Little Miss Crewe...

Little Miss Crewe

Has lost her shoe,

And can't tell where to find it.

Move out the chest,

And cease the quest,

For doggy 

and she

are 

behind it.

Down the path...

"Down the path and up the lane,

And through the neighbor's gate,

Oh people going out to dine

Should never start too late..."

The pudding-bag string...

Sing, sing! what shall we sing?

The cat's run away with the pudding-bag string...

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!

My Dame has lost her shoe,

Master broke his fiddling-stick

And don't know what to do."

Days of the week...

Days of the week...

Sunday, sixpence in the plate;

Monday, makes the scholars late;

Tuesday, work is well begun;

Wednesday, leaves the lazy one;

Thursday, full as full can be;

Friday, friends come in for tea;

Saturday, the kitchen clean;-

Sunday comes for rest between!

The Popular Poplar Tree.

The Popular Poplar Tree.

by Blanche Willis Howard. 

When the great wind sets things whirling 

And rattles the window-panes,

And blows the dust in giants

And dragons tossing their manes;

When the willows have waves like water,

And the children are shouting with glee;

When the pines are alive and the larches,

Then hurrah for you and me,

In the tip o' the top o' the top o' the tip of

the popular poplar tree!

Don't talk about Jack and the Beanstalk

He did not climb half so high!

And Alice in all her travels

Was never so near the sky!

Only the swallow, a-skimming

The storm-cloud over the lea,

Knows how it feels to be flying-

When the gust come strong and free-

In the tip o' the top o' the top o' the tip of

the popular poplar tree!

Shoe Play

Shoe Play.

Five frisky ponies waiting at the gate.

Shoe them, saddle them, and ride off in state.

One pony for my little man;

Two ponies make a span;

Three ponies in a row;

Four ponies ready to go;

Five ponies, glossy and bright

Up street.-down street,

And home again at night.

Finish your meal...

Finish your meal, then softly steal,

To see my fine lady try her new wheel.

She bumps on both elbows,

A scratch on her nose;

But she doesn't care

If her wheel only goes.

A little boy named Johnny...

A little boy 

named Johnny

Had a donkey

he called Ned,

Who when e'er he

tried to ride him

Always threw

him o'er his 

head.

The Giraffe Friend

The Giraffe Friend.

They were happy and did laugh

When their friend, the big G'raffe,

Said, "I'll take you to the City,

in a tandem."

But their joy was turned to grief

When their charger bit a leaf,

Never thinking how his sudden stop

would land 'em.

Bow-wow, little dog...

Bow-wow, little dog, have you any name?

Yes sir, two, but they don't mean the same,

One from my master, he calls me "Champ,"

An one from the neighbors, the call me "Scamp."

by Dorothy G. Rice.

Bargains for Scholars

Bargains for Scholars.

A funny little man kept an alphabet

shop,

And out from his counter, hippity hop,

He danced until he was ready to drop,

Singing and shouting with never a stop;

"Come in, little scholars,

With bright silver dollars,

Or if you've not any

Then come with a penny.

I have a bumble Bs

And morrowfat Ps,

Some Chinese Qs

And Japanese Ts,

A flock of Js

And lots of Es,

And perfectly beautiful dark-blue Cs.

This is the place to buy your

knowledge

At cheaper rates than are given at

college!"

Then he'd draw a long breath and spin

like a top,

This queer little man in an alphabet 

shop.

An Imaginary Case

An Imaginary Case.

If one little boy-being

Healthy and strong-

Can keep a house merry

All the day long,

Just think, if you can,

What a tempest of joys

There'd be in a house

Holding nine little boys.

A Cup Of Tea

A Cup of Tea

Phoebe brings the tea-pot, the tea is all a-steam;

Dolly brings the pitcher filled with golden cream.

Rhoda has the dainty cups rimmed about with blue,

And Polly brings the pretty spoons shining bright as new.

The Baby trips along behind, looking very droll;

and she, the sweetest of them all, brings the sugar-bowl.

Japanese Silhouette Version of Old Mother Hubbard

       Here is a unique set of silhouettes or paper cuts of a Mother Goose Rhyme, "Old Mother Hubbard" done up in a Japanese motif. The silhouettes are mounted on top of an ancient Japanese kimono design.

May's Valentine

MAY'S VALENTINE

"It's up we'll get!"
Cried Nurse Jeannette,
"To feel the sun a- warming.
St. Valentine
Will feast and dine,
And bring you something charming.'
Then dressed they fast
In ruffles vast
This best of little creatures
But at the pane
She watched in vain,
And ah, the sorry features!

His laughter done,
The sober sun
Behind a cloud went straying.
A heavy snow
Began to blow;
The boys ran in from playing.
"Twill be here yet,"
Said Nurse Jeannette,
"Perhaps at noon, my deary,"
The postman passed,
In snow and blast,
And May's blue eyes were teary.
"It's dark and wet,"
Said Nurse Jeannette,
" St. Valentine is groping;
So May, my dear,
Wipe off that tear,
And don't you give up hoping!"

When twilight came,
The little dame
Still peeped from out the curtain.
The sleet came pelt!
She was, she felt,
Forgotten now, for certain.
But candleshine
Brought Valentine -
A valentine so rosy!
Nor dreamed the miss
T would look like this,
Surpassing song or posy.
She jumped for joy:
A baby boy
Lay blinking up to greet her.
A brother! May,
You darling, say
What valentine were sweeter ?

Agnes Lee.

To My Daugher

TO MY DAUGHTER

Her kiss is warm upon my cheek,
She is not coy nor shy;
Her arms were clinging round my neck
When she bade me good-bye.

