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Read Ebook: A Present for Infants; or Pictures for the Nursery by Anonymous
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Ebook has 36 lines and 5032 words, and 1 pages
PRESENT
FOR
OR,
Pictures for the Nursery.
LONDON:
A PRESENT, &c.
TAKE care, little girl, that you do not fall into the water; for if once you fell in, you could not get out again, unless somebody happened to come to your assistance. When you are sent by your mother to fetch water, you should be careful how you dip your jug in; and after it is filled, you should go steadily home, without playing by the way.
Dearest Fanny, come to me, Take and eat my sweet grass here; Once you never us'd to flee, When with joy I did appear.
But now, your lambkin by your side Takes all your thoughts and all your care; I may go, and run, and ride, You are careless how, or where.
"Turnips, cabbages, carrots, Ho! Now try, Ma'am; I dare say you and I can agree upon a price for this bunch of turnips: they were fresh gathered this morning, I assure you; and I think if you buy of me once, you will never buy of any body else.--Pray, Ma'am, try my fine, fresh codlins. They are very cheap, and as large as you can get any where."
How quiet that cow seems, which Molly the dairy-maid has just been milking. In some parts of the world there are wild cows, and buffaloes too, which will kill those who attack them, if they can; but in this happy island, there are no fierce wild beasts, to frighten us from the fields by day, or disturb our slumbers by night.
To Brighton or Worthing, and all with full speed, Which way are you going so mightily fast? Take care of the reins, for your mettlesome steed Might stumble and lay you too low at the last.
With spurs and with boots you are finely set out, To take a long journey o'er hill and o'er dale; But remember one thing--'tis of mighty import-- Your poney may founder, and all his strength fail.
And you, too, confess, when you weary have been, At the end of your journey, wherever you roam; That, tho' houses, and parks, and fine rivers you've seen, There's no place so happy, so sweet as your home.
Ah, poor people, how sorry I am for you! I hope you have not far to go before you see your nice little cottage. It is dismal walking in such weather; but as you are caught in the rain, you must make the best of your way, and be thankful you have a home to shelter you.
How industriously these men are working. One is picking down the hard gravel, with a pick-axe: the other is taking it up with a shovel, and putting it into a sieve. All the small pieces go through, and the great stones remain. The sifted gravel, I suppose, will be carried in a cart to some gentleman's garden, to make walks; and the stones will be used in mending the roads.
"May I dig a little for you, father? I am sure I can dig very nicely, if you will but let me try"--"And I can pull up the weeds," said little Jane.--"You are both mistaken," replied their father: "you, John, have not strength to put the spade far enough into the hard ground; and you, Jane, would be apt to pull up flowers as well as weeds: and so you must both be satisfied to work in your own little gardens for the present, till the one is stronger, and the other wiser."
The man who is drawing up water from the well, appears to have rather hard work. Wells are very useful things: in them is collected a great quantity of water, which can be drawn up by means of a rope and bucket; and though it is some trouble to do this, we must be willing to take it, for the sake of getting such a useful, pleasant thing as water.
"Oh you pretty little duck, how I I should like to nurse you," said Amelia. "That would be a great unkindness," replied her father: "the little duck is fond of being in the water, and by the side of its mother; and therefore it would be quite unhappy in your warm hands. Little ducks and chickens run to their mother the moment they hear her call; and little boys and girls should be obedient to their kind parents, because they love them affectionately."
I am glad to see these boys are not teasing their ass, but, on the contrary, are taking pleasure in putting a bough on its head, to keep the flies off. Some boys are very cruel to poor asses. The dog in this picture seems to be rather angry at something, but I cannot think at what; for these good boys look as if they were kind to him, as well as to their donkey.
Oh! how delightful and charming To take the fresh air in a chaise; To gallop along without harming: Whip away! what a dust you do raise!
Of trees and of ponds too beware; Mind likewise to treat well your ass; And then, with attention and care, Your time will in happiness pass.
Oh! what a delightful sight is the harvest-field. Our great Creator has made the corn grow, to make nice food for the use of man. One of these men is cutting down the corn, and the other is binding it up into a sheaf; whilst those at a distance are carrying a waggon-full home, to put into the barn. They have got a little cask of beer, which is a necessary refreshment, after having worked hard in the hot sun.
To kindest pity now inclin'd, See these children wish to give A trifle to the poor and blind, Thus assisting him to live.
See, all ragged and forlorn, He is resting by a tree; And to him the light of morn And shades of eve alike must be.
Kind pity then, thou blessed gift, Help and relieve the sore distress'd; And up to heav'n his heart he'll lift, That you with mercy may be blest.
This man is sowing seed, perhaps wheat or oats. The ground has been prepared by ploughing and harrowing. That box holds the seed. After the field is sown, a boy will be set to keep off the birds, which would otherwise come and eat up a great deal of it.
"Remark," said a fond mother to her little girl, whilst admiring a fine flock of sheep feeding in a green meadow, "how good our Heavenly Father is to all his creatures. He makes the grass, to serve the sheep for a soft couch to lie down upon when they are tired, and to afford them a pleasant meal when they are hungry."
Some people are rich, and have plenty of every thing they wish for; whilst others are poor, and are obliged to be contented with few things. The rich farmer gives his poor neighbours leave to pick up the ears of corn that are scattered about, to make them a few loaves in the winter. See that cottager, with a load upon her head: her eldest girl is helping her; and a chubby little boy trudges joyfully by her side.
If you have any parcels to send, good people, pray make haste and overtake this man, who is called an errand-man. He makes it his business to carry parcels, for which you must pay him a small sum. His dog probably guards his parcels, when he has occasion to stop at a house and leave his cart.
Within this mill are two very large stones: one of them is kept quite quiet, whilst the other is moved round; and the corn being put between them, is ground to a powder. Afterwards, all the coarse parts of the husk are taken away by means of sifting: this coarse part is called bran; and the fine white inside is flour, of which bread is made.
"Whoa, Dobbin!" says a man to his horse: "if you go further into the pond, I shall have to follow you, which I shall not like, with my shoes and stockings on." The other horse is drinking very quietly. What a pleasant thing to have a nice pond to go to when they are thirsty; and I hope the men also have got a nice supper at home, and kind wives and children to welcome their return.
"Chick, chick, chick, here is some corn for you, and crumbs of bread and cheese, which mamma saved for you after dinner. Now mind, you little things, don't quarrel about the pieces: if you do, I won't give you any more."
Here are three very pretty animals. The first is a rabbit, of a kind, gentle disposition. The second is a goat: he is by nature wild, and jumps about from crag to crag, on his native mountains. The third is the timid hare. I am afraid she is running from the pursuit of the dog. Ah! what a cruel thing it is to set dogs to hunt this beautiful little animal.
Darton, Harvey, and Co. Printers, Gracechurch-street.
Transcriber's Note: Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
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