MEASURING THE BABY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 656, 1 April 1914, Page 7

MEASURING THE BABY.

■ (By Emmeline.) We measured the riotous baby Against the cottage wall, A lily grew at the threshold, And the boy was just as tall. A royal tiger lily, With spots of purple and gold, And the heart of a jewelled chalice, The fragrant dew to behold. Without the blue-birds whistled, High up in the old-roof trees ; And to and fro at the window The red rose rocked her bees. And the wee pink fists of the baby Were nsver a moment still, • Snatching at shrine and shadow, That danced at the lattice silL His eyes were' as wide as blue-bells, His mouth like a flower unblown, Two little bare feet, like funny white mice, Peeped out. from gown ; And we thought, with a thrill of rapture. That yet had a touch of pain, When June rolls around with her roses, We'll measure the boy again. Ah me ! in the darkened chamber, With the sunshine shut away, Through tears that fell like a titter rain, We measured the boy to day ; And the little bare feet that were dimpled And sweet as the budding rose, Lay side by side together, In the hush of a long repose. (Jp from the dainty pillow, White as the risen-dawn. The little fair face lay smiling, With the light of heaven thereon ; And the dear little hands, like rose leaves, Dropped from a rose, lay still. Never to catch at the sunshine That crept to the shrouded sill. We measured the sleeping baby With ribbons white as Know, For the shining rosewood casket, That waited him below, And out of the darkened chamber We went with a childless moaivTo the height of the sinless angels Our little one had grown.