A POETICAL

READING-BOOK;

SELECTED FOR THE USE OF THE

JUNIOR CLASSES IN SCHOOLS.

BY

WILLIAM M'GAVIN.

GLASGOW:

WILLIAM HAMILTON, 33 BATH STREET;
JOHN MENZIES, AND OLIVER & BOYD, EDINBURGH; AND
SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, & Co., LONDON.

THE Editor desires to acknowledge the kindness of the following gentlemen who have permitted him to make use of their copyrights, Rev. Mr. Curwen, Horace Moule, Esq., T. Westwood, Esq., Messrs. Macmillan, Cambridge, and Messrs. Strahan, Messrs. Griffith & Farran, and Mr. A, W. Bennett, London.

INDEX.

A gold and silver cup upon a pillar green,
Ah! my heart is weary waiting,
A nightingale who all day long,
Around the fire one wintry night,

Bee, To a

Before all lands in east or west,

Before the stout harvesters falleth the grain,

Before the bright sun rises over the hill,

Beggarman, The

Bramble flower, To the

Brothers, I have done my best,

Daisy, The -

Description of night,

Don't kill the birds,

Down in my solitude under the snow,

Down the deep and miry lane,

D'ye know the little wood-mouse,
Dying boy, The

Evening,

Evening parting, The

First day of March, The

First grief, The

First Swallow, The

Four Sisters, The

Frog and toad, The

Garland of Spring-flowers,

Gently flow through sun and shadow,

Get up little sleeper, the morning is bright,

Gleaner, The

Go forth my heart, thy powers employ,
Grasshopper, The

Groves of Lee, The

Hail! beauteous stranger of the grove,
Happy insect, what can be

Happy life, The

Here I come creeping every where,
How brightly and how gaily,
How fair is the Rose,

-

How happy is he born or taught,

I come to earth on the northern blast,

I have four sisters beyond the sea,

I knew a boy whose infant feet had trod,

In health and vigour waking,

In the barn the tenant cock,

In the young merry time of spring,

Invitation to walk abroad,

20

45

Irish Harper and his dog,

It is the first mild day of march,
It was a hundred years ago,
It was a wondrous gentle host,
Jackdaw, The

Jack Frost,

John Barleycorn,

Labourer's welcome, The

Lady-bird, lady-bird, fly away home,
Lady-bird, lady-bird, pretty one stay,

Lady-bird, lady-bird, why do you roam?

Lark, To the

Little Bell, -

Little bird with bosom red,

25

34

61

26

52

25

31

16

11

24

60

18

56

Mountain Shepherd boy, The

My fair-haired boy! as thus I gaze,

48

66

43

Northern Seas, The

Now o'er the drowsy earth still night prevails,
Now the sun he was taking his journey wide,
O'er the heath the heifer strays,

Oh! call my brother back to me,

Oh, ye spring flowers! oh, ye early friends!

Once there was a little boy,

One moonlight Yule-tide, long ago,

On the green banks of Shannon,

Open air enjoyment,

Orphan boy, The

O silent mere! about whose marges spring,

Pansies, lilies, king-cups, daisies,

Pet lamb, The

Pettychap's nest, The -

Piped the blackbird on the beechwood spray,

Poet's resting place,

Poor man's day, The

Reapers, The

Remember the poor,

Robin Redbreast, The

Summer longings,

Summer shower, The

Sunset,

Sun, The

The dew was falling fast,

The frost looked forth,

The gorse is yellow on the heath,

The last year's leaf its time is brief,
There is a bird of plumage rare,
There is a bird who by his coat,

39

70

19

50

16

66

47

28