l think won't
tell:
You may guess, IL you please; and II you
guess well
You'll guess that heard it as many Il man
hears
With his fancy alone, and not with his ears.
The children were drawing, with caution and
care,
Their sweet baby-slster. to give her the air,
III dainty straw wagon with wheels of
bright red,
And top of white muslin which shaded her
head.
She was only one year aud few months old;
Her eyes were bright blue and her hair was
like gold
She laughed all the time from morning till
Till Ediy and Jane were quite wild with
delight.
Such a wonderful plaything never was
Like real live dolly, und all for their ownl
Two happier children could nowhere be
found,
No, not IL you Travelled the whole world
They had drawn her this morning where
daisies grew
White, daisies, all shining and dripping with
dew,
Long wreaths of the daisies, and chains, thoy
had made;
In the babys lap these wreaths they had
laid,
And were, laughing TO watch her fat little
hands
Untwstlrg and twisting the stems and the
strands.
Just then, If sudden, Il lark few by
And sang at the top of his voice in the sky.
" Ho! no! Mr.. Lark" shouted Jane, "come
down herel
We're not cruel children. You may come
without fear.
We've something to show you. In all your
life may be
You'll never sec anything sweet as our
baby"
Twas an odd thing, row, for a lark to do
hope you won't think my story's urtruc-
But this is the thing that saw and hcard:
That lark flew right down, like sOciable
bird,
AS soon as they called him, and perched on
Aud walked with his eye at the children
and me,
Aud laughed out, ms much as a bird ever can,
As he cried, "lla! ha! Little woman and
man!
" You'll be quito surprised and astonished,
may be,
TO hear that l do not think much of your
Why, out in the field here I've got in my
nest,
All cuddled up snug meath my wife's warm
breast,
Four little babic3-two sisters two broth
And all with bright eyes as bright us their
mother S;
Your babys at least ten times older than
they,
But they are already to fly to-day;
They'll take care of themselves in an jther
week,
n,r L.. H.
IL has often surprised me to see what poor
All babies are that arc born without wings
And but one at II time! Dear me, my wife
Would be quite ashamed of SO idle Il lfe!
And the lark looked as scornful rs lark
knows how,
As he swung up AM down on a slender
bough.
A cat had been cycling him there for awhile,
And sp ang at him now from top OF Il stlo;
But She missed her aim--hc WIS qui too
gh;
And oh, how he laughed as he scared in the
sky!
Then the cat scrambled mp, disappointed
and cross:
She looked all about her, and felt at a loss
What next she should do. SO she took up
OF the lark's discourse, and ill-naturedly
said:
"Yes, indeed, little master ana miss, l de-
clare,
It's enough TO make any mo- her-cat stare
Tosee what time you do make, TO be sure,
Over one small creature, so helpless and
poor
AS your babies are; Why, I've six of my
own:
When they were two weeks old they could
run alone;
They re never afraid OF dogs or Of rats
In a few weeks more they'll be full-grown
cats;
"Their fur is as fine and as soft as silk
Two gray and three black, and one white as
new milk.
A fair fight for mouse in my family
is as pretty a sight as you'll ever sec.
1t is all very well to bray of yo II baby
One OF these years ii will be something, may
beW
And without even looking at the baby's face,
The cat walked away at sleepy pace.
Moo, Moo!" said cow coming up "Moo'
Young people, you're making great to-d1
About you baby. And the lark and the cat,
They re no hing but braggers-l wouldn't
give that"
tAnd the cow snapped her tail as you'd snap
your thumbl
"For all the babies, and kittens, and birds,
that come
In the course of a yearl 1t does make me
laugh
To look at them all by the SIDE of calf!
"Why, my little Brinde as soon as twas born
Stood up on its legs and shifted ut the corn;
Before 1t had been in the world an hour
II began to gambol, and canter, and ,cOur
All over the fields. See its great shining
eyes,
And its comely red hair that so glossy lies,
And thickl he has never felt cold in his life
But tn wind cuts your baby's skin like s
knife.
Poor shivcring things l have riticd then
oft,
All muiied and smOthcred in flannel soft.
Ha. ha! | am sure the stupidest gaDy
Can see that a calfs ahead of a babyP'
And the cow called her calf, and tossed vi
her head,
Like pers N quite sure of all she has said
Then Jane looked ut Eddy, and Eddy a
Jane;
Said Eddy: "IIow mean. / declare they'r,
too vain
"To live-prcposterous things They don
know
What they're talking about! I'd like then
to show
A bird, or a kitten, or learned calf,
That can kiss Ike our baby, or smile, o
laugh!'
"Yes, indeed so should IT, said Jane, in
"Tho poor little thing She's advanced 70
her age,
For the m mister said 50 the other day
She's worth Il hundred kittens or calves Il
play.
"And MS for young birds-they're pitifu
Things!
saw a whole nest once all mouths and bar
wings,
And they looked as If they'd been picked b
the cook
To broil for breakfast. I'm sure that the
shook
With cold if their mother got of for
minute
I'm glad we have flannel and wrap babie
i'm it,"
So the children went grumblng one to th
other,
! And when they reached home theytold thei
mother.
The dear baby, asleep in its crib She laid,
And laughed as she kissed the children, an
said
"Do you think l believe that the sun Gu