The Penn's Grove record., 1891-01-16
MOTHER NATURE AND HER
TWELVE CHILDREN.
ny ReA rYirYGE, IN "DErRorT
FREE PRESS"

Ihtk AAsA~@1s
Ola Mother Nature was sitting by q
br;gbt fire with Ter twelve children
around her. when there came a loud
knock at the door. Three or four of
fine boys started to open it, but made
so much noise that she made them sit
down again and opened it herself. The
school master, whose name Is Father
Time, stood on the step. After bid
ding her ''good afternoon" he said it
had been a long while since he had
called on account of always having so
much TO do, but as he had inst finished
his almanac for the next year, and sent
It TO the printers, he thought he could
snare half-an.hour and give himself
that pleasure, and after he had entered
and seated himself, he also said he
didn't know where there could be
found another such u fiue family OF
children and at this Mother Nature
smiled approvingly and told January
TO recite the piece he had learned tor
the school exhibition. de 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 thlngf
He will sit in the barn tn keep himself warm
And hide himself unaer his wing, poor
thing I"
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
recIted il a little shrll voice:
"Thirty days hath September
April, June and November.
ALI the rest have thirty-One
Excepting February RloIe
WHO hath but four and twenty.four
TIL leap.year gives her one day more"
This made the old gentleman laugh
till he choked, for no had divided the
DAYS himself, and as they did not come
out even, he thought February would
not care if she didn't have quite as many
as the other months, she wass 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 wits ling was now very fash.
sion able. Heimitated the wind, and did
it so perfectly that Father Time pound
ed with his stout stick on the floor and
said, "myi what a rough night it is go.
ing to be-" You never could tell what
April would do, so no one was sur
prised when she hoped mp from hel
seat, made apretty curtsy to the school.
master and said as quickly as abe could
rattle it off.
"Aprll showers, bring forth May flowers"
And sat down with a hirt OF her VIC
let gown. Her mother was mortified
at her not saying more, for she knew
any number OF beautiful verses that hat
been written about her, being q grea'
| favorite with the poets, but perhaps i
was lust as we'll, for b'ue.eyed May re
cited a long poem by Tennyson, ever.
verse of which endod:
"For Tn to be Queen ofthe May, mother,
I'm TO be Queen Of the May
It was very touching and the school
master, at its conclusion, wiped away
tear.
June was the beauty OF tho family
She would never wear shabby clothe
and tonight looked beautiful in a rose
colored mantel dottel with butterfly
wings. She threw u kiss to the admir-
ing visitor and said!
"The rose is red,
The violet blue,
The pink 5 sweet
And 50 are YOU"
This certainly was not the prope
way to treat such q dignified elderl,
person, but will you believe me, b
seemed to enjoy it and actually threw
kiss back. which mada july and Angus
laugh go heartily that their mother wa
afraid they could not sing their duet il
which they initiated tho katydids ant
crickets. but they did sing it, and SAN
1t beautifully too, and it was followe'
by their tall brother Scptember's son
1.-THE Mocking Bird" in the chorus o
which all Joined.
~, was in tho mild septembef.
remember, ! remember"
October's song was Harvest Home,
November reclted Hoods poem "No
vember" and Jolly December ended tn
entertainment with:
"'Twas the night before Christmas"
And when he finished the school
master declared be had not made sucl
q pleasant call in q great while and
again told Mother Natupe that he be
ieved there was never such q fine IAN
lily as hers a T. d.
1891 eco, pord