Child's Garden of Verses (version 2) — Keepsake Mill, Good and Bad Children, Foreign Children, The Sun Travels, The Lamplighter

KEEPSAKE MILL

Over the borders, a sin without pardon, Breaking the branches and crawling below, Out through the breach in the wall of the garden, Down by the banks of the river, we go.

Here is the mill with the humming of thunder, Here is the weir with the wonder of foam, Here is the sluice with the race running under-- Marvellous places, though handy to home!

Sounds of the village grow stiller and stiller, Stiller the note of the birds on the hill;

Dusty and dim are the eyes of the miller, Deaf are his ears with the moil of the mill.

Years may go by, and the wheel in the river Wheel as it wheels for us, children, to-day, Wheel and keep roaring and foaming for ever Long after all of the boys are away.

Home from the Indies and home from the ocean, Heroes and soldiers we all shall come home;

Still we shall find the old mill wheel in motion, Turning and churning that river to foam.

You with the bean that I gave when we quarrelled, I with your marble of Saturday last, Honoured and old and all gaily apparelled, Here we shall meet and remember the past.

[Illustration] [Illustration] GOOD AND BAD CHILDREN

Children, you are very little, And your bones are very brittle;

If you would grow great and stately, You must try to walk sedately.

You must still be bright and quiet, And content with simple diet;

And remain, through all bewild'ring, Innocent and honest children.

Happy hearts and happy faces, Happy play in grassy places-- That was how, in ancient ages, Children grew to kings and sages.

But the unkind and the unruly, And the sort who eat unduly, They must never hope for glory-- Theirs is quite a different story!

Cruel children, crying babies, All grew up as geese and gabies, Hated, as their age increases, By their nephews and their nieces.

[Illustration] FOREIGN CHILDREN

Little Indian, Sioux or Crow, Little frosty Eskimo, Little Turk or Japanee, Oh!

don't you wish that you were me?

You have seen the scarlet trees And the lions over seas;

You have eaten ostrich eggs, And turned the turtles off their legs.

Such a life is very fine, But it's not so nice as mine: You must often, as you trod, Have wearied _not_ to be abroad.

You have curious things to eat, I am fed on proper meat;

You must dwell beyond the foam, But I am safe and live at home.

Little Indian, Sioux or Crow, Little frosty Eskimo, Little Turk or Japanee, Oh!

don't you wish that you were me?

[Illustration: FOREIGN CHILDREN] [Illustration] THE SUN TRAVELS

The sun is not a-bed, when I At night upon my pillow lie;

Still round the earth his way he takes, And morning after morning makes.

While here at home, in shining day, We round the sunny garden play, Each little Indian sleepy-head Is being kissed and put to bed.

And when at eve I rise from tea, Day dawns beyond the Atlantic Sea;

And all the children in the West Are getting up and being dressed.

THE LAMPLIGHTER

My tea is nearly ready and the sun has left the sky.

It's time to take the window to see Leerie going by;

For every night at teatime and before you take your seat, With lantern and with ladder he comes posting up the street.

Now Tom would be a driver and Maria go to sea, And my papa's a banker and as rich as he can be;

But I, when I am stronger and can choose what I'm to do, O Leerie, I'll go round at night and light the lamps with you!

For we are very lucky, with a lamp before the door, And Leerie stops to light it as he lights so many more;

And oh!

before you hurry by with ladder and with light;

O Leerie, see a little child and nod to him tonight!

[Illustration] [Illustration]