Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-01-21
MOTHER NATURE AND hen
TWELVE CHILDREN.
Ry MARGARET EYTINGE, IN DErhoii
FREE PRESS"


called on account of always having 30
much to do, but as he Lad inst finished
his almanac for the next year, ana sent
it to the printers, he thought he could
spare half-an-hour and give hlmseii
that pleasure, and after he had entered
and seated himself, he also said he
didn't know where there could be
found another such fine family OF
children, and at this Mother Nature
smiled approvingly and told January
To recite the piece he had learned Tor
the school exhibition. He knew 1t
would be useless to refuse, so getting
up he began forgetting as most boys
DO to make his bow:
''The north wind doth blow, and we shall have
And what will the robin do then, poor thing?
He Will sit in the barn to keep himself warm
And hide himself under his wing, poor
thing !"
He started for the door before he had
hardly finished, but his mother called
him back to hear little February, who
was the smallest in the family, and who
reclted in a little shrIll voice:
Thirty days hath September
April, June and November.
All the rest have thirty-one
Excepting February alone
Who hath but four and twentyfOur
Till leap-Year gives her one day more"
This made the old gentleman laugh
till he choked, for he had divided the
days himself, and as they did not come
not care if she didn't have quite as many
as the other months, she was so good ma
tured, and now to have it put in rhyme
seemed very funny.
March never could learn easily SO he
did not know anything to speak, but
his mother suggested that he should
whistle, as whistling was now very fash
sion able. He initiated the wind, and did
it so perfectly that Father Time pound
ed with his stout stick on the floor and
said, ''myl what a rough night it is 60
ing to be-" You never could tell what
prised when she hoped up from her
seat, made pretty curtsy to the school
master and said as quickly as she could
rattle it off.
'April showers, bring forth May flowers"
And sat down with fiirt of her vio-
let gown. Her mother was mortified
at her not saving more, for she knew
any number of beautiful verses that had
been written about her, being a great
favorite with the poets, but perhaps 1t
was Just as well, for blue-eyed May re-
cited long poem by Tennyson, every
verse of which ended:
"For Tn to be Queen of the May, mother.
Tn TO be Queen OF the May"
1t was very touching and the school
paster, at its conclusion, wiped away q
tear.
June was the beauty of the family.
She would never wear shabby clothes
and tonight looked beautiful in a rose
colored mantel dotted with butterfly
wings. She threw kiss to the admir-
ing visitor and said:
"The rose is red
The violet blue,
The pink is sweet
And so are you"
This certainly was not the proper
way to treat such a dignified elderly
person, but will you believe me, he
seemed to enjoy it and actually threw a
kiss back, which made July and August
laugh so heartily that their mother was
afraid they could not sing their duet in
which they initiated the katydids and
crlckets, but they did sing it, and sang
it beautifully too, and it was followed
by their tall brother September's song
1.-THE Mocking Bird" in the chorus of
which all Joined.
at was in the mild September,
remember, 1 remember"
October's song was "Harvest Home"
November rec1ted Hoods poem s.No-
vember" and Jolly December ended the
entertainment with:
"'Twas the night before Christmas"
And when he finished the school
master declared he had not made such
a pleasant call in q great while and
again told Mother Nature that he be-
heved there was never such fine fam
lily as hers. 81, p. III.