Beautiful Grandma.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1866, 21 June 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

Beautiful Grandma.

GnAfcr>HA sits in her quaint arm-chair, Never was a lady more sweet and fair ; Her gray locks ripple like silver shells, And her brow its own calm story tells, 01 a gentle life, and a peaceful even, A trust in God, and a hope in heaven. Little girl May sits rooking away In her own low seat, like some winsome fay ; Two doll babies her kisses share, And another one lies by the side of her chair; May ia as fresh as the morning dew— Cheeks of roses and ribbons of blue. " Say Grandma," says the°pretty elf, " Tell me a story about yourself, When you was little what did you play ? Was yon good or naughty the whole day ? Was it hundreds and hundreds of years ago ? And what makes your* soft hair as white as snow?" " Did you have a mamma to hug and kiss ? And a dolly like this, and this, and this ? Did you have a pussy like my little Kate? Did you go to bed when the clock struck eight? >'-' M ': Did you have long'curls^and some beads like mine ? A new Bilk apron with ribbons fine ?" Grandma smiled at the little'maid, Andj laying aside her knittiing, she said ; " Go to my desk and a red box you'll se6 : Carefully lift and bring it to me. " So May put her dollies away and ran, Saying, " I'll be careful as ever I can. " Then grandmamma opened the box, an A beautiful child, with a throat like sno Lips just tinted, likejpink shells, rare, Eyes of hazel, and golden hair ; Hands all dimpled and teeth pearls, Fairest and sweetest of little girls. " 0, who is it ?" cried winsome May. How I wish she was here to-day ! Wouldn't I love her like'everything ? Give her my doll and my new gold ring. Say, dear grandma " who can she be ?" 11 Darling," said grandma that child was me." May looked long at the dimpled grace And then at the saint-like fair old face ; " How funny," she cried, with a smile and kiss, To have such a dear little grandma as this. Still," she added, with smiling aest, "I think dear grandma I like you best." So May climbed on the silken knee, And grandma told her her history, What plays she played and what toys she had, How at times she was naughty, or good, or sad ; "But the best thing you did," said May, " don't you see ?—? — Was to grow to a beautiful grandma for me."

The richest endowments of the mind are temperance, prudence and fortitude. Prudence is a universal virtue, which enters into the composition of all the rest; and where she ia not, fortitude loses its name and nature.