AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. * 
57 
H’.J] 
UNCLE FRANK’S SONG AND MUSTC OF THE 
MICK-A-lEEo 
Chick-a-do-de, Chick-a-de-dc, And merrily Binging 
chick-a-de-dn 
Tilt: Editor with his Young' Readers. 
The Snow Birds came to us later than usual, this Win¬ 
ter ; the first one we have seen, was warbling his chick-a- 
de-de at our window this very morning, Jan. 12, and he 
quickly departed ; but just now there are a dozen or so 
more, and they remind us of that beautiful song written 
byour late ‘ Uncle Frank,” (Francis C. Woodworth), 
who also composed the music for it. Probably most of 
you have heard and sung both the words and tune, but we 
suspect that a good many of the younger boys and girls 
may not know them, and for their benefit we will hunt up 
both song and notes and put them on this page, and also 
give his pretty picture of the two little girls who were 
‘busy at play’ when the Snow bird came singing at their 
window. We would like to have you all learn, and sing 
this song. We can hardly believe that any boy who sings 
or even reads these words, would ever after try to kill 
ihese innocent birds, as we have seen some do before 
now. By the way, we think 
EVERY BOY OUGHT TO LEARN TO S1NO. 
A great many boys—a few of them in our own Sunday 
School—seem to think it beneath their dignity to join their 
sisters and comrades in singing. This is a false notion. 
There is nothing that tends more to soften a rough, harsh 
nature, than to engage heartily in singing. One who was 
speaking of Burns, the Scottish Poet, remarks to this ef¬ 
fect : “ The Scotch are the most peaceable people in the 
world: very few are the quarrels or brawls occurring 
among ihem in their own land, or when they go abroad. 
This may, in part, be attributed to the fact that in Scotland 
every boy and girl learns to sing. If a company of old or 
young people get together for an evening, instead of dis 
puting and gossiping, they spend most of their time in 
singing the sweet songs of Burns and of other poets. The 
children begin to sing as soon as they can speak ; they all 
learn to sing very young, and never stop, and their songs 
and music have a great influence over their characters..” 
Some one has said : “ Let me make the songs of a people, 
and I care not who makes their laws,” meaning that the 
songs have more power than the laws, in forming, modi¬ 
fying or changing characters-If all boys were early 
taught to sing well, and then kept singing until they grew 
up. we believe there would be fewer bad, quarrelsome 
boys and men. Learn to sing then, boys ; sing going to 
work ; sing at the plow ; sing every where when you will 
not disturb others. Don’t let any anybody frighten you 
by telling you, you can not sing. We believe that about 
evary boy, who is not a deaf mute, can sing, and with 
proper training can sing well too. 
A PLEASANT PLAY. 
A friend of the Agriculturist Family sends us the follow¬ 
ing description of a play for the young folks, and old folks 
loo, which we like because it sets them to thinking, and 
is also good sport. One of the company repeats a few 
lines of poetry, or a familiar proverb, or relates a short an¬ 
ecdote. When he has finished, another quotation is to be 
repeated by whoever can first think of one commencing 
with the same letter that closed the previous recitation. 
One may say 
•‘ Art is long and time is fleeting, 
And our hearts though stout and brave. 
Still like muffled drums are beating 
Funeral marches to the grave.” 
The next one must commence his piece with the letter 
E —for example thus : “ Every wind is fair that drives to 
port.” Then T, will be the initial letter, and so on. The 
play may be varied by making it a geographical or histor¬ 
ical exercise. Thus, one names a town, and describes its 
location, tne ne#rt one gives a geographical or historical 
name commencing with the last letter of the word chosen 
Be had not been singing that tune very long, 
Ere Emily heard him, bo loud wob his song.— 
“O sister 1 look out of the window," said she ; 
“Here’s a dear little bird, singing chick-a-de-de. 
Chick-a-de-de, See. 
“ Poor fellow I he walk9 in tho snow and the sleet, 
And has neither stockings nor shoes on his feet; 
I pity him so 1 how cold he must be I 
And yet he keeps singing his chick a-de-de. 
Chick-a-de-de, See. 
" If 1 were a barefooted snow-bird, I know 
I would not stay out in the cold and the snow. 
I wonder what makes him so full of his glee ; 
He's all the time singing that chick-a-de-de. 
Chick-a-de-de, &c. 
“ O mother 1 do get him some stockings and shoes. 
And a nice little frock, and a hat, if he choose ; 
I wish he'd come into the parlor, and see 
How warm we would make him, poor chick-a-de-de 
Chick-a-de-de, See. 
The bird had flown down for some pieces of bread, 
And heard every word little Emily said ; 
4 What a figure 1 'd make in that dress 1" thought ho; 
And he laughed, as he warbled his chick-a-de-de. 
