NOW, AND THEN.

"Well, well, well!" said grandmamma, "Only to see the toys,— The marvels of skill and of beauty, That are made for these girls and boys!— Velocipedes, acrobats, barrows, And a dozen kinds of ball, And the beautiful bows and arrows, With quivers and belts and all; And dolls, with an outfit from Paris, With eyes that open and shut, With jewelry worth a small fortune, And six several bonnets,—tut, tut! "My goodness! If Polly and Rachel, Who played in old times with me, In the corner down by the smoke-house, These wonderful dolls could see! Rachel's doll had a round head whittled From a bit of soft pine wood; And Polly's was only a corn-cob, With a calico slip and hood. My doll was a lovely rag-baby, With badly-inked eyes and nose; Her cheeks were painted with cherry-juice; And I made every stitch of her clothes. "Nathan's bow was a pliant whalebone, And his arrow a white-pine stick; Such a life as his archery practice Led the cats and each wretched chick! Our tea-sets were bits of dishes That mother had thrown away, With chincapin saucers and acorn-cups; And our dolls slept on moss and hay. With a May-apple leaf for a parasol We played 'Lady-come-to-see,' Polly's house was the kitchen door-step, And mine was the apple-tree. "We never saw 'Germans' and 'Matinees,' And we played good romping plays; And, somehow, I think we were happier far Than the children are nowadays. Our swing was an old, wild grape-vine; We waded and climbed and ran, And never were weary, nor sick, nor 'bored' From the minute that day began. Well, well, well!" said grandmamma, "In spite of their wonderful toys, I do believe we had merrier times Than these little girls and boys!"

ALICE WILLIAMS BROTHERTON.

DRAWING-LESSON.