¥OR CHILDREN, 73

* Sisters and brothers, little maid,
How many may you be?”

“ How many ? Seven in all,” she said,
And, wondering, looked at me.

“ And where are they. I pray you tell.”
She answered, “ Seven are we;
And two of us at Conway! dwell,
And two are gone to sea.

“ Two of us in the church-yard lie,
My sister and my brother ; «

And in the church-yard cottage, I
Dwell near them with ny mother,”

« You say that two at Conway dwell,
And two are gone to sea;
Yet you are seven !—I pray you tell,
Sweet maid, how this may be.”

Then did the little maid reply,

«Seven boys and girls are we ;

Two of us in the church-yard lie,
Beneath the church-yard tree.

« You run about, my little maid,
Your limbs they are alive ;
If two are in the church-yard laid,
Then you are only five.”

“ Their graves are green, they may be seen,”
The little maid replied,

Twelve steps or more from my mother’s door,
And they are side by side.

Conway—or more properly, Conwy, a town in North
Wales, situated near the mouth of the river Conwy.
aL