are you p

being nothing worth speaking of," I answered, rather evasively, not being disposed at present

t upon knowing-do we not, Milly?-the tenor of the meditations which have actually

repression, Elizabeth," I said: "there

recipitate flight; but she divined my intention, and, seizing upon me, held me prisoner, and made go

ly to do with yourself, and the unburdening of your secrets. Your inward communings are of such rare occur

hen," I answered. "I was thin

the window near which we sat. "Fred Winston would doubtless feel complimented by that sage conclusion; but if

an to say that you are entirely wide of the mark. Perhaps I did not express myself in language as choice as I might have used; but what I meant to say was-to qu

but any thing like a sober reflection or solemn view of life's duties was so new f

ve vent to a s

whence and since when, may I inquire, arises thus suddenly so solemn a v

me by the words of Allie, whom I overheard informing Daisy that I was very nice and lovely, but the uselessest person in the house. Loyal Daisy was indignant, and questioned the justice of the remark; but it opened up a field

d for the gods,'" s

ed upo

I would not have believed it of you, Bessie. But seriously, girls, I am longing for an obje

with one since the 15th of last

I again interrupted. "If not, there will be troub

e,' and tell what is at the bottom of all this?" said

of shame and crime, and who are standing monuments of the efficacy of your zeal, self-sacrifice, and good sense in their behalf (no, you need not courtesy); and Bessie has her old ladies to whom she so religiously devotes one afternoon in every week, no matter what temptations assail her in other directions, and who simply adore h

while Milly dropped a re-assuring kiss upon my forehead. "What no

useful or of real lasting benefit that I have ever done, and I will thank you. I have loved Aunt Emily's hospital cottage by the sea, for her sake and for de

I was not altogether a useless member of society at large. Delightful as it was to hear, it did not succeed in quieting m

more disagreeable the duty the greater the credit, let us satisfy her by finding her a most unpleasant one. Oh, charming! I have thought of just the thing.-Why not adopt as your part

gating the general load of human misery and ignorance,-a consciousness which Allie's words had only quickened into more active life. "But, girls, I assure you that I am not at all moved by the ascetic notion of taking up the most disagreeable work I can find, as a penance for former shortcomings. I wish from my h

parents are dreadful people, and they may choose to make trouble for you. There are cases

ild, or both the children, entirely

the poor little things continue to

your enthusiasm, I feel sure that your father and mother will never let you go to such a place as the home of the child must be. Milly's mission came to her, as it were, heaven-sent, it seems to me," she added in a revere

deal with than Milly had when she undertook to bring up her charges in the way they should go. Moreover, I shall not attempt to beard the lions in their den; but I suppose I have to win my way into Matty's affections or confidence, or wh

"but I'm not going to discourage you further, and ti

o this very afternoon to cousin Serena; and if she thinks me, as she doubtless will, a prodigy of benevolence, self-sacrifice, and generosity, and agrees to all I ask of her, I sha

my new scheme, I might become appalled by the difficulty and disagreeableness which were prophesied; and I was determin

nd I knew by this that she did not altogether approve. But I was a little self-willed, a state of mind not altogether of rare occu

ed none; on the contrary, she seemed rather inclined to aid and abet me when I broached the subject to cousin Serena, in whom I was not disappointed. She proved herself-the blessed soul-the most willing co-adjutor, even more so than I desired; for, running to a closet where she kept a boun

ew and make clothes for Matty. It is so much ea

ortunity to Satan to find mischief for idle hands to do. I hated to disappoint her when she was so enthusiastically preparing to cut put work for both Bessie and me; but I hated still more to sew, and held my ground, being borne o

nny, the florist, by the way for a glimpse of Matty. Cousin Serena had never seen her; but I was not afraid to have her do so, unpromising object for one'

some of his choicest blossoms; but cousin Serena made use of the opportunity to take a close observation of Matty as

s showed in dealing with people of this class, she succeeded in arousing

it seemed, always exacted a certain amount of cleanliness and decency as the price of her admission into his shop; not, perhaps, that he had any inherent love for this virtue, as such, or that his own comfort and happiness depended upon them, but because he feared that his trade might be injured if his customers found there such a dirty, ragged little object as Matty had formerly been. Clean hands and faces, well-brushed hair

es, the child serving her in the dull, mechanical way usual with h

ce; and, as she spoke, she lightly touched with her gloved finge

eavy eyes, and Matty raised th

ock while he was engaged with another customer, lent attentive ears to what passed, I feeling rather that my intended mission work had been taken

ound the coil from about her head, and drawing her fingers through the plait, let th

ly vanity in poor Matty's nature, "Amy and Bessie, come here and see what beautiful

and then raising her eyes to me with the first appearance of any thing like interest in them which I

ettier n

to myself, and determined to strike while the iron was hot, or at least approaching

ut she gave a low chuckle. Evidently we had touched a chord that would respon

customer, Johnny no

dat head, an' 'tis so goot, I say, leaf her keep her head. So mine wife, she say, 'yes, 'tis too pad to cut dat nice head,' an' she leafs it

as really pathetic, as one gathered from it that the child felt she would no longer be allowed to

t this was a secret he would carefully guard from the unnatural parent. "Nein, nein," he rep

ve Matty's hair, would you?" said Miss Craven, unab

one nice, leetle pit of a lie" (Johnny did not mince matters, even to his own conscience), "'tis for to keep away a gre

ny further discussion of the question was useless, and that it would not tend to improve Matty's moral views

tty hair," she said; and I, seized with a sudden insp

ss. How it would set it off! Would you like a blue dress, Matt

hair, and was not inclined to accept any advances on my part; but friendly, jolly littl

the blue dress, an' her hair down on it, an' she'll look as good as any of the girls there, an' better, 'cause there isn't one of 'em has hair like Matty's.-An' I'll tell ye, Matty, if the la

p, and we'll measure you for the dress. Perhaps I can find one ready-made,

ng from the touch. And then I saw the improbability, I might say the impossibility, of finding in any ready-made-clothing store, a dress which would fit the twisted form. One must be made on purpose; one which would set at defiance all rules of symmetry; and how to have it completed to-morrow, even late in the day to-morrow? Where should I go to have such an order filled

tice, they would not agree to give you, in so short a time, a dress for which they can use no ordinary pattern. Amy

d yourself if you

yself; and we will press the mother and Mrs. Rutherford into the service. Let us go to Arnold's, buy some suitable material,-and we all know what cousin Serena is with scissors and thimble,-coax her to cut out a dress f

ses and tears of gratitude," I answered ecstatically; "as it i

hough, as I have said, she needed to be guided and tyrannized over in the matter of style and f

s, purchased the necessary material, and, lest it should not be sent ho

inner-table, to what the evening was to be devoted, and became quite an

ht that Milly and I had but little difficu

etched parents, but positively forbade my going there even under the guidance and protection of cousin Serena. Indeed, the fear of them which Tony and Matty sh

e thoughts of the latter, as warmer and more suitable; but I had begged for the cap as affording better opportunity for the display of Matty's hair. "Poor little object!" I

hat Jim was pleased, was an assured fact; and his tongue wagged incessantly though respectfully all the way until we arrived at our destination. Then while I opened the parcel, and presented

together due to him; and she vouchsafed no word of thanks to me. Not that I cared for expressions of gr

, was profuse in his thanks, and rea

ear it so when she was away from home. There she wore it tightly bound up, and kept it as much out of sight as possible; fe