She whispers soft her love for me,
And I tell her of mine;
Sweetheart, no other maid could be
So dear a Valentine.

She loves me more than all the world;
Yet sadly I foresee,
As time rolls on, some other swain
May be preferred to me.

Were she sixteen, instead of three,
This little Daughter mine,
Another's vows might prove more dear
Than Papa's Valentine.

Walter Learned.

Mamma's Valentine

MAMMA'S VALENTINE

Baby came toddling up to my knee,
His chubby features all aglow,
" Dess I 'se doin' to be 'oor beau,
See what oo' dot from me!"
A valentine from my baby boy!
A crumpled sheet and a homely scrawl,
In a baby hand - that was all -
Yet it filled my heart with joy.

Broken my heart and white my hair,
And my mother's eyes are used to weep;
My little boy is fast asleep
In the churchyard over there.
What shall be mamma's valentine? -
The spirit touch of the baby hand,
A baby voice from the spirit land
Singing a song divine.

Eugene Field.

An Elizabethan Valentine

An Elizabethan Valentine
In an old Album dated 1583

When Slumber first undoudes my brain,
And thoughte is free
And Sense refreshed renews her reigne,
I thinke of Thee.

When next in prayer to God above
I bende my knee,
Then when I pray for those I love,
I pray for Thee.

And when the duties of the day
Demande of mee
To rise and journey on life's way,
I work for Thee.

Or if perchance I sing some lay,
Whate'eritbee;
All that the idle verses say,
They say of Thee.

For if an eye whose liquid lighte
Gleams like the sea,
They sing, or tresses browne and brighte, 
They sing of Thee.

And if a wearie mood, or sad,
Possesses mee,
One thought can all times make mee glad, 

The thoughte of Thee.

And when once more upon my bed,
Full wearily,
In sweet repose I lay my head,
I dream of Thee.

In short, one only wish I have
To live for Thee;
Or gladly if one pang 't would save
I 'd die for Thee.

Egg Hunt Silhouettes and Vintage Coloring

A little girl and the Easter bunny hide eggs in straw nests.

A little girl dumps dyed eggs from a large pot at the feet of the Easter bunny.

The Easter bunny paints eggs while a little girl collects them in her basket.

We're all dressed up and on our way,
To church, first thing on Easter day

Color a vintage picture of children going to church.

Easter Index/ Previous Page/ Index Page

The Two Brothers: A Story of Forgiveness

       Jacob and Esau were the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. The two boys were very, different in looks and in character, and, as sometimes happens in families today, one was the favorite of his father, and the other the favorite of his mother. Esau, the elder, was a rough, hairy fellow who grew up to be a famous hunter, while Jacob was content to stay at home and take care of his father's flocks. Esau would go into the fields and kill deer, and then bring back to his father the delicious venison. But the homeloving Jacob was the favorite of his mother. In those days the eldest son was the most important of all the children. He received the greater share of the cattle and other property when the father died, and was favored above all the other sons. This special favor was called the birthright. As Esau was older than Jacob, he was entitled to the birthright, but he did not appreciate it as he should have done. One day, after he had been out hunting, he came home faint and hungry. Jacob had just cooked a savory vegetable food called pottage, and when his brother saw it he said, "Give me, I pray, the pottage to eat, for I am very faint." But Jacob said, "Sell me this day thy birthright." Now Esau thought only of satisfying his hunger, and he said to himself, "If I do not get food to eat at once I will die, and what good will my birthright be to me then?" Thus he weakly yielded to the temptation and sold his precious birthright.

Jacob receiving the blessing.

       As the years passed by Isaac became feeble and his sight grew very dim. One day he said to Esau, "Take thy bow and kill a deer, that I may taste again the venison that I love. Then I will give thee my farewell blessing." This special blessing was bestowed in those days, on the eldest son, and was one of the privileges of the birthright. Esau gladly departed to do his father's bidding. Rebekah, however, had overheard Isaac's words, and she was displeased that Esau should be placed above her favorite, Jacob. Therefore, as soon as Esau was out of sight, she told Jacob to bring to her two small goats from the herd. When he had done so she cooked the meat and made it taste like the venison of which Isaac was so fond. Then she had Jacob dress himself in Esau's clothes, and she put the skins of the goats on his hands and his neck, that he might seem to be a hairy man like his brother. When Jacob told her he feared that a curse would come upon him for deceiving his father, Rebekah replied, "Upon me be the curse, my son: only obey my voice." Then Jacob presented himself to Isaac, and the aged man felt of the hairy hands and believed that his eldest son was before him, though his voice was the voice of Jacob. When he had eaten of the meat which Rebekah had prepared, Isaac drew his son close to him, smelled of his garments, which had the smell of woods and fields, and gave him the prized blessing.

       On Esau's return from the hunt he prepared a savory piece of venison for his father, and offered it to him, begging for his blessing, as had been promised. Trembling and dismayed, the old man cried out, "Who art thou?" And when Esau told him that he was his first born son, Isaac knew that Jacob had stolen his brother's blessing. Exceedingly bitter was Esau's sorrow when he found out that he had been cheated, and in his anguish he cried, "Bless me, even me also, my father." Isaac was indeed glad to bless him, but he had promised the best things to Jacob, and he dared not revoke his solemn words. Esau could not control his feelings of disappointment and anger, and it was soon reported to Rebekah that he had threatened to kill his brother. Therefore the mother advised Jacob to go away to the home of her brother Laban, in another country. And in due time Jacob departed. So we see that his selfishness and greed sent him into exile and separated him from all that he loved.

