252 CHILDREN'S BOOK FOR SABBATH HOURS.

ever; but Robert kindly bade Josie bathe Oh, how pretty they look as they float in the sun,
his eyes with pure, cold water, and then With their colors so lovely and rare!
 "I wish they would last for an hour or more;
come and look at the pictures in the new But they burst in the air, or soon sink on the floor.
story-book, instead of blowing bubbles
 r t g a t w y g r "Oh,look! Alice, look! what a bubble you've blown!
 or talking about worldly grandeur and Such a beautiful yellow and pink!
greatness." 'Tis the largest and brightest that I have seen yet;
 Now isn't this an interesting story And the highest, I do really think.
about blowing soap-bubbles ? Yes, chil- Now, Alice, 'tis my turn, and I'll have a try;
 ,And you shall blow, sister, again, by and by."
dren, blow your soap-bubbles and enjoy
their brief-lived brilliancy, but don't for- So each blew their bubbles, and both did their best;
get that both they and all mere worldly Till at length their mamma came to say
 It was time to attend to their studies again,
grandeur will disappoint us if we attempt And to put pipe and basin away.
to grasp them as our portion. "But first," said mamma, "I've a few words for each:
 The following little English poem Let us see if the bubbles some lessons can teach.
teaches just the lesson we wish our pic- "There are bubbles of gold, of pleasure, and fame,
ture and story about soap-bubbles to And their colors are gaudy and bright;
teach all our readers : And many there are who the shadows behold,
 That are dazzled and charmed by the sight:
"Come, Alice," said Frank to his sister; "be quick ; But again and again they lead people astray;
We will blow such fine bubbles to-day They are bubbles that burst, or soon vanish away.
The basin is ready, and so is the pipe;
And mamma has just said that we may. When temptation shall urge you, my children, to do
So lay down your doll, for I long to begin; What you know to be wicked and wrong,
And whoe'er blows the largest and brightest shall win. Though the sin may seem pleasant and pretty to view
 As it floats very gaily along,
"You may blow the first bubbles; so take up the pipe, Go not after the phantom, but earnestly say,
 Whilst I blow them.up high in the air. 'It is but a bubble that passes away.'"