Poor little May felt what she had said before very kind, but this was practical. The child jumped up and clapped her hands, then stopping suddenly, she said, "But will you really give me that shilling?"

"Yes," said Grace smiling, and slipping the money into the little one's hand: "there it is, and now go into the school-room, and give it to Augusta. You can say that you have some money now, that you did not know of before. I don't think there would be any harm in that, for it's true; and we must never tell stories for anything, you know, dear."

“Oh! how kind, how good you are!" said the child, throwing her arms round Grace's neck.

Grace kissed her affectionately, and then said, "Now go into the school-room, and don't cry any more, there's a darling." Away flew the child, Grace remained behind, very, very happy, and thanking God that she had been enabled to alle

viate in another the very pain she felt so keenly herself.

That one little act of kindness raised a friend that lasted for life; not only was May entirely devoted to Grace while they remained at school, but in after years, when Grace was visited by a painful and lingering illness, May was her constant attendant. At the time we speak of, May was too young to feel any compunction at taking the money; but afterwards she did feel it, and paid it back tenfold, by the love and devotion of a grateful heart.

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CHAPTER II.

AND now the present was bought, and the happy time had arrived when the girls could speak of the grand day as to-morrow. The subscription had been liberal beyond all former precedent, and every one said it was owing to Augusta's exertions, and to her admirable management. The present was exquisitely beautiful; and every one knew that it was Augusta's taste that had chosen it. Congratulations poured in on all sides, and Augusta's pride and gratified self-love rose so high, that they almost turned her brain.

"It must be confessed," thought she to herself, "that no one else could have managed the business so well as I ;" and as she looked round at her admiring school-fellows, her eyes beamed, and her cheeks glowed with delight.

I

The day before the birthday was always a halfholiday; and this afternoon they were all very busily employed in putting by everything in the school-room, and arranging the books as prettily as might be; and in decorating the room with large branches of lilac and laburnum, mixed with box, arbutus, and various green things. This they