       It was many years before the brothers met again. At the home of Laban Jacob received a kindly welcome, and he fell deeply in love with Rachel, the younger of his uncle's two daughters. Laban promised him that if he would serve him for seven years he could have Rachel for his wife, and so great was Jacob's love for her that the seven years of service seemed short, indeed. But when the time was up Laban consented to the marriage only when Jacob promised to serve him another seven years. As time passed by Jacob prospered greatly, and many sons were born to him. Then, at the end of twenty years, he decided to return to his own country. So he gathered together his flocks and herds, and departed with his family and servants.

       In all these years Jacob and Esau had never been reconciled, and as Jacob approached the place where his brother was living he sent men ahead with a friendly message, for he still feared his anger. The messengers told Esau of Jacob's prosperity during his sojourn with Laban, and of his hope that the past might be forgotten, but they returned with bad news. Instead of a message of friendship they came with a report that Esau was planning to meet his brother with four hundred men. That night Jacob prayed earnestly to God to save him from his brother's wrath, and the next day he sent his servants ahead of him with presents of goats and camels. When Jacob saw Esau approaching with the four hundred men he ran to meet him alone, and bowed down on the ground before him. All of Esau's anger melted away at sight of his brother, and he embraced him tenderly. Then they wept for joy that all was made right between them, and Jacob had his children come forward and greet their uncle. Esau asked about the droves and herds which had been sent ahead, and when Jacob told him they were gifts for him, he replied, "I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself." But Jacob insisted that he keep them, for he wanted his brother to know that the old spirit of greed had left his heart. The same day Esau departed to his own home, but Jacob journeyed on and came finally to Hebron, in Canaan, where his old father, still alive, was sojourning. The land of Canaan became his home once more, and there he reared twelve sons who became founders of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

The Marriage of Isaac

       In the course of time Sarah died, and was buried in a cave which Abraham bought as a tomb for his family. Then, as he felt himself growing old, and saw his son Isaac grow to manhood, he said to himself that he would like to have Isaac married. Now most of the people who lived in the land of Canaan worshiped idols, and Abraham decided that his son ought to seek a wife in Mesopotamia, where several of their kindred still lived. These far-away kinsmen believed in the true God, whom Abraham and Isaac worshiped. So Abraham called his oldest servant, the one who took care of his flocks and herds, and bade him go into that country and find there a wife for Isaac. Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and some beautiful gifts, and journeyed to the land in which Abraham had lived so many years before.

The servant meets Rebekah.

       After a time the servant came near to a city in Mesopotamia which had a well outside the gate. It was just at the close of day, and the women were coming out of the city to draw water. The servant had his camels kneel down by the well to rest, and then he prayed to God to show him which one of the women that came to draw water should be Isaac's wife. It was revealed to him that he should ask one of them for water to drink, and if she answered kindly he would know she was the one to be chosen. While he was praying, a beautiful, dark-eyed girl named Rebekah, carrying a pitcher on her shoulder, came up to the well. And when she had filled her pitcher the servant ran up to her and said, "Let me, I pray, drink a little water out of thy pitcher." She answered, "Drink, and I will draw water for the camels also." Then she let down the pitcher from her shoulder and gave the servant a drink, and afterward she carried water to the camels. When Rebekah had performed these services the servant gave her a gold earring and two gold bracelets. He inquired whose daughter she was, and asked whether he and his men could sleep at her father's house. The young woman told him that she was the daughter of Bethuel, and that there was room at their house for all, and food for the camels. The servant rejoiced greatly when she told him these things, for he knew that Bethuel was a kinsman of Abraham, and that God must have guided him to their place.

       Then Rebekah ran home and told her people all that had happened. Her brother Laban, when he saw the earring and bracelets, hastened at once to the well and invited the servant to come to their house and to bring his camels and their keepers. And they were all treated most kindly and made welcome. But before the servant would accept any food he told Rebekah's family who he was and why he had come to their city. And he begged them to say at once whether they would let Rebekah go home with him. As Bethuel and Laban listened to the story they felt it was God's will that Rebekah should be the wife of Isaac, and they at once consented to her going away. The happy servant, on hearing these words, brought out costly jewels of gold and silver and beautiful garments, and he gave Rebekah and her mother and brother many handsome gifts. Then they had a merry feast, and the next morning the travelers departed, taking with them Rebekah and her nurse.

       As they were passing through the land of Canaan one evening, they came near to the place where Isaac was. He had gone into the fields to walk about by himself, and when he saw the train of camels he hastened toward the travelers. As he came nearer Rebekah noticed him and said to the servant, "Who is this man walking to meet us?" When the servant told her that it was Isaac, she covered her face with a veil, and as soon as he came up to her she climbed down from her camel and Isaac took her into the tent his mother had lived in. He made her his wife, and he loved her so dearly that he was comforted for the loss of his mother. After the marriage Abraham gave all his herds and flocks to his son, and when he died Isaac buried him in the cave where Sarah rested.

Abraham and Isaac

       In the early days of Bible story there lived in the land of Ur of the Chaldees a man named Abram. Ur of the Chaldees was a city of Mesopotamia, which is the land between the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers, in Western Asia. There is today a ruined temple on the west bank of the Euphrates River, at the place where a canal joins that stream and the Tigris, and Bible students tell us that in the time of Abram Ur lay at the point where the temple may be seen. Abram was a rich man; he owned large herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, and he had many servants. But there came a time when it was revealed to him that he must depart from the country of ^Mesopotamia and go to a land called Canaan, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It would be interesting to trace on a map that long, toilsome journey over desert, stream and mountain. After he had settled in his new home, God told him that he was to be the father of a chosen people, and that his descendants were to possess all the land of Canaan. Kings were to come from his race, and he himself was to be called Abraham, which means "father of a multitude." A son, too, was promised him, for Sarah, his wife, was childless.

