Under Blue Skies: Verses & Pictures

Under blue skies Daffodils dance, and the Oriole flies, Bright, golden butterflies float on the breeze Over the clover with brown honey-bees; Daisies and buttercups, slender and tall, Nod to the roses that cover the wall, Under blue skies.

Under blue skies, Every day brings us a sweeter surprise, Blooming of flowers and singing of birds, Words without song, and song without words; A world of bright children, all happy and gay, In sunshine and shadow, at work and at play.

Copyright, 1886, by S. J. Brigham, N. Y.

Contents.

UNDER BLUE SKIES. LITTLE NEIGHBORS. STUDY-HOUR. THE LETTER. DAFFY DIL AND JONNY QUIL. CAMPING SONG. THE FAMILY DRIVE. SILENT VOICES. I. DAISIES. SILENT VOICES. II. BLUE-EYED GRASS. SILENT VOICES. III. CLOSING FLOWERS. DANDELION. SWEET GRASS. THE MULLEIN PATCH. "_TOSSED UP IN A BLANKET._" THE SAND-MAN. THE LILY POND. LUNCH TIME. "_WHIRL THE BOAT._" KINDERGARTEN. THE ORIOLE'S NEST. THE JUNE-BUG. CHOCOLATE DROP.

LITTLE NEIGHBORS.

Birds a-singing in the trees, Marigolds a-blowing; Bees a-humming what they please, Coming and a-going; Hiding in the hollyhocks, Swinging on the clover, Climbing up the Lily-stalks, Honey running over.

Breath of roses in the air, Roses are in hiding; Breezes will not tell us where,— Winds are not confiding; Down the walks the children wind, Through the fence a-peeping; Like the bees and birds they find Treasures for the seeking.

Little neighbors, like the birds, Sing and talk at pleasure; Like the bees, with honeyed words, Choose their time and measure; Like sweet peas they cling and climb, Here and there and yonder; All the pleasant summer-time They visit and they wander.

STUDY-HOUR.

O hush! you Robin, you sing and swing In the lilac tree, And my lessons seem long when I hear your song So happy and free.

If only the hours had wings, I know They would flutter away, Like the bird on the tree, or the velvet bee, Or the butterfly gay.

But then I know that a maid like me Has a life to live, And my heart and my mind has something to find Before it can give.

O rest you, Robin, a little while Your voice and your wing! And then by-and-by dear Robin and I Will both sing and swing.

THE LETTER.

"O, wait, little maiden, With hand letter-laden! I'll take it one minute, And please tell me who You have written it to, And all that is in it."

"Ah, no!" said the maiden, "With love it is laden, No stranger can take it: I will just tell you this, It is sealed with a kiss, And Mamma will break it."

DAFFY DIL AND JONNY QUIL.

Said Jonny Quil to Daffy Dil, His pretty country cousin: "Now is our chance to have a dance, Your sisters, full a dozen, Are here in golden cap and frill; What say you, Cousin Daffy Dil?"

Said Daffy Dil to Jonny Quil, "To dance would give us pleasure; But, then, you know, the wind must blow, To beat our time and measure. Young April Wind will be here soon, And he will whistle us a tune."

CAMPING SONG.

O who would live in a cottage close, Shut in like a captive bird? I would sooner have a tent like mine, Within the shade of a fragrant pine, Where the breaking waves are heard,— Are heard, The breaking waves are heard.

The song of winds in the sweet pine tree, The waters that kiss the shore, The white-winged sea-bird's mellow cry, Mingled in one sweet melody, Steals softly in at my door,— My door, Steals in at my open door.

All day I sing and read and sew, Beneath this sheltering pine, Kissed by cool breezes from the sea, And people passing envy me, And wish for a tent like mine,— Like mine, For a cosy tent like mine.

THE FAMILY DRIVE.

"Heigh, ho!" Like the wind we go, For a family drive to Jericho; The horses dance And prink and prance, But who is afraid of the horses, O?

"Heigh, ho!" O, the daisies grow Along the wayside to Jericho; But the horses run And spoil our fun, And we cannot pick us a daisy, O.

"Whoa! whoa!!" Won't you please go slow? We are going home from Jericho; All danger past, We are home at last, Without a tip or a tumble, O.

SILENT VOICES. I. DAISIES.

Hosts of little daisies white Stand among the grasses, Greeting with a girlish grace Every breeze that passes. Quaint white caps and golden hair, Tresses green and slender; With my heart I heard them say Something very tender— Saying something to the grass, Very sweet and tender.

SILENT VOICES. II. BLUE-EYED GRASS.

Hush—O hush! you wanton winds, Hush you, while I listen! In the blue eyes of the grass Tear-drops seem to glisten. A shy Daisy leaned that way, When the winds were blowing; With my heart I heard him say Something worth the knowing— Fondly, to the Daisy say, Something worth the knowing.

SILENT VOICES. III. CLOSING FLOWERS.

When the sun, in red and gold, Down the West was creeping; When the bird beneath its wing Tucked its head for sleeping, Silently the silken doors Of the flowers were closing; Poppies each, with drooping head, Slowly fell a-dozing. With my heart, I heard them say, "Good-night till the morrow: Here's good-night to all the world Till the happy morrow."

DANDELION.

Modest little Dandelion, Standing in the grass, Offering her plate of gold To people as they pass.

If you slight her, soon her tresses Will be growing gray, And some antic, frantic wind Will blow them all away!

SWEET GRASS.

The sweet grass grows Where the Daisy blows, But how sweet grass with its tender grace.. And the Daisy with its winsome face, Came to live in the same sweet place, Nobody knows.

The sweet grass grows Where the Daisy blows, And under the shade of the tender grass The children saw some crickets pass; But why they were all in black, alas! Nobody knows.