When the Little Boy Ran Away.

ANONYMOUS.

THEN the little boy ran away from home,

WHE The birds in the tree top knew,

And they all sang, "Stay!" but he wandered away Under the skies of blue.

And the wind came whispering from the tree,
"Follow me, follow me!"

And it sang him a song that was soft and sweet
And scattered the roses before his feet

That day, that day

When the little boy ran away.

The violets whispered, "Your eyes are blue

And lovely and bright to see,

And so are mine, and I'm kin to you,

So dwell in the light with me."

But the little boy laughed, while the wind in glee

Sang, "Follow me, follow me!"

And the wind called the clouds from their home in the

skies,

And said to the violet, "Shut your eyes!"

That day, that day

When the little boy ran away.

Then the wind played leapfrog over the hills

And twisted each leaf and limb;

And all the rivers and all the rills

Were foaming mad with him.

And 'twas dark as the darkest night could be,
But still came the wind's voice, "Follow me!"
And over the mountain and up from the hollow
Came echoing voices, "Follow him, follow!"
That awful day

When the little boy ran away.

Then the little boy cried, "Let me go, let me go!"

For a scared, scared boy was he.

But the thunder growled from a black cloud, “No!"
And the wind roared, "Follow me!"

And an old gray owl from a tree top flew,
Saying, "Who are you-oo? Who are you-oo?"
And the little boy sobbed, "I'm lost away,

And I want to go home where my parents stay."
Oh, the awful day

When the little boy ran away!

Then the moon looked out from a cloud and said:

"Are you sorry you ran away?

If I light you home to your trundle bed,

Will you stay, little boy, will you stay?”

And the little boy promised-and cried and cried—
He would never leave his mother's side,

And the moonlight led him over the plain;
And his mother welcomed him home again.
But, oh what a day

When the little boy ran away!

A

A Song in Winter.

A. ST. JOHN ADCOCK.

ROBIN sings on the leafless spray,
Hey ho, winter will go!

Sunlight shines on the desolate way,
And under my feet

I feel the beat

Of the world's heart that never is still,
Never is still,

Whatever may stay.

Life out of death, as day out of night,
Hey ho, winter will go!

In the dark hedge shall glimmer a light,
A delicate sheen

Of budding green,

Then, silent, the dawn o' summer breaks,
As morning breaks,

O'er valley and height.

The tide ebbs out, and the tide flows back; Hey ho, winter will go!

Though heaven be screened by stormy rack, It rains, and the blue

Comes laughing through;

And, cloud-like, winter goes from the earth, Goes from the earth

That flowers in his track.

Sing, robin, sing on your leafless spray, Hey ho, winter will go!

Sunlight and song shall shorten the way, And under my feet

I feel the beat,

Of the world's heart that never is still, Never is still,

Whatever may stay.