       When, at last, a little son was born to Abraham and Sarah, they were so happy they named him Isaac, for Isaac means "laughing." The child became a great comfort to his parents, and Abraham loved him above all other things. In those days men offered up sacrifices as a part of their religious duty. Very often they would kill a choice lamb out of the flock, and burn it on the altar as a sacrifice. One day God spoke to Abraham and said, "Take thy son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and go to the land of Moriah; thou must offer him there as a burnt offering, upon a mountain which I will tell thee of." There is nothing in the Bible record to make us think that Abraham rebelled or complained when he received this strange command. Early in the morning he saddled his ass, gathered the wood for the offering, and departed with Isaac and two young men-servants. On the third day he saw a summit in the distance that he knew to be the place of sacrifice, and he said to his servants, "Wait here; I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and will come again to you." Then Abraham and Isaac went on together; Isaac carried the wood, and his father bore the fire. The lad did not understand why they were going up to the mountain, and he said to Abraham, "Father, here is fire and wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" "My son," was the reply, "God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering." When they came to the place of sacrifice, Abraham built an altar, arranged the wood upon it, and then placed his boy on the wood. But just as he was about to lay his hand on him he heard a voice saying, "Abraham, Abraham." He answered, "Here am I." Then the voice said, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad: for now I know that thou fearest God." And Abraham knew then that God was testing him, to see whether he was willing to give up the dearest treasure he possessed. But he was not required to give up his son, for as he looked about him he saw a ram caught in a thicket by the horns, and he took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering. But because he had been obedient to the divine voice, and had not refused to give up that which he loved most dearly, Abraham received greater blessings than ever before.

The Bible as Literature

       Macaulay says in one of his essays, "If everything else in our language should perish, the English Bible alone would suffice to show the whole extent of its beauty and power." There are so many passages of high literary quality in the "Book of Books" that innumerable citations could be made to show the beauty and power of its language. Several passages from Isaiah, for example, were used by Handel as a setting for the matchless music of his Messiah, and the rhythm in each case is perfectly adapted to the noble melody The Psalms, too, have been chanted and sung for centuries.

       There are countless examples of beautiful figures of speech in the Bible, and practically every form of literature is found in its pages - the epic, the allegory, the parable, the short story, the historic narrative, the song of rejoicing, the dirge, and so on. Secular literature is permeated with allusions to the Bible, and whoever would aspire to a general culture cannot afford to ignore this great literary monument.

King James's Version

       In the reign of James I a Hebrew scholar, Hugh Broughton, insisted on the necessity of a new translation, and at the Hampton Court Conference (1604) the suggestion was accepted by the king. The work was undertaken by forty-seven scholars, divided into six companies, two meeting at Westminster, two at Oxford and two at Cambridge, while a general committee meeting in London revised the portions of the translation finished by each. The revision was begun in 1607 and occupied three years, the completed work being published in folio in 1611 and known as King James's Bible. Through the general accuracy of its translation and the purity of its style, it superseded all other versions. In response, however, to a widespread desire for a translation even freer from errors, the Convocation of Canterbury in 1870 appointed a committee to consider the question of revising the English version. Their report being favorable, two companies were formed, one for the Old Testament and one for the New, consisting partly of members of the Convocation and partly of outside scholars. Two similar companies were also organized in America, to work along with the British scholars. The result was that the revised version of the New Testament was issued in 1881; that of the Old Testament appeared in 1884. An American Revised Version appeared in 1901.

Bible Versions

       The earliest and most famous version of the Old Testament is the Septuagint, or Greek translation, executed by Alexandrian Greeks, and completed probably before 130 B. c. This version was adopted by the early Christian Church and by the Jews themselves and has always held an important place in the interpretation and history of the Bible. The Syriac version, the Peshito, made early in the second century after Christ, is celebrated for its fidelity. The Coptic version was made from the Septuagint, in the third or fourth century. The Gothic version, by Ulphilas, was made from the Septuagint in the fourth century, but mere insignificant fragments of it are extant. The most important Latin version is the Vulgate, executed by Jerome, partly on the basis of the original Hebrew, and completed in A. D. 405.

       The printed editions of the Hebrew Bible are very numerous. The first edition entire was printed at Soncino in 1488.

       The books of the New Testament were all written in Greek, unless it be true, as some critics suppose, that the gospel of Saint Matthew was originally written in Hebrew, Most of these writings have always been received as inspired; but the Epistle to the Hebrews, commonly ascribed to Saint Paul, that of Saint Jude, the second of Peter, the second and third of John and Revelation have been doubted. The three oldest manuscripts are:

1. The Sinaitic manuscript, discovered by Tischendorf in a convent on Mount Sinai in 1859, assigned to the middle of the fourth century 
2. The Vatican manuscript at Rome, of similar date
3. The Alexandrian manuscript in the British Museum, assigned to the latter half of the sixth century. 

Each manuscript contains also in great part the Septuagint Greek of the Old Testament. The division of the text of the New Testament into chapters and verses was introduced later than that of the Old Testament, but it is not precisely known when or by whom.

       Of translations of the Bible into modem languages the English and the German are the most celebrated. Considerable portions were translated into Anglo-Saxon, including the Gospels and the Psalter. Wycliffe's translation of the whole Bible (from the Vulgate), begun about, 1356, was completed shortly before his death, 1384. The first printed version of the Bible in English was the translation of William Tyndale, whose New Testament was printed in quarto at Cologne in 1525, a small octavo edition appearing at the same time at Worms. He also published the Pentateuch in 1530 and translated some of the prophetical books. Our translation of the New Testament is much indebted to Tyndale. A translation of the entire Bible, undertaken at the instance of Thomas Cromwell, was published by Miles Coverdale in 1535 and, being made from German and Latin versions, was inferior to Tyndale's.

