DIALOGUES.

All.

Just thirty days are in September,
In April, June, and November;
In February you will find

But twenty-eight or twenty-nine;

All the remaining months, 't is plain,
Exactly thirty-one contain.

171

(Enter SQUIRE EGAN, and his Irish servant, ANDY.)

QUIRE. Well, Andy, you went to the post-office, as

I ordered you?

Andy. Yis, sir.

Squire. Well, what did you find?

Andy. A most imperthinent fellow, indade, sir.

Squire. How so?

Andy. Says I, as dacent like

as a gentleman, "I "Who do you want it call him. "I want "And whom do you

ye

want a letther, sir, if you plase." for?" said the posth-masther, as a letther, sir, if you plase," said I. want it for?" said he again. "And what's that to you?" said I.

Squire. You blockhead, what did he say to that?

Andy. He laughed at me, sir, and said he could not tell what letther to give me, unless I told him the direction. Squire. Well, you told him, then, did you?

Andy. "The directions I got," said I, "was to get a letther here, that's the directions." "Who gave you the directions?" says he. "The masther," said I. "And who 's your masther?" said he. "What consarn is that o' yours?" said I.

fond of axing impident questions, becase m simple." "Get out o' this!" said he. must be as great a goose as yourself, to ssinger."

1, how did you save my honor, Andy? luck to your impidence!" said I.

"Is

n you dare say goose to?" "O, Squire masther?" said he. "Yis," says I; "have o say agin it?"

got the letter, then, did you ?

re's a letther for the Squire," says he, -y me eleven pence posthage." "What 'ud ence for?" said I. "For posthage," says I see you give that genthleman a letther his blessed minit ?" said I; "and a bigger is? Do you think I'm a fool?" says I. pence for you, and give me the letther." onder he did not break your skull, and let it.

along, you stupid thafe!" says he, because him chate your Honor.

1, well; give me the letter.

e n't it, sir. He would n't give it to me,

would n't give it to you?

old chate beyant in the town. n't you pay what he asked?

h, sir, why would I let you be chated, elling them before my face for fourpence

the counthry, sure, and let the letth hands, bad luck to him!

I

WISH you a merry Christma A merry Christmas, very; There's plenty of ice, and you ca Till your nose is as red as a ch

Kate.

A merry Christmas to you, dear,
With Christmas gifts a plenty
But what is the matter? You lo
And wise as a girl of twenty!

Did you see Santa Claus come d
With his rosy face in a pucker
It must have been such a funny
'T would have kept me all in a

Mary.

I am thinking, Kate, what it 's a
This keeping of Christmas day

Why do children hail it with laugh and shout,
With gifts and songs and play?

I know each year, as the day comes round,
We deck the church with green,

And the bells ring out with a merry sound,-
But, Katy, what does it mean?

Kate (taking a seat by Mary).

You little heathen! don't you know?
Well, I'll tell you all about it;
Grandma told me, so long ago!
'T is true, you need not doubt it.

O, ever and ever so long ago,

A little baby stranger

Was cradled in the strangest place,
Right in the cattle's manger.

And angels came and angels went
All night with joyous singing;
And everywhere the air was rent
With silver bells a-ringing.

And then there rose a new, bright star,
(Could anything be stranger!)
Some wise men followed it from far,
It stood right o'er the manger.

They followed it and found the babe,
A royal prince, they knew him;
And, kneeling there, they homage paid,
And offered gifts unto him.

That little babe was Christ, our Lord.
We keep this day for him;

Mary.

O, I'm so glad you told me this!
I think I hear the singing.
Of the angel bands, and hear the
The silver bells a-ringing.

I think Christ must have had blu
Just like my little brother;
Did the wise men kiss him, do
I'll go and ask my mother.

CHARACTERS. LIZZIE, the May Queen. M
THA, the Buttercup. ALICE, the

Two young ladies, standing toge
First Young Lady.

HE children in our little

THE

Have learned the stra

They all imagine they are flo
And Lizzie is the May.

But here they come, and we

They love to play at will,