THE SUN.

SOMEWHERE it is always light;
For when 'tis morning here,
In some far distant land 'tis night,
And the bright moon shines there.

When you're undressed and going to bed,
They are just rising there,

And morning on the hills doth spread,
When it is evening here.

And other distant lands there be
Where it is always night;

For weeks and weeks they never see
The sun, nor have they light.

For it is dark both night and day,
But what's as wondrous quite,
The darkness it doth pass away,
And then for weeks 'tis light.

Yes, while you sleep the sun shines bright,
The sky is blue and clear;

For weeks and weeks there is no night,
But always daylight there.

THE STRAWBERRY.

Do you see that little white house standing back from the street? You cannot see it plainly, it is so much hidden by the beautiful elm before it. How sweetly comes the fragrant smell of flowers from the garden in front. The windows are open: hark! do you hear the hum of childish voices. I went to school in that house some years ago. Our mistress, Miss Bennet, was about forty, I suppose: her complexion was clear though pale; and you might have thought her a Quaker, from the close bonnet and sad-colored dress that enveloped her small, neat figure, but for one remnant of her former vanities-she always wore a pink bow on her snowy collar. She was a truly just woman: no partiality for the offender could make her deviate from her strict rules. Our lessons must be learned: yet we all loved her, for we knew that she was right. Children can sooner read the character of their instructor than is generally supposed. We feared Miss B.; but it was only when conscious of deserving reproof-at other times she was like an elder sister. She was fond of children: I think that was proved by her having kept school (that most trying to patience of all occupations) for many years without having her temper soured; and still taking a kindly interest in all our little

pleasures and amusements. She it was that fitted up the little wood shed in the yard so prettily for as, as a retreat from the sun. She it was that had the long slip of ground by the fence dug up, and gave us each a portion for a garden; and she went with us on Saturday afternoon to the seed store, to make the purchases of each a fourpence worth of seeds.

Oh! what a deliberation was there: one hesitated long between china-asters and Dutch pinks; another wanted mignionette, but then it had no showy flowers, and she feared that her spot of ground would look dull beside the next, whose owner had chosen French marigolds. Oh! exclaimed another, I will have the golden coreopsis, it is such a pretty, hard name. We all wondered in our hearts at the smiling unconcern with which the shopman answered our various questions, while purchases of such trifling amount were to be made. Then came the exchanging: "I will give you some of my seeds for some of yours;" and the disputing as to whether two ought to buy the same kind of flowers. Then came, on Monday, the planting; and the fences or divisions, made of little sticks or stones: and when the young plants began to come up, the great difficulty as to whether they were plants or weeds; the watchful anxiety of those whose seeds would not come up as soon as the others.

But the pride of our garden was the centre space, that was called Miss Bennet's, and was occupied by a giant monthly strawberry plant. It had many a blossom, but all dropped off save one; and the gradual enlargement of the single berry was watched by us with the greatest interest. Twenty little mouths were opened every morning as Miss B. entered the gate, to inform her of the improvement of the strawberry. It began to redden; it was almost ripe;-when one direful morning half a dozen of us had gone a little earlier than school-time to look at (for it was impossible for our ingenuity to find any thing to do to) our gardens, when we were suddenly startled by a shriek from Jane Morris. We all gathered round her. "What is the matter, Jane? what ails you?" "Oh! the strawberry; the strawberry; it is gone." It was too true, the strawberry-one strawberry-Miss Bennet's strawberry-was gone.

After a due portion of time spent in wondering, and lamenting over the fact of its being gone, a new impulse was given to our feelings, by Jane exclaiming, "It could not have gone without hands. Who could have taken the strawberry ?" At first it was suggested that some naughty boy (that bugbear to a good little school-girl) might have stolen it: but that was out of the question, for the fence was high and surmounted with nails;

When we

the gate was always kept locked. wished to go in before Miss B., as had happened this morning, one of us went for the key. The traitor must be among ourselves. A kind of chill came over us; laugh if ye will, but the abduction of the strawberry was to us a matter of importance each felt that she might be the suspected person. We silently looked on each other with inquiring eyes..

At that moment Miss Bennet entered, with several others, who she had, as was usual, collected round her in coming. Then the silence broke and pressing around her, we clamorously strove which should be the first to tell her the news, and exculpate herself from blame.

"Is it gone?" said Miss B.; "I am sorry, not for the strawberry, but that one of my children should have done any thing which she must have known would pain the others so much. But now come into school, and at play time we will endeavor to find out who took it."

The day wore on, but we were all restless and fidgetty, especially Caroline Barton; she seemed scarcely to know what she was about. And at last on receiving the commendation of Miss Bennet for writing a lesson well, she burst into tears, and cried out, "Oh, dear! I am so sorry."

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Sorry, for what, Caroline ?" said Miss Bennet. "Oh, ma'am, I took the strawberry." And the