But  the  man  blushed  crimson,  feeling  guilty  of  a
crime  which  he  thought  no  woman  could  forgive,  for
it  was  the  first  kiss  he  had  gotten  or  given  in  fifty  lang
Scottish,  kissless  years,  while  the  woman  stood  with
a  look  of  supreme  satisfaction,  and  said  to  him :

"Eh!  Saunders  McGlashan,  isna  that  rale  re-
freshin'  ?"


THE  CHICKADEE.
"W


"ERE  it  not  for  me,"
Said  a  chickadee,
u  Not  a  single  flower  on  earth  would  be,
For  under  the  ground  they  soundly  sleep,
And  never  venture  an  upward  peep
Till  they  hear  from  me,
Chickadee-dee-dee !

*

*  I  tell  Jack  Frost  when  'tis  time  to  go
And  carry  away  his  ice  and  snow ;


144  BEST  SELECTIONS

And  then  I  hint  to  the  jolly  old  sun,
4  A  little  spring  work,  sir,  should  be  done.  *
And  he  smiles  around
On  the  frozen  ground,
And  I  keep  up  my  cheery,  cheery  sound,
Till  Echo  declares,  in  glee,  in  glee ;
"Tishe!  'tis  he!
The  chickadee-dee  !'

H  And  then  I  waken  the  birds  of  spring—

*  Ho,  ho !  'tis  time  to  be  on  the  wing !'
They  trill  and  twitter  and  soar  aloft,
And  I  send  the  winds  to  whisper  soft,
Down  by  the  little  flower  beds,

Saying :  '  Come,  show  your  pretty  heads !
The  spring  is  coming,  you  see,  you  see !

For  so  sings  he,

The  chickadee-dee.'

*  The  sun  he  smiled,  and  the  early  flowers
Bloomed  to  brighten  the  blithesome  hours,
And  song  birds  gathered  in  bush  and  tree ;
But  the  wind  he  laughed  right  merrily,
As  the  saucy  mite  of  a  snowbird,  he,
Chirped  away :  '  Do  you  see,  see,  see?

I  did  it  all!
Chickadee-dee-dee  P  "

Sydney  Daybb.
HUMBEK  TWENTY-THREB  148

EARL  SIGURD'S  CHRISTMAS  EVE.