       The first Bible printed by authority in England was an edition with a preface by Cranmer, hence called Cranmer's Bible. A royal proclamation in 1540 ordered it to be placed in every parish church. This continued, with various revisions, to be the authorized version till 1568. In 1557-1560 an edition appeared at Geneva, based on Tyndale's - the work of Whittington, Coverdale, Goodman, John Knox and other exiles, and commonly called the Geneva, or Breeches, Bible, from "breeches" standing instead of "aprons" in Genesis III, 7. This version, the first printed in Roman letters, and also the first to adopt the plan, previously adopted in the Hebrew, of a division into verses, was for sixty years the most popular in England and was allowed to be printed under a patent of monopoly in 1501. It omitted the Apocrypha, left the authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews open and put words not in the original in italics. The Bishop's Bible, published 1568 to 1572, revised by Archbishop Parker and eight bishops, succeeded Cranmer's as the authorized version, but did not commend itself to scholars or people. In 1582 an edition of the New Testament, translated from the Latin Vulgate, appeared at Rheims, and in 1609-1610 the Old Testament was published at Douai. This is the version recognized by the Roman Catholic Church.

The Apocrypha

       There are a number of sacred books not accepted by Protestants as authorized parts of the Bible, and to these the name Apocrypha has been applied. They are, however, accepted by the Roman Catholic Church. These books were written during the two centuries preceding the birth of Christ: The first and the second books of Esdras, Tobit, Judith, the rest of the book of Esther, the Wisdom of Solomon, the Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus, Baruch the Prophet, the Song of the Three Children, Susanna and the Elders, Bel and the Dragon, the Prayer of Manasses and the first  and second books of Maccabees.

39 Books of The Old Testament

       The first five of the Old Testament books are grouped together as books of the law (Pentateuch); those from Joshua to Esther, inclusive, are historical books; Job, Psalms, Proverbs,
       Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon and Lamentations are poetry; the sixteen remaining are prophecies, and are subdivided into greater and minor. The authorship and date of all of these books cannot be stated positively. It was long believed that Moses wrote the books of the law and that David was the sole author of Psalms, but some modern scholarship rejects both of these suppositions. While there is considerable evidence for assigning definite authors to some of the Old Testament writings, the authorship of many of the books is unknown. 

       Books of the Old Testament. The books of the Old Testament, thirty-nine in number, are as follows:

1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
6. Joshua
7. Judges
8. Ruth 
9. I Samuel
10. II Samuel
11. I Kings 
12. II Kings
13. I Chronicles 
14. II Chronicles
15. Ezra
16. Nehemiah
17. Esther
18. Job
19. Psalms
20. Proverbs
21. Ecclesiastes
22. Song of Solomon
23. Isaiah
24. Jeremiah
25. Lamentations
26. Ezekiel
27. Daniel
28. Hosea
29. Joel
30. Amos
31. Obadiah
32. Jonah
33. Micah
34. Nahum
35. Habakkuk
36. Zephaniah
37. Haggai
38. Zechariah
39. Malachi

27 Books of The New Testament

       Books of the New Testament. It is not a difficult matter to divide the twenty-seven books of the New Testament into three logical groups. The first five books: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Acts of the Apostles, are historical, relating to the life of Christ and the labors of His followers who planted the new Church in Jerusalem and abroad.. Then come the epistles, many of which are the work of Paul, and finally the prophetic vision of John, called the Book of Revelation. The complete list is as follows:

1. Matthew
2. Mark
3. Luke
4. John
5. The Acts
6. Romans
7. I. Corinthians
8. II. Corinthians
9. Galatians
10. Ephesians
11. Philippians
12. Colossians
13. I. Thessalonians
14. II. Thessalonians 
15. I. Timothy
16. II. Timothy
17. Titus
18. Philemon
19. Hebrews
20. James
21. I. Peter
22. II. Peter
23. I. John
24. II. John
25. III. John
26. Jude
27. Revelation

A Funny Valentine

A Funny Valentine

by Frank H. Sweet

Did you ever find a valentine

Beside you in your bed

When you heard your papa saying:

"Wake up, my sleepy head!

Wake up, wake up! Your eyes will

shine

To see your funny valentine?"

Did you ever have a valentine, 

All soft and warm and sweet,

With a little rolly poly head

And mites of hand and feet,

Wrapped up in a flannel, oh, so tight,

And 'fraid of one wee bit of light?

Did you ever have a valentine

(My sakes, I want to laugh!)

So heavy that they said it weighed

Just nine pounds and a half,

Without a tooth to bite its bread

Nor any hair upon its head?

I had one just this morning,

And 'twas such a sweet surprise

To hear my papa saying,

"Wake up, dear sleepy eyes!"

That funny little valentine

Is mamma's baby- yours and mine!

Irish Lullaby

Irish Lullaby

I'd rock my own sweet childie to rest in a cradle of 

gold on a bough of the willow,

To the shoheen ho of the wind of the west and the

lulla lo of the soft sea billow.

Sleep, baby dear,

Sleep without fear,

Mother is here beside your pillow.

I'd put my own sweet childie to sleep in a silver boat

on the beautiful river,

Where a shoheen whisper the white cascades, and a

lulla lo the green flags shiver.

Sleep, baby dear,

Sleep without fear,

Mother is here with you for ever.

Lulla lo! to the rise and fall of mother's bosom 'tis

sleep has bound you,

And O, my child, what cosier nest for rosier rest could

love have found you?

