



Produced by Richard Tonsing, Juliet Sutherland and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net






[Illustration: UNDER BLUE SKIES]

                        JULIUS BIEN & CO. LITH.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]




                                 Under
                                  Blue
                                 Skies.


                                Verses &
                                Pictures
                                   By
                             S. J. Brigham

                            Worthington Co.
                            747 BWAY. N. Y.

[Illustration]




                           UNDER BLUE SKIES.
                            _(Frontispiece)_


                            Under blue skies
                        Daffodils dance, and the Oriole flies,
                      Bright, golden butterflies float on the breeze
                  Over the clover with brown honey-bees;
                  Daisies and buttercups, slender and tall,
                  Nod to the roses that cover the wall,
                        Under blue skies.

                Under blue skies,
            Every day brings us a sweeter surprise,
        Blooming of flowers and singing of birds,
        Words without song, and song without words;
    A world of bright children, all happy and gay,
    In sunshine and shadow, at work and at play.

 Copyright, 1886, by S. J. Brigham, N. Y.




                               Contents.


              _UNDER BLUE SKIES._
              _LITTLE NEIGHBORS._
              _STUDY-HOUR._
              _THE LETTER._
              _DAFFY DIL AND JONNY QUIL._
              _CAMPING SONG._
              _THE FAMILY DRIVE._
              _SILENT VOICES. I. DAISIES._
              _SILENT VOICES. II. BLUE-EYED GRASS._
              _SILENT VOICES. III. CLOSING FLOWERS._
                    _DANDELION._
                    _SWEET GRASS._
                    _THE MULLEIN PATCH._
                    "_TOSSED UP IN A BLANKET._"
                              _THE SAND-MAN._
                              _THE LILY POND._
                              _LUNCH TIME._
                              "_WHIRL THE BOAT._"
                                      _KINDERGARTEN._
                                      _THE ORIOLE'S NEST._
                                      _THE JUNE-BUG._
                                      _CHOCOLATE DROP._

[Illustration]

[Illustration]




                           LITTLE NEIGHBORS.


    Birds a-singing in the trees,
      Marigolds a-blowing;
    Bees a-humming what they please,
      Coming and a-going;
    Hiding in the hollyhocks,
      Swinging on the clover,
    Climbing up the Lily-stalks,
      Honey running over.

          Breath of roses in the air,
            Roses are in hiding;
          Breezes will not tell us where,—
            Winds are not confiding;
                Down the walks the children wind,
                  Through the fence a-peeping;
                        Like the bees and birds they find
                            Treasures for the seeking.

                              Little neighbors, like the birds,
                                Sing and talk at pleasure;
                                Like the bees, with honeyed words,
                                Choose their time and measure;
                              Like sweet peas they cling and climb,
                                        Here and there and yonder;
                                      All the pleasant summer-time
                                    They visit and they wander.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]




                              STUDY-HOUR.


             O hush! you Robin, you sing and swing
               In the lilac tree,
             And my lessons seem long when I hear your song
               So happy and free.

             If only the hours had wings, I know
               They would flutter away,
             Like the bird on the tree, or the velvet bee,
               Or the butterfly gay.

             But then I know that a maid like me
               Has a life to live,
             And my heart and my mind has something to find
               Before it can give.

             O rest you, Robin, a little while
               Your voice and your wing!
             And then by-and-by dear Robin and I
               Will both sing and swing.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]




                              THE LETTER.


                 "O, wait, little maiden,
                 With hand letter-laden!
                   I'll take it one minute,
                 And please tell me who
                 You have written it to,
                   And all that is in it."

                         "Ah, no!" said the maiden,
                         "With love it is laden,
                           No stranger can take it:
                         I will just tell you this,
                         It is sealed with a kiss,
                           And _Mamma_ will break it."

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]




                               DAFFY DIL
                                  AND
                              JONNY QUIL.


                                              Said Jonny Quil
                                              to Daffy Dil,
                                            His pretty country cousin:
                                          "Now is our chance
                                              to have a dance,
                                    Your sisters, full a dozen,
                                        Are here in golden
                                        cap and frill;
                                  What say you,
                                      Cousin Daffy Dil?"

                  Said Daff