SELECTED VERSE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 430, 29 August 1908, Page 4

SELECTED VERSE.

“ How D’y’ Do, Mamma ; How D’y Do?”

With tousled locks and sunny

smile And bursts of artless baby glee, He leaves his blocks, an aimless pile, And toddles over to my knee,

And fondly looks up in my face, With eyes of sober, earnest blue, And asks with baby-lover’s grace : “ How d’y do, Mamma ; how d’y do?”

Sometimes when in adventurous

whim, He issues from his dark domain, I set myself to punish him,

A task that always gives me pain. And then, with love-compelling

ways, With eyes tear - brimmed like flower adew, He looks up in my face and says : “ How d’y do, Mamma ; how d’y’

do ?” Some day—ah! sad, yet joyful thought, My babe will grow to man’s estate, And tread life’s path so thickly fraught With things that smirch and dese-

crate. But, oh, within my heart I pray My boy may e’er be good and true, May e’er look in my face and say, “ How d’y’ do, Mamma ; how d’y do?”