Sleep, baby dear,

Sleep without fear,

Mother's two arms are clasped around you.

Another Irish lullaby "Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral"

Gracie Og Machree

Gracie Og Machree

(Song of the "Wild Geese.")

I placed the silver in her palm,

By Inny's smiling tide,

And vowed, ere summer time came on,

To claim her as a bride.

But when the summer time came on

I dwelt beyond the sea;

Yet still my heart is ever true

To Gracie Og Machree.

O bonnie are the woods of Targ,

And green thy hills, Rathmore,

And soft the sunlight ever falls

On Darre's sloping shore;

And there the eyes I love- in tears

Shine ever mournfully,

While I am far, and far away

From Gracie Og Machree.

When battle-steeds were neighing loud,

With bright blades in the air,

Next to my inmost heart I wore

A bright tress of her hair.

When stirrup-cups were lifted up

To lips, with soldier glee,

One toast I always fondly pledged,

'Twas Gracie Og Machree.

The Earth and Man

The Earth and Man

A little sun, a little rain,

A soft wind blowing from the west-

And woods and fields are sweet again,

And warmth within the mountain's breast.

So simple is the earth we tread,

So quick with love and life her frame,

Ten thousand years have dawned and fled,

And still her magic is the same.

A little love, a little trust,

A soft impulse, a sudden dream-

And life as dry as desert dust

Is fresher than a mountain stream.

So simple is the heart of man

So ready for new hope and joy;

Ten thousand years since it began

Have left it younger than a boy.

AEolian Harp

AEolian Harp

O pale green sea,

With long pale purple clouds above-

What lies in me like weight of love?

What dies in me

With utter grief, because there comes no sign

Through the sun-raying West, or the dim sea-line?

O salted air,

Blown round the rocky headlands chill-

What calls me there from cove and hill?

What calls me fair

From Thee, the first-born of the youthful night?

Or in the waves is coming through the dusk twilight?

O yellow Star,

Quivering upon the rippling tide-

Sendest so far to one that sigh'd?

Bendest thou, Star,

Above where shadows of the dead have rest

And constant silence, with a message from the blest?

• How to make an aeolian harp and related links from Art Education Daily

Ossain Sang

Ossain Sang

Sweet is the voice in the land of gold,

And sweeter the music of birds that soar,

When the cry of the heron is heard on the wold,

And the waves break softly on Bundatrore.

Down floats on the murmuring of the breeze

The call of the cuckoo from Cossahun,

The blackbird is warbling among the trees,

And soft is the kiss of the warming sun.

The cry of the eagle of Assaroe

O'er the court of Mac Morne to me is sweet,

And sweet is the cry of the bird below

Where the wave and the wind and the tall cliff meet.

Fin mac Cool is the father of me,

Whom seven battalions of Fenians fear:

When he launches his hounds on the open lea

Grand is their cry as they rouse the deer.

After Easter

"I have told you this so that you will have peace by being united to me. The world
will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world!" John 16:33

After Easter

by Mary Lowe Dickinson

The Easter praises may falter 

And die with the Easter Day,
The blossoms that brightened the altar
In sweetness may fade away;
But, after the silence and fading
Lingers, untold and unpriced,
Above all changing and shading,
The love of the living Christ

For the living Christ is loving.
And the loving Christ is alive!
His life, hidden in us, is moving
Us ever to pray and to strive.
Alas! that e'en in our striving
We labor like spirits in prison,
Forgetting that Jesus is living,
Forgetting the Savior has risen!

We join in the Easter rejoicing,
And echo each gladdening strain,
While a pitiful minor is voicing
Our own secret doubting or pain.
We weave him a shroud of our sadness,
We cover his smile with our gloom,
And drive back the angel of gladness
That waits at the door of the tomb.

We forget that our own hearts have hidden
Our Christ in a grave of our own;
We forget that our own hands are bidden
To roll from the threshold the stone.
Yet our tearful eyes, drooping and weary
With watching in sorrow and fear,
Might see, with the heart-broken Mary,
That the Lord is alive - and is near.

Easter Index/ Previous Page/ Next Page

Easter Lilies

Easter Lilies

by Mary Lowe Dikinson

Not as we bring our garlands to a tomb,
To breathe heart-fragrance o'er a lost one's
rest,
Bring we this wreath of sweetness and of bloom
To crown this day, of all our days the best.

But as if love and gratitude and prayer,
Lying in grave dark that enwrapped his face.
Had seen his smile break forth with wondrous
grace,
And sudden blossomed into beauty there.

As if along the way that felt His tread
Life burst from death and flowers from the sod;
So new love springs to meet the heart of God,
In joyful praise that Christ no more is dead.

Easter Index/ Previous Page/ Next Page

Who Was Mother Goose?

The original Mother Goose was often pictured wearing the Welsh national costume.

"No, no, my melodies will never die,

While nurses sing and babies cry."

      When the visitor goes to Boston, besides the Bunker Hill monument, Paul Revere's church, Faneuil Hall, the old State House, and Copp's Hill cemetery, there is the old Granary Burying-ground to be visited, where the bodies of some of the most noted residents of old colonial Boston are buried. Not least among these is the one especially pointed out by the caretaker, which lies under a modest limestone slab of about four feet high, surrounded and supported by a wooden frame to prevent it from crumbling entirely away, the grave of the namesake and friend for all times of every little child, the happy songstress of happy songstresses, the much beloved and discussed Mother Goose.

