Mother Truth's Melodies Part 22

As _Photo_ means the _light_, Photography must mean A picturing of the light that falls Upon a thing, I ween.

Now _Astro_ means the _stars_; And hence Astrography Means to describe or tell about The stars we all may see.

And then Astronomy Tells all the various laws That govern or relate to stars; Of their motions tells the cause.

Now _Bios_ means a _life_; And so Biography Means writing out the life of one, Which we may often see.

_Zoos_ means _animal_; And your Zoography Describes the animals that live On land or in the sea.

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Then there's Stenography, A writing narrow, small, Or, as so many call it now, "Short-hand," which tells it all.

And then Xylography-- Engraving upon wood; And Crystallography as well, That tells of crystals good.

But these are _ographies_ Enough for now, you think; Yet when you're older, wiser grown, You many more will link.

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_THE STOP FAMILY_.

"I'm a dot with a quirk," whispers little Miss Comma, "And you'll please not to pause long for me."

"I'm a dot over Comma," says Miss Semicolon, "And you'll pause twice as long where I be."

"I am dot over dot," Master Colon speaks out, "You'll pause longer for me than they say:"

"I am one dot alone," Period says with a tone That means: "Stop when you see me obey!"

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"I'm a hook over dot," says Dame Interrogation, "I ask questions; but answer? O, nay!"

"I'm a splash over dot," says old Sir Exclamation; "I show wonder, delight, or dismay!"

"I'm a line east and west," says Miss Dash, "and I'm best At changing of subjects, you know."-- "I am Dash's small sister," says Hyphen, and kissed her; "I unite words, or syl-la-bles, so."

Then said Marks of Parenthesis (carefully curved), "We inclose what you well may omit; But we're often displaced by Miss Dash (in your haste), Whom you sadly mistake for a wit."

Now Apostrophe, Caret, Quotation, exclaimed: "We are commas and hyphens combined; We leave out, or put in, or reveal to your kin What you've said, when their backs you're behind."

Then Star, Daggers, Parallels, Paragraph too, Started up, staring wildly about, {228} With "We rise to explain on the margin, 'tis plain, Or to point a new paragraph out."

Of the whole Punctuation, each knew his own station.

Each did his own duty, we see; If we do ours as well, and of their's, too, can tell, We shall soon learn good readers to be.

"All is not gold that glitters;"

Yet think not, children mine, That all that glitters is not gold; The true must ring and s.h.i.+ne.

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_LITTLE MISCHIEF_.

Little Master Mischief Lives in Nellie's eye, Sitting in the corner, Peeping out so sly; Now he's crossed the snow-ground And in chamber blue, Thinking he is hidden, Peek-a-boos at you.

Now he drops the curtain, Sure that he is hid, But you see him dancing Even on the lid.

Now, the curtains lifting, You can see he's crept To the inner chamber, Where the love-light slept.

Watching now his moment He pops out, and see, Mamma's spools and thimble Quickly disagree.

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Shall we punish Mischief?

Better teach the child How to hold and lead him, Running now so wild.

Would she like her playthings Scattered here and there, When she had arranged them?

Would she think it fair?

Would she like her puzzle Portions of it, lost?

Would she like her dishes Everywhere uptossed?

Would she like her ap.r.o.n With a missing string, Mamma hunting, meanwhile, Thread and everything?

Nellie, learn the lesson: Be to others true, Always do as you would Have them do to you.

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This the dear Lord's precept,-- This the Golden Rule,-- This the highest lesson In our Nellie's school.

Be gentle and loving, Be kind and polite; Be thoughtful for others, Be sure and do right.

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_GRANDMA'S CANARY._