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the home book of verse-1-第24部分

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Isaac Watts '1674…1748'





THE VIOLET



Down in a green and shady bed

A modest violet grew;

Its stalk was bent; it hung its head;

As if to hide from view。



And yet it was a lovely flower;

Its colors bright and fair;

It might have graced a rosy bower;

Instead of hiding there。



Yet there it was content to bloom;

In modest tints arrayed;

And there diffused a sweet perfume;

Within the silent shade。



Then let me to the valley go;

This pretty flower to see;

That I may also learn to grow

In sweet humility。



Jane Taylor '1783…1824'





DIRTY JIM



There was one little Jim;

'Tis reported of him;

And must be to his lasting disgrace;

That he never was seen

With hands at all clean;

Nor yet ever clean was his face。



His friends were much hurt

To see so much dirt;

And often they made him quite clean;

But all was in vain;

He got dirty again;

And not at all fit to be seen。



It gave him no pain

To hear them complain;

Nor his own dirty clothes to survey;

His indolent mind

No pleasure could find

In tidy and wholesome array。



The idle and bad;

Like this little lad;

May love dirty ways; to be sure;

But good boys are seen;

To be decent and clean;

Although they are ever so poor。



Jane Taylor '1783…1824'





THE PIN



〃Dear me! what signifies a pin;

Wedged in a rotten board?

I'm certain that I won't begin;

At ten years old; to hoard;

I never will be called a miser;

That I'm determined;〃 said Eliza。



So onward tripped the little maid;

And left the pin behind;

Which very snug and quiet lay;

To its hard fate resigned;

Nor did she think (a careless chit)

'Twas worth her while to stoop for it。



Next day a party was to ride;

To see an air balloon;

And all the company beside

Were dressed and ready soon;

But she a woeful case was in;

For want of just a single pin。



In vain her eager eyes she brings;

To every darksome crack;

There was not one; and yet her things

Were dropping off her back。

She cut her pincushion in two;

But no; not one had fallen through。



At last; as hunting on the floor;

Over a crack she lay;

The carriage rattled to the door;

Then rattled fast away;

But poor Eliza was not in;

For want of just … a single pin!



There's hardly anything so small;

So trifling or so mean;

That we may never want at all;

For service unforeseen;

And wilful waste; depend upon't;

Brings; almost always; woeful want!



Ann Taylor '1782…1866'





JANE AND ELIZA



There were two little girls; neither handsome nor plain;

One's name was Eliza; the other's was Jane;

They were both of one height; as I've heard people say;

And both of one age; I believe; to a day。



'Twas fancied by some; who but slightly had seen them;

There was not a pin to be chosen between them;

But no one for long in this notion persisted;

So great a distinction there really existed。



Eliza knew well that she could not be pleasing;

While fretting and fuming; while sulking or teasing;

And therefore in company artfully tried;

Not to break her bad habits; but only to hide。



So; when she was out; with much labor and pain;

She contrived to look almost as pleasant as Jane;

But then you might see that; in forcing a smile;

Her mouth was uneasy; and ached all the while。



And in spite of her care it would sometimes befall

That some cross event happened to ruin it all;

And because it might chance that her share was the worst;

Her temper broke loose; and her dimples dispersed。



But Jane; who had nothing she wanted to hide;

And therefore these troublesome arts never tried;

Had none of the care and fatigue of concealing;

But her face always showed what her bosom was feeling。



At home or abroad there was peace in her smile;

A cheerful good nature that needed no guile。

And Eliza worked hard; but could never obtain


The affection that freely was given to Jane。



Ann Taylor '1782…1866'





MEDDLESOME MATTY



One ugly trick has often spoiled

The sweetest and the best;

Matilda; though a pleasant child;

One ugly trick possessed;

Which; like a cloud before the skies;

Hid all her better qualities。



Sometimes she'd lift the tea…pot lid;

To peep at what was in it;

Or tilt the kettle; if you did

But turn your back a minute。

In vain you told her not to touch;

Her trick of meddling grew so much。



Her grandmamma went out one day;

And by mistake she laid

Her spectacles and snuff…box gay

Too near the little maid;

〃Ah! well;〃 thought she; 〃I'll try them on;

As soon as grandmamma is gone。〃



Forthwith she placed upon her nose

The glasses large and wide;

And looking round; as I suppose;

The snuff…box too she spied:

〃Oh! what a pretty box is that;

I'll open it;〃 said little Matt。



〃I know that grandmamma would say;