       According to old records now extant both in Suffolk County, England, as well as in Boston, the family original name was not Goose but Vergoose or Vertigoose. In those early days before the beginning of the eighteenth century, people were very careless both about keeping records and about the spelling of their names. Many did not know how to spell, while those who did know, generally did not care; as long as the spelling indicated the right person that was all that was necessary. So we find the family name spelled Vergoose, as from the Anglo-Saxon, or Vertigoose, from the Norman French, which means green goose, a goose under four months old.

       Also on both sides of the ocean, we find from the records as early as the first half of the seventeenth century, that the family was well-to-do, and lived on Newbury Street in Boston. In 1690, the wife of Isaac Vergoose died and left him with ten children. Within two years he was married again to Elizabeth Foster, who, some writers tell us, was the future Mother Goose.

       Later Elizabeth Foster became the mother of six more children. Some authors aver that it was because of this fact that we are indebted for the rhyme of

"There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,

Who had so many children she didn't know what to do."

       In the historic town hall of Boston are many of the old city registers. In one of these is to be found the record of the wedding, performed by the celebrated Cotton Mather, of "Thomas Fleet of Shopshire, a suburb of London, now residing in Pudding Lane of this city" and Elizabeth Goose, daughter of Elizabeth Vergoose --widow of the deceased Isaac Vertigoose. The writer before referred to goes on to tell us that because of the constant chanting of rhymes to her grandchildren, the bustling old lady became very irritating to Thomas Fleet, who was a "man fond of quiet. " At first he endeavored to laugh her down, quizzing the melodies in order to put a quietus on the pester. As this had no effect, like others of our thrifty ancestors, the pensive man decided to coin money from a resource so near at hand, so he took down these verses as they were recited and in 1719 published a book called Songs for the Nursery, or Mother Goose. The songs were sold from the Pudding Lane shop for two coppers apiece.

       In 1833 "Reliable life of the Goose family, never before published" printed in Boston, reiterated that the first edition of Mother Goose's Melodies was published in 1719, by Thomas Fleet in Pudding Lane, Boston ; that the title was an ebullition of spite against his mother-in-law. This story was again renewed in i860 by Fleet's great-grandson, when he affirmed that a friend, Edward L. Crown in shield, had seen mutilated pieces of a copy of the 1719 edition in the Boston Library.

       A thorough search for this book has been made time and time again by the Boston Historical Society and by interested individuals, not only in all the Boston libraries, but in many other private collections; they have failed to bring to light this supposed copy and no record of it appears on any catalogue. Upon searching the reprints made in 1890, of the Prefaces, Proverbs, and Poems as contained in Poor Richard's Almanac by Benjamin Franklin, we find nothing that suggests a single one of these melodies nor any of the characters therein. Yet surely Franklin would have had a copy if any one did, had the book been in print. Bibliomaniacs have explored every clue and have failed to find trace of even the mutilated copy. It is very doubtful whether in 1719 a book of trivial rhymes would have been allowed to be published. At that date the little children were given the Bible to read.

       What we do find on authentic authority is that in 1697, in Paris, Charles Perrault published Conies du Terns' Passe, on the frontispiece of which is an old woman spinning and telling tales to a man, a girl, a boy, and a cat. On a placard near by is written "Contes de ma Mere l'Oye."

       Later in 1729, in London, a man by the name of Robert Sambers edited a translation of this book issued by J. Rivington. In 1795 the seventh edition of it was printed by J. Rivington, bookseller and stationer, No. 56 Pearl Street. The English version was printed on one side and the French on the opposite page. Copies of both of these books are in London Libraries to-day. This same Robert Sambers is recorded in Allibone as having translated a work of the same sort from the French in 17 19, but no copy of this volume exists. It may be, however, that this idea of the Fleet edition sprang from one of these copies, or still more likely from an edition of Daniel Henchman, the well known publisher and bookseller, which is now among the Hancock papers in the Library of the New England Historic Geneological Society. Among other items will be found "July 13, 1719, Thomas Fleet credited by printing one hundred primers--£250."

       In 1 719 Henchman issued a pamphlet or sheet called Verses for Children. Fleet was engaged in printing the primer for Henchman. Some of these copies are extant. If Fleet had printed any copies for himself it is probable that they would still exist also, but none have been found. In fact, there is evidence that Fleet did not live on Pudding Street until 1731.

       The French edition of 1697 was dedicated to Comtesse de Murat and the English of 1729 to the Right Honorable, the Lady Mary Montagu, daughter of John, Duke of Montagu. The tales such as Little Red Riding-Hood, The Fairy (the sisters who dropped diamonds and toads from their mouths), Blue Beard, the Sleeping Beauty, Puss-in-Boots, Cinderella, Requet with the Tuft, and Little Thumb; eight in all--were in the 1697 edition.

"When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing."

       As to the Melodies, John Newberry, the famous publisher of St. Paul's Church Yard in London, whose life has been most interestingly told by Charles Welsh in London, 1885, was the first English printer to preface story books for children. We find that in 1 765 he published Little-Goody-Two-Shoes, a story generally ascribed to Oliver Goldsmith, who was a constant writer for Newbery.

       In Welsh's Life of Goldsmith, volume II, pp. 71. he writes that "Miss Hawkins says, 'I little thought that I should have to boast that Mr. Goldsmith taught me Jack and Jill by two bits of paper on his fingers.' " If one reads on a bit further in the same volume, he will find that on January 29, 1768, after the production of the Good Natured Man, Mr. Goldsmith went to dine with a friend. "To impress them more forcibly of his magnanimity, he sang lustily for them his favorite song about an old woman tossed in a blanket seventeen times as high as the moon, and was altogether very loud and noisy."

