NOBODY finks I can tell the time of day, but I can.

The first hour is five o’clock in the morning.

That’s the time the birds begin to peep. I lie still and hear them sing:

But mamma is fast asleep. Nobody awake in all the world but just me and the birds.

Bimeby the sun gets up and it’s six o’clock in the morning.

Then mamma opens one eye and I can hear her say:

“Where’s my baby?”

N’en I keep still—jus’ as still as a mouse, an’ she keeps saying:

“Where’s my baby?”

N’en all at once I go “Boo!” and she laughs and hugs me, and says “I’m a precious.”

Mamma’s nice, and I love her ’cept when she washes my face too hard and pulls my hair with the comb.

Seven o’clock!

That’s when the bell goes jingle, jingle, and we have breakfast.

All the eight an’ nine an’ ten an’ ’leven hours I play.

I run after butterflies and squirrels, and swing, and read my picture book, and sometimes I cry—jus’ a little bit.

Twelve o’clock!

That’s a bu’ful hour. The clock strikes a lot of times, and the big whistle goes, and the bell rings, and papa comes home, and dinner’s ready!

The one and two hours are lost. Mamma always carries me off to take a nap. I don’t like naps. They waste time.

When we wake up the clock strikes three. N’en I have on my pink dress, and we go walking or riding.

And so the three and four and five hours are gone.

At six o’clock Bossy comes home, and I have my drink of warm milk.

N’en I put on my white gown, and kiss everybody “good-night,” and say “Now I lay me,” and get into my bed.

Mamma says:

“Now the sun and the birdies and my little baby are all gone to bed, and to sleep, sleep, sleep.”

So I shut my eyes tight, and next you know ’tis morning!

An’ ’nat’s all the time there is.

Mrs. C. M. Livingston.