NO DINNER FOR THE DOGS. HE Bliffins-Bly family dine out on Baby Bunting Bliffins-Bly has gone, looking as nice as anything in her white rabbit skins. Jimmy Bliffins-Bly went out at the door with a hop, skip, jump, and a whoop, saying he was "a-goin' to stuff hisself." But the dogs and cats of the household were not invited. They are as hungry, however, on that day as any other day. Why do families feel at liberty to leave home at any time, making no provision for the meal-time hours of their dogs and cats? Why is the opinion universal that dogs and cats may be fed whenever it is convenient-that it is no matter if they miss a meal? I ask in behalf of many cats and dogs. Mrs. Bliffins-Bly's cats, being able to climb, at last discovered eatables on the shelf. They dine heartily, and indulge in much after-dinner jollity. The dogs, unable to climb, try another way-try to jump up. They trust that thereby the topmost fellow may grasp Tabby's tail and draw himself up. They have openly vowed to eat the cats should there be nothing else on the shelf. But the cats don't care; they only laugh. Selfish cats! DOLLIE'S LULLABY. JOLLY dear, do please lie still, The stars shine in the sky? The little birds were fast asleep More than an hour ago; Now, do not cry, my own sweet one- to the pastrycook's," said Freddy's mamma; "I am going to buy some cakes for the nursery tea. What would like best?" Freddy looked all round-first over the counter and the little tables set out with plates of good things, and then into the large plate - glass window; and there through the pane he saw two very hungry little faces flattened against the glass. They belonged to a boy and girl about his own age, and there was something in the expression of their hungry eyes which took away the little boy's appetite for the rich cakes and sweets. "Mamma, mamma? Do you see those poor children?" and he tugged at her jacket to attract her attention. 66 Yes, my boy, I do," said his mother quietly, who was waiting to see if her child would be unselfish. "Couldn't we give them some bread instead?" urged Freddy with a pleading voice. "Yes, gladly; but then you must give up your cakes." "All right, mother; they want it more than we do;" and with a glad heart Freddy ran out with a loaf of bread, and placing it in the boy's arms, was more than rewarded by his thankful look of surprise. A. M. G. WHAT'S THE MATTER? WONDER if the little birds, That soar above my head, Are scolded all the sunny day, And then sent off to bed? I almost wish I was a bird, And had a pair of wings; There's always such a dreadful fuss I'm sure 'tis not so very wrong For girls to like to play; I haven't learned my lesson yet, Everything is going wrong, And has been all the day; I hate to work, and seems to me I wonder why I feel so cross I am a naughty, wilful girl I knew it all the while; And then how soon she'll smile. And if I live to see the sun GOOD-NIGHT. |OOD-NIGHT, good-night, to the sweet sunlight, Down in the golden west : Over the woods the shadows creep, Where baby robins are fast asleep Under the mother's breast. Good-night, good-night, and now for the white Wee robe, and the downy nest; A prayer, a kiss, and my birdie bright Has said to the world, "Good-night, good-night," And gone to sleep with the rest. AUNT ADNA. OUR PETS. ERHAPS some of the children who read the Child's Own would like to hear of our pets; so I will begin with our two ponies, Page and Knight. These were bought at fairs when they were little wee foals, and when they came home they were miserable half-starved creatures. 66 Page was papa's first purchase, and he was let out in the shrubbery near the house, as we feared unless he had some shelter he would die when hard frost and snow came on. From seeing us so constantly he became very tame, and would run after us whenever we appeared, and nibble bread from our hands, or nose" about our pockets in search of an apple or potato. He grew very fast, and became rather troublesome, as his favourite amusement was a kind of "hide and go seek." If Rose appeared he would rush at her, and when she hid behind a tree he would search for her, and then chase her to another; but though the game was all played in perfect good-humour, it was "horse-play" after all, and rather too rough to be safe, and soon afterwards papa bought him a companion of his own kind, Knight, a tiny little brown foal; Page was a bright glossy black. That winter both ponies shared the shrubbery, and though very fond of each other, Page was extremely jealous of Knight, and could not bear us to pay him any attention. The little foal was so tame that if any of us saw him lying down when we were passing by with a rake in our hands, we used to rake his rough coat instead of a flower-bed-a process which he enjoyed amazingly. When Page was only a year and a half old, Rose used to ride him about, and he grew so accustomed to having her on his back for a short time every day, he would feed quite as well as if she were not mounted. When he was two years old he was harnessed to a cart one day, and drew it quite quietly. Both the pretty ponies were made such pets of, they never seemed to think of resisting what they were set to do, and though they never had any regular training, still we can drive and ride them whenever we like, and Rose and little Mary constantly ride fat, comfortable Page together, four legs "hanging, dangling down, oh!" on one side, and looking very funny. But the pony seems really to enjoy it, and both the girls can trot and canter and guide him without any saddle whenever they like. Of course, if he happens to give a very bad start, they slip off, and Page stands quiet and waits for them to get up again. Once Rose got a very severe fall; but that was not Page's fault. She had a wild young dog, and wanted to keep him from running away and chasing the sheep. Well, she mounted Page one day, holding Rover by a long string attached to his |