MABEL'S WISH.
LITTLE Mabel was dressing her dollies one day,
When dear mamma called her away from her play
To try on a new dress she was making with care,
For her little dollie with true, real hair,
And a little pug nose, and two laughing blue eyes
That twinkled and trembled like stars in the skies.
'Twas a gay little dress, with collar of blue,
With lappets and pockets" and tiny cuffs, too.
You surely would think she would run and obey
Dear mamma, who had worked on her dress all the day;
But she lingered, and pouted, and fretted instead,
And said, with a toss of her bright golden head,
"I am tired of dresses; I wish we could do
As the Bible folks did, they were good people, too.
In my Sabbath-school it tells about John;
Where he lived, what he did, and what he had on.
He never was troubled with clothing at all,
But just wrapped himself up in a camel's hair shawl."
"Very well," said mamma; "Mabel dear, you may try
A life like good John's, but be sure, by-and-by,
When you want your good supper of milk and sweet bread,
You must go to the woods and eat locusts instead;
You may find, too, some honey by searching about,
For wild bees and locusts are plenty, no doubt.
"You may take my fine shawl, but leave your new clothes
For a poor little girl whom mamma well knows;
And when the night comes, you must lay down your head
With a stone for a pillow, and leaves for your bed;
And when through the forest the darkness shall creep,
No mother can watch you or rock you to sleep."
Then quickly round mother's neck white arms were pressed,
And a head on her bosom was nestled at rest.
"Dear mamma, forgive me; my dress I will try,
For I never could leave you, I surely should die!
And I'm sure that the neighbors would think it was funny,
If I lived in the woods and ate locusts and honey!"