“IF."
IF I had been made a rooster,
Of course I could only crow;
If I were a chicken or a hen,
I'd have to cackle, you know.
If I had been made a pussy cat,
I could only say, "Mew, mew;"
If I were a dog, to bark and howl
Would be all that I could do.
But do you see! I am none of these,
I'm a little talking girl,
And mother says that every word
From my lips should be a pearl,—
Bright and polished with cheery tones,
And set in a loving smile;
Think of the pearls in a single day,—
For I'm talking all the while!
—Youth's Companion.