The Grenada Sentinel

YOUTHS' DEPARTMENT
MARJORIE'S KNITTING,
In the chimney-corner our Marjorie sits,
Softly singing the while she knits;
The firelight flickering here and there
Plays on her face and her shining hair.
And glittering bright in the fitful glow,
Backward and forward her needles go;
Backward and forward, swift and true,
And hark! the needles are singing, too.
"One and two and three and four
Counting and narrowing o'er and o'er,
Knit and rib and seam and purl
Clickety, clackety, good little girl!"
The fire is whispering: "Marjorie mine,
'Tis a positive pleasure on you to shine,
From your pretty brown hair, so smooth and neat,
Down to your dainty, trim-slippered feet."
The kettle is murmuring: "Marjorie dear
'Tis all for your sake that I'm bubbling here;
But though I have bubbled both loud and long
You've ears for naught but those needles' song,"
"One and two and three and four
Counting and narrowing o'er and o'er
Knit and rib and seam and purl,
Clickety, clackety, good little girl!"
And what is our Marjorie knitting, I pray.
A soft, warm scarf for a winter day?
A pair of mittens for school-boy Fred,
Or reins for toddling Baby Ned?
I can not see, in the twilight gray
How many needles are working away.
But I see them flickering in and out,
And they know exactly what they are about.
"One and two and three and four
Counting and narrowing o'er and o'er
Knit and rib and seam and purl,
Clickety, clackety, good little girl!"
Cheerily Marjorie works away,
Nor ever her thoughts from her knitting stray;
Whatever it is, 'twill be sure to fit
For loving thoughts in the web are knit
The kettle may bubble, the fire may burn.
But Marjorie's thoughts they can not turn;
And I think that my heart must be knitting too,
For it seems to sing, as the needles do
"One and two and three and four,
Counting and narrowing o'er and o'er
Knit and rib and seam and purl,
Clickety, clackety, dear little girl!"
-Laura E. Richards, in Youth's Companion.