WHY THEY TWINKLE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 423, 27 November 1889, Page 6

WHY THEY TWINKLE.

When Eve had led her lord away, And Cain had killed his brother, The stars and flowers, the poets say; - - ' Agreed with one another, , To cheat the cunning tempter's art, And teach the race its duty. By keeping on its wicked heart Their eyes o£ light und bqauty. A million sleepless lids, they say, ' Will he at least a warning : And so the flowers would watch by day, t The stars from eve to morning. ■On hill and prairie, field and lawn, Their dewy eyes upturning.' The flowers still watch from reddening dawn Till western skies are burning. Alas ! each hour of daylight tolls A tale oL shame po crushing, , - , That some turn white as sea- bleached shells, And some are always blushing. But when the patient stars look down* On all their light discovers, .. i( The traitor's smiles, the murderer's fnrttn, The lips of lying lovers, They try to shut their eyen, ' And in the vain endeavour We see them twinkling in the skies. And so they wink for erer. O. W. Holmes.

Why is blindmans buff like sympathy ? —Because it is a fellow feeling for a fellow creature.

'Mamma,' said an interesting 'juvenile, 'do sheep write?' 'No, child. 1 'Then why are they provided with pens ?'

A little girl who had been to the circus for the first time in her brief life, greatly amused the family on her return by telling them ' she saw the elephant eat with its front tail.'

'Twelve pence one shilling,' said the school-master. 'Now go oiv&ir, twenty shillings make one— what?' 'They make one mighty glad these times,' replied the boy, and the teacher, who hadn't got his last month's salary, thought the boy was right. ■ .

Ta* Collector (to brightchild, whoanswers the door): 'Is your father in?' Bright chid : ' No, sir, but he left a message for you. 5 T. C. : • Well, what is it? 1 B. C. : ' Oh, he said— er-— er— he said— cr — I forget ; but if you'd wait a moment I'll go upstairs and ask him.' ,