Chick-a-de-de, &c. 
11 1 'm grateful,” he said, “ for the wish you express, 
But I’ve no occasion for such a fine dress ; 
I had rather remain with my limbs all free, 
Than to hobble about, singing chick-a-de-de. 
Chick-a-de-de, Sec. 
“There is One, my dear child, though I ennnot tell who 
Has clothed me already, nnd warm enough too.— 
Good morning I O who are so happy as we I”— 
And away he went, singing his chick-a-do-de 
Chirk-ii-.le.ile. A c. 
previously, and adds a short description. A friend was 
present at one lime when our great American Poet, Bry¬ 
ant, and a large company were amusing themselves with 
the game. On this occasion, as several were poets, each 
was required to repeat a verse of poetry, and close by 
naming the author. Many beautiful verses were recited, 
and when Mr. Bryant’s turn came, all expected to hear 
something very fine. He rose and with great gravity 
gave : “ In Adam’s fall 
We sinned all.— Authority; New- 
England Primer.” You may well suppose there w as great 
laughter. 
THE BACHELOR’S GIFTS. 
Another play we saw performed for the first time the 
other evening by a company of young people, which 
amused us very much. It may not be new to most of 
you. We never had time to play much when a boy, and 
don’t know all the plays—there were too many roots to 
pick up in the meadows, and too much other work on the 
farm, to admit of much play—perhaps this is one reason 
why we like so well to be a boy with the young people 
now. But to the play. The company all stood in a cir¬ 
cle, and one was chosen to put questions. He went round 
and asked every one wrhat gift he or she would make to a 
bachelor. One said a box, another a chair, another a bed, 
another a tea-kettle, and so on. He then went round 
again and asked a lot of questions. Each one was to 
answer every question by repeating the first word named, 
and do so without laughing. If any one laughed he was 
counted out of the ring. One grave young man w ho had 
named a tea-kettle as his gift, it was thought would main¬ 
tain his gravity. The following was the result: “ What 
did you say you would give the bachelor 1” “ A tea-ket¬ 
tle ”—“ What do you boil your potatoes in ?” “ A tea¬ 
kettle “ What do you feed your pigs in !” “ A tea¬ 
kettle What do you eat out of!” “A tea-kettle”— 
“ What do you catch fish in?” “A tea-kettle”—“ What 
do you ride to town on !” “A tea-kettle.” Of course a 
general roar of laughter followed here, in which the ques¬ 
tioned patty joined and was counted out. 
‘‘served him right.” 
Last Winter a young man of our acquaintance went to 
a mill pond to skate. A short time before, a large quan¬ 
tity of ice nad been cut out for filling ice houses, and it 
had frozen over again, but not sufficiently hard to bear a 
person. Our friend ventured upon it, and immediately 
found himself floundering in the wat r, but being an ex¬ 
pert swimmer, soon made his way out. A fellow in the 
neighborhood met him as he was all dripping from his 
plunge, and instead of sympathizing with him, or even 
pleasantly laughing at him about the mishap, coarsely 
called him a “fool,” saying ‘‘it served him right, he 
ought to have known enough to keepoffthe ice ” Short¬ 
ly after, tliis fellow crossed the pond on his way home, 
stepped on a weak spot, and down he went, splash into 
the water. He was rescued with some difficulty, amid the 
Jeers of the bystanders, who told him in his own words, 
“ he ought to have known better.” He who reproaches 
th# unfortunate will receive little sympathy in his own 
misfortunes. 
THE POOR BECOME THE RICH. 
How many times young people wish they were bom 
rich. But this is not a wise desire. We happen to know 
quite a number of rich men, but nine out of every ten ol 
these persons were the children of poverty. The fact is, 
it requires just that kind of discipline which strug¬ 
gling with poverty in early life gives one, to develop those 
habits of self reliance, activity, economy, and energy, 
which will carry a man forw ard to wealth and position 
This is certainly so—we could quote the example of near¬ 
ly every wealthy man we know, to prove it. Our young 
friends, who have perhaps often wished their parents were 
wealthy, and that they were only children may console 
themselves with the thought that it w ill in the end be bet 
ter for them, than if thoir wishes w ere gratified, though it 
may not appear to be so pleasant just now. 
New Problems.—No. 4. Puzzling Pictures. 
D, represents a boy 
in danger of drowning" 
although we are sure, 
no water is near. 
E, reminds us of a 
man just getting oil 
from his horse. 
F, resembles a very good table sauce in common use. 
No. 5. A man contracted to purchase the apples from 
a tree, agreeing to give $10 for them if there were 10 
bushels, and $18 if there were 26 bushelc 18 bushels 
were gathered How much ought he i.~ justice tc? nav ? 
