cy^ce WeliiM,ton^^itNs LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2010 witii funding from Tine Library of Congress littp://www.arcliive.org/details/littlepagefernotOOroll The illustration of "The Rubber Plant and the Palm" is given with the kind permission of The Centi'ry Co. ^^t.--..^^ .J^^^^_^ ^ittk ^age ^^vn ®nb 4>t^er (Scxbcb (§8 ^fice nOJeffington (Roffine NEW YORK 1895 ^^X>- 7§273f 3 L Copyright, 1895, by ALICE WELLINGTON ROLLINS Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York QXote. Many of the verses are new, but the larger part have appeared already in the St. Nicholas, Century, Harper's Young People, Wide-Awake, The Outlook, and The Independent. . . . to nQ?6o rememBereb me, anb io O2?6o twiff nof forgef. Beside me at the luncheon-table sat A little lad of nine. The gay talk flew From lip to lip, of gossip and light chat, Till from his forehead back he gently drew, With roguish glance, a wandering soft curl, And laughing, said, "Oh, I remember you! I knew you when you were a little girl! " We laughed, but he insisted, long ago, Somewhere, he knew together we had played. He had forgotten what the plays were, though; Whether through some fairgardenwehad strayed, Or romped at games in a delirious whirl Of frolic; but one memory had staid. He knew me when I was a little girl. And the bright eyes that smiled up into mine Assured me we had been in those old days Great cronies! Ah, dear little lad of nine, I doubt if ever any sweeter praise From wiser lips out in the gay world's whirl Will come to me than that your young heart pays, Remembering when I was a little girl ! BttiPe ^age ;^et*n» Little Page Fern stood in doublet of green, With his message wrapped up in a scroll; He kept his head bowed before Summer the Queen, While the birds overhead called the roll. When his turn came, he loyally lifted his head. And undid his doublet of green; On the scroll he unfurled could distinctly be read The message that none had yet seen. It was neatly set up, in tiny, clear rows Of small type, like raised type for the blind; Turn over a leaf of the Page, and who knows But the secret of Fern Seed you'll find. (^ (Jlon6en0e (gerse. The firefly lighted his bicycle lamp, And ran down the road for a spin; The toadstools pitched their white tents for a camp, And tucked their young toads nicely in. The beautiful stars came out just to see, The lovely moon just to be seen; But by morning, pray tell me, O where could they be? For the world was quite buried in green. Wifb (goee. The Wild Rose cable cars stand here and there across the lawn. With rose-red danger signals floating just above the thorn. The vine-root cable joining them is just below the ground; But the cable does the running, while the cars stand still, I 've found. Z^t Circus in t^e (Bdtben. The Woodbine climbs a slender pole, And waves his arms in air; While Honeysuckle Harlequins Their motley jackets wear. The squirrel swings his light trapeze, And springs from bough to bough; As Morning Glory tendrils leap And catch, to show him how. Heliotrope plays cup and ball. Juggles like Japanese; Tossing his perfume here and there, Catching it back with ease. Sweet Peas, on tiptoe in a line, In pink and white array, Stand waiting for a signal, bent On dancing their ballet. The Wind is Circus Master; he Comes striding with a will; Lashes his whip among the trees, To show how he can drill. Nasturtiums come in cap and bells, And gay, fantastic gowns; You never 'd think such pretty things Could possibly be clowns. No elephant walks through the ring, Jocund; but truth to tell, A kitten, stalking through the grass, Suits flowers just as well. Aristocrats in velvet, set Closely against the wall. The matron Pansies sit and watch With placid face through all. But pretty Buds, well chaperoned, By full-blown Blossom Mere, Bend, smile, coquette, clap little leaves, And toss their heads in air. White Balsams, from proscenium box, That is, a window box, Lean over, looking calmly down On humbler garden Phlox. They dare not laugh, but when the Wind Says funny things, faint whiffs Of scent they send down through the air, Waving white handkerchiefs. "Standing room only," heard when late The tardy hollyhocks; But tall and strong, they did not mind, Nor did the Four o'Clocks. Gay butterflies and birds and bees Hover between the acts, Around the belles, (Harebells and Blue,) To give Society facts. All eye me with distrust, as one Who may have come to pick Their dainty blossoms here and there. And wire them to a stick. Yet it was I who hired their tent. Paid all their entrance fees. Furnished a gardener usher, just To give them seats that please. Fear not, sweet things! I only wish You well, I love you so; — Jack Frost will be here by-and-by;— Then you may wish to go. tU (gaffdb of t^e (8u66er;gf)fcint A Rubber-plant and a small Palm stood Upon a parlor floor. From either side the fire-place They scanned each other o'er. " What do you rub ? " the small Palm asked His statelier neighbor tall. " Alas! " the Rubber-plant replied, " I can not rub at all. " If I had hands, like yours," he said, As wistfully he eyed His smaller neighbor's pretty palms With fingers opened wide, *' Then I could rub! " — ''And yet," replied The little Palm, "you see. Though I have hands, I can not rub. And that 's the rub, with me. *' I wonder why it 's always so: That something we have got Seems never quite complete to be, Without what we have not. "I 've often longed to rub my hands With glee, here in my tub; And you, no doubt, have often wished You had some hands to rub. *' Now, if you were I, or I were you, — No, that 's not right, I see, — But if you and I, were you emu6 of t?e gpdrfor. What keeps the quiet parlor In such beautiful repose ? It 's the watchful peacock feathers. Whose eyelids never close. (Uu})tiaf (gnotB. Poor Daisy, anxious for her fate, Counts all her petals o'er; But Forget-me-not, with fewer leaves. Of hers is always sure. " He loves me, loves itie not;'' — to count Many, is doubtful quite; — " Forgets me, — nay, forgets me not," With four leaves comes out right. The Daisy dreads her frequent " not," Uncertain, as you see; But Forget-me-not loves hers, which shows How different things may be. tXft QSaB^fuf (gUr^uerite. Sweet Marguerite looked shyly from the grass Of country fields, and. softly whispered: " Here I make my home, content; for I, — alas! — Am not the rose the city holds so dear." Just then, the Queen, driving by chance that way, Called to a page: " Bring me that Marguerite; I am so tired of roses! " — From that day. The daisy had the whole world at her feet. €o6t»e6. " Will you walk into my parlor ? " said the spider to the fly In the good old days. " No, thank you, dear spider," he 'd reply. But nowadays the spider calls her pretty net a wheel: " Just come and try my bicycle! " she cries with cunning zeal. The flattered little fly just can't refuse; so on and in He steps, to find the spider is the one to take a spin. QSreab Crutn60. Dear little bird, how could you know, As across the Park you flew. That over the cruelly frozen ground I was scattering crumbs for you ? From a mile away, it seemed to me. You saw them over the snow. What a tiny eye to see so far! What a wise little heart to know! How did you know that they were crumbs ? And even if that you knew, How could you be so happily sure That they were crumbs for you ? Sometimes I think I see beautiful crumbs Beyond the snow for me; But if I really want to know, I must travel over to see. Sometimes they are crumbs; but nevertheless I discover, once over there. That they are somebody else's crumbs, That I must not even share. Oh! for those wonderful eyes of yours, That can tell just where to go! Such a tiny eye to see so far! Such a wise little heart to know! " My dear, what makes your cheeks so red ? " I asked one winter day A Httle boy who came indoors To finish up his play. "Why, don't you know how cold it is ? It 's cold as cold can be; And that 's what makes my cheeks so red; I can't stay out," said he. " My dear, what makes your cheeks so red ? " I asked one summer day A little girl who came indoors To finish up her play. " Why, don't you know how hot it is ? It 's hot as hot can be; And that 's what makes my cheeks so red; I can't stay out," said she. And now, when sometimes I myself, Though I am wise and old, Do think the day is much too hot Or very much too cold, I try to think if it were changed. Perhaps I might not find The weather just the opposite A bit more to my mind! (geffection. " Come see the flag, mamma, here in the lake! Red, white, and blue, — the stars, and stripes, and all." I bend to see the bright reflection fall Where the clear waves the mirrored picture take. " Of course, it 's not a real flag down there, though," My little son explains with careful sense Of truth exact ; then adds with tone intense, " But somewhere there must be a flag, you know, Or else this would n't be there." Then he lifts With intuition quick his eager eyes To where the "real flag" floats in summer skies. While on the lake its mirrored semblance drifts. So when philosophers with subtle art Debate, deny, demand "Why is it so ?" I answer with my child's "Somewhere, you know. Must be the truth reflected in my heart." S^tfi%atton. A Clover blushed shyly, and said, *' To a friend In the next field, I 'd like a short message to send ; I can't go myself; would you mind, Mr. Bee ? " (For a bee had just called for his afternoon tea.) '* Not at all," said' the bee; and she wrote a short note, With pollen for sand, drying fast as she wrote ; And the bee, fed with honey for tea, said he 'd take Her mail-bag, — or meal-bag, — and not wait for cake. Then he flew to her friend, made another short call. And not knowing its contents, left note, pollen and all. The note asked for clover seed; quickly it sped. Till the field with a great deal more clover was spread. " Cross-fertilization " the botanists say; For the bee flew across, don't you see, on his way; Though he was n't himself cross a bit, on that day. " Give us — ah! give us — but Yesterday! " Austin Dobson. Between the half-drawn curtains faintly gleamed The early dawn's first pale and glimmering ray; But through my heart rang ever, as I dreamed, The poet's plaint: " Give me but Yesterday!" Through swiftly-opening doors, with flying feet, My little daughter with her curls of gold Came eagerly the morning sun to greet; — The little maid whom yesterday we told To-morrow, if the skies were not unkind, Out into country meadows she should go, With beating heart and shining eyes to find The sweet, shy haunts of wild flowers, hiding low. Flushed in the morning light, she danced and sang; While I forgot the poet's murmuring lay, As through the room her sweeter wisdom rang: "Mamma! mamma! To-morrow is To-day!" 35 (^ (Bentfe QReminber. Something new about Christmas? Why, what were half so sweet As the old, old way of keeping The day our glad hearts greet? The old, old chimes are dearest; The old, old songs are best. It 's the old, old gladness welling Within each joyous breast. Then my little lad said slyly, " Remember, if that 's true, That your old, old way, mamma dear, Was to give me something new! " 36 Zo (Btg (go^— ©n ©ecoration ©ag. If ever the dread day should come again When the whole country needs her boys in blue, How could I bear, dear lad, among the men Marching to war and danger, to see you ? My heart sinks as I watch them through the glass; — And yet I know one thing were worse to bear: That underneath my window they should pass And I should look — and find you were not there. ■^The Story of Azron. {Poem.) Illustration from Daniel C. French, .... $1.50 The White Rosary. {Poems.) Illustration from Elihu Vedder, 1.50 -Little Page Fern. {Verses.) For Children, . . . 1.50 The Finding of the Gentian. {Stories.) For Children, 1.50 A Story or Two. {Short Stories aizd Plays), . . . 1.50 The Exactions of Art. {A Dialogue), . . . . 1.50 Aphorisms for the Year. {Second Edition), ... .50 Unfamiliar Quotations, 50 The eight books, on one order, sold for $8.50 and sent direct to different addresses if desired. ALICE W. ROLLINS. Bronxville, N. Y. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS llllilllllllllillllll 015 873 046 7