called the poetry of earth as "stars the poetry of heaven"-cannot fail to meet with the sympathy of all who are intimately associated with them, or whose minds are accustomed to view with a poetic eye the events and circumstances of life. To the Authors and Publishers who have given me permission to make extracts from their works, I beg to offer my sincere thanks. I must ever remain deeply obliged to the friends who have assisted me by original contributions, and by the kind interest which they have shown in the success of my little volume;—that it should not be graced by the exquisite poem of Mr. Milnes, "The Christmas Story," I much regret, but the poem is of too recent publication to admit with propriety of a request being made to adopt it in this selection. HANNAH MARY RATHBONE. Woodcroft, December 14, 1840. LITTLE CHILDREN. MARY HOWITT. SPORTING through the forest wide ; Playing by the waterside; Wandering o'er the heathy fells, In the baron's hall of pride, In the far isles of the main ; Wheresoe'er a foot hath gone, On a league of peopled ground, With their wishes hopes and fears; With their wonder so intense, And their small experience! Little children, not alone On the wide earth are ye known. 'Mid its sufferings and its snares ;— Little children, ye abide! |