The Twins.

    One 's the pictur' of his Pa,
    And the other of her Ma -
    Jes the bossest pair o' babies 'at a mortal ever saw!
    And we love 'em as the bees
    Loves the blossoms of the trees,
    A-ridin' and a-rompin' in the breeze!

    One's got her Mammy's eyes -
    Soft and blue as Apurl-skies -
    With the same sort of a smile, like - Yes,
                and mouth about her size, -
    Dimples, too, in cheek and chin,
    'At my lips jes wallers in,
    A-goin' to work, er gittin' home agin.

    And the other - Well, they say
    That he's got his Daddy's way
    O' bein' ruther soberfied, er ruther extry gay, -
    That he either cries his best,
    Er he laughs his howlin'est -
    Like all he lacked was butt...

In form and feature, face and limb,
    I grew so like my brother,
That folks got taking me for him,
    And each for one another.
It puzzled all our kith and kin,
    It reach'd an awful pitch;
For one of us was born a twin,
    Yet not a soul knew which.

One day (to make the matter worse),
    Before our names were fix'd,
As we were being wash'd by nurse
    We got completely mix'd;
And thus, you see, by Fate's decree,
    (Or rather nurse's whim),
My brother John got christen'd me,
    And I got christen'd him.

This fatal likeness even dogg'd
    My footsteps when at school,
And I was always getting flogg'd,
    For John turned out a fool.
I put this question hopelessly
    To every one I knew,
What 

Two little children toddled up to me,
Their faces fair as faces well could be,
Roses and snow, but pale the roses were
Like flowers fainting for the lack of air.
Sad was the tender study which I gave
The winning creatures, both so sweet and grave,
Two beautiful young Saxons, scarce knee high!
As like as peas! Two Lilliputian men!
Immortal ere they knew it by the pen
Which waketh laughter or bedews the eye.
God bless you, little people! May His hand
Hold you within its hollow all your days!
Smooth all the rugged places, and your ways
Make long and pleasant in a fruitful land!

"Little Blue-Ribbons!" We call her that
From the ribbons she wears in her favourite hat;
For may not a person be only five,
And yet have the neatest of taste alive?--
As a matter of fact, this one has views
Of the strictest sort as to frocks and shoes;
And we never object to a sash or bow,
When "little Blue-Ribbons" prefers it so.

"Little Blue-Ribbons" has eyes of blue,
And an arch little mouth, when the teeth peep through;
And her primitive look is wise and grave,
With a sense of the weight of the word "behave;"
Though now and again she may condescend
To a radiant smile for a private friend;
But to smile for ever is weak, you know,
And "little Blue-Ribbons" regards it so.

She's a staid little woman! And so as well
Is her ladyship's doll, "Mis...

His dressing-gown's blue, and
    His girdle is red;
He wears a black cap
    On top of his head.

He carries a candle
    To give you a light,
In case you should ever
    Get up in the night.

Little Blue Shoes
Mustn't go
Very far alone, you know
Else she'll fall down,
Or, lose her way;
Fancy--what
Would mamma say?
Better put her little hand
Under sister's wise command.
When she's a little older grown
Blue Shoes may go quite alone.