       In 1842, James O'Halliwell, the great Shakespearian authority, made a careful study of the nursery rhymes of England, collected principally from oral tradition. He writes that, "these traditional nonsense scraps have come down in England to us in such numbers that in the short space of three years, he had collected considerably more than a thousand. "

       Now then, if Thomas Fleet did not collect and publish these rhymes in 1719, how did they come to America? Soon after the Revolution, in 1787, Isaiah Thomas who had married one of the granddaughters of Fleet, took up the business of publishing children's books and copied many of the Newbery prints, as well as the Nursery Rhymes. A very beautiful copy is to be found in the Boston Library to-day. It is dated, Worcester, Massachusetts, 1787. This book is page for page a duplication from the Newbery edition. The cuts are reproduced, but are a good imitation of the original. Toward the end of the book they vary slightly as if the copier was tired of his work and wished to finish in the quickest manner possible. If there had been in existence a 1719 edition at that time, undoubtedly Thomas would have copied his grandfather's book, or at least mentioned it, rather than the one from England, against which land such a strong feeling still existed. Upon comparing the two volumes, we find that Thomas slightly altered the publisher's notes also.

       So until more is known of the bibliography of the "1719 edition," I fear that we must accept the following as the facts: that Mother Goose originated in France between 1650 and 1697, was translated into English by Robert Sambers in 1729, and did not reach America until 1785 when Isaiah Thomas gave us a reproduction of Newberry. As the different editions of Newberry have been added to and changed, so has the Thomas edition. Until to-day we have many different versions of the same, including some very modern rhymes that have absolutely nothing to do with the original American volume of Isaiah Thomas, which must be acceded to be the first American publication of Mother Goose. Lawrence Elmendorf.  

• Nursery Rhymes and Lullabies Coloring Collection
• 1904 Facsimile of earliest American compilation, John Newberry's Mother Goose's Melody, 1791 edition
• "Who was Mother goose?"
• The Real Mother Goose
• At Project Gutenberg:
  • The Tales of Mother Goose by Charles Perrault translated by Charles Welsh
  • The Real Mother Goose illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright
  • The Only True Mother Goose Melodies (Anonymous)
  • Mother Goose in Prose by L. Frank Baum
• Mother Goose public domain audiobook at LibriVox
• Mother Goose Clip Art Public domain illustrations of Mother Goose rhymes
• Collection of Mother Goose verses
• Verses with artwork and audio recordings
• Play and education with Mother Goose nursery rhymes
• Earliest extant evidence of an American Mother Goose in 1691

Our Family Memories Hang On a Valentine Tree

This pretty, pink, tabletop tree is usually found somewhere in my home during the month of February.
 Valentine's Day has always been a sweet, nostalgic holiday because of the enthusiasm our
two girls have for it.

       Above you can see our family's pink tree decorated with all kinds of handcrafted Valentines, hearts, and paper garlands. I will serve a Valentine's Day dinner with chocolate deserts and pink sugar cookies as usual and exchange love tokens with family members that same evening. Every year at least one person spends a bit of time writing some special letters, rhymes or verse to every person that will attend our dinner. No one person is ever left out of the celebration and you definitely needn't have a "love interest" to be given gifts during this holiday in our family!

       Just right, you can see a variety of Valentine ornaments that my children have collected over the years. Scraps of paper lace hearts, stickers of cherubim, pink and red glass birds, vintage greeting cards and ornaments crafted to look like sweet treats all hang from the bubble-gum pink tree branches. Old lace table linens are used to wrap the bottom of the tree's trunk and an old-fashioned Valentine mail box, from school days long ago, is nestled under the tree waiting to be filled with secret notes and charming love tokens.

Below are just a few traditions our family participates in on Saint Valentine's Day:

• exchange letters and cards 
• give small boxes of candy
• talk about the qualities we appreciate in our family members
• we spend time together watching films about love and romance
• we often dine together either at home or in a restaurant on Valentine's Day
• play board games together
• craft cards/gifts for friends and extended family members
• bake special deserts for each other 

More Ideas for Sharing Valentine's Day With Family And Children:

• 15 Fun Valentines Day Family Traditions  
• Family Night Valentine Crafts - Love Trees
• 10 Ideas: Valentine's Ideas for Your Family 
• Host a Valentine's Day Banquet at your church 
• 6 Cheerful Valentine's Day Activities for Seniors
• Valentines Day? You'll Love these Free Kids Ministry Ideas...
• Kid-Friendly Valentine's Day Crafts
• Christian Valentine Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers
• 20 Family Friendly Romantic Movies for Valentine's Day

Draw Fun Valentine Cartoons!

"A Teddy Bear Mails A Valentine" (four steps)

        Here are two fun little Valentine cartoons or process drawings for teachers to draw on a chalkboard or whiteboard at the front of the classroom. Students can follow the steps at their own tables using a pencil, eraser and coloring supplies. After watching and completing their own drawing give them plenty of time to color their drawings in and encourage them to add their own details.

       This kind of drawing activity teaches students to listen and observe carefully and homeroom teachers can certainly use this method of practice drawing to teach additional lessons about shapes and sizes.

"A Valentine For Miss Hippo" (three steps)

A Rejected Valentine

A Rejected Valentine

Georgie, dressed up spick

and fine,

Presented himself as a valentine

To little Polly, who tossed her

head,

Turned up her nose, and pertly 

said:

"My goodness me! Why, don't 

you know

You're not a card, with a ribbon

bow,

You're just a boy-not a valen-

tine!"

Then George blushed and meekly

said:

"To you by Cupid I was led:

And my love for you, so very

true,

Is tied about by ribbon blue."

But Polly laughed in a teasing

way,

And said: "I'll bid you a good

day.

Some other girl may not decline

To take you as her valentine."