'Don't meddle with it; dear';

But then; she's far enough away;

And no one else is near:

Besides; what can there be amiss

In opening such a box as this?〃



So thumb and finger went to work

To move the stubborn lid;

And presently a mighty jerk

The mighty mischief did;

For all at once; ah! woeful case;

The snuff came puffing in her face。



Poor eyes; and nose; and mouth; beside;

A dismal sight presented;

In vain; as bitterly she cried;

Her folly she repented。

In vain she ran about for ease;

She could do nothing now but sneeze。



She dashed the spectacles away;

To wipe her tingling eyes;

And as in twenty bits they lay;

Her grandmamma she spies。

〃Heydey! and what's the matter now?〃

Cried grandmamma; with lifted brow。



Matilda; smarting with the pain;

And tingling still; and sore;

Made many a promise to refrain

From meddling evermore。

And 'tis a fact; as I have heard;

She ever since has kept her word。



Ann Taylor '1782…1866'





CONTENTED JOHN



One honest John Tomkins; a hedger and ditcher;

Although he was poor; did not want to be richer;

For all such vain wishes in him were prevented

By a fortunate habit of being contented。



Though cold were the weather; or dear were the food;

John never was found in a murmuring mood;

For this he was constantly heard to declare; …

What he could not prevent he would cheerfully bear。



〃For why should I grumble and murmur?〃 he said;

〃If I cannot get meat; I'll be thankful for bread;

And; though fretting may make my calamities deeper;

It can never cause bread and cheese to be cheaper。〃



If John was afflicted with sickness or pain;

He wished himself better; but did not complain;

Nor lie down to fret in despondence and sorrow;

But said that he hoped to be better to…morrow。



If any one wronged him or treated him ill;

Why; John was good…natured and sociable still;

For he said that revenging the injury done

Would be making two rogues when there need be but one。



And thus honest John; though his station was humble;

Passed through this sad world without even a grumble;

And I wish that some folks; who are greater and richer;

Would copy John Tomkins; the hedger and ditcher。



Jane Taylor '1783…1824'





FRIENDS



How good to lie a little while

And look up through the tree!

The Sky is like a kind big smile

Bent sweetly over me。



The Sunshine flickers through the lace

Of leaves above my head;

And kisses me upon the face

Like Mother; before bed。



The Wind comes stealing o'er the grass

To whisper pretty things;

And though I cannot see him pass;

I feel his careful wings。



So many gentle Friends are near

Whom one can scarcely see;

A child should never feel a fear;

Wherever he may be。



Abbie Farwell Brown '1875…1927'





ANGER



Anger in its time and place

May assume a kind of grace。

It must have some reason in it;

And not last beyond a minute。

If to further lengths it go;

It does into malice grow。

'Tis the difference that we see

'Twixt the serpent and the bee。

If the latter you provoke;

It inflicts a hasty stroke;

Puts you to some little pain;

But it never stings again。

Close in tufted bush or brake

Lurks the poison…swelled snake

Nursing up his cherished wrath;

In the purlieus of his path;

In the cold; or in the warm;

Mean him good; or mean him harm;

Wheresoever fate may bring you;

The vile snake will always sting you。



Charles and Mary Lamb





〃THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL〃



There was a little girl; who had a little curl

Right in the middle of her forehead;

And when she was good she was very; very good;

But when she was bad she was horrid。



She stood on her head; on her little trundle…bed;

With nobody by for to hinder;

She screamed and she squalled; she yelled and she bawled;

And drummed her little heels against the winder。



Her mother heard the noise; and thought it was the boys

Playing in the empty attic;

She rushed upstairs; and caught her unawares;

And spanked her; most emphatic。



Henry Wadsworth Longfellow '1807…1882'





THE REFORMATION OF GODFREY GORE



Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore …

No doubt you have heard the name before …

Was a boy who never would shut a door!



The wind might whistle; the wind might roar;

And teeth be aching and throats be sore;

But still he never would shut the door。



His father would beg; his mother implore;

〃Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore;

We really do wish you would shut the door!〃



Their hands they wrung; their hair they tore;

But Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore

Was deaf as the buoy out at the Nore。



When he walked forth the folks would roar;

〃Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore;

Why don't you think to shut the door?〃



They rigged out a Shutter with sail and oar;

And threatened to pack off Gustavus Gore

On a voyage of penance to Singapore。



But he begged for mercy; and said; 〃No more!

Pray do not send me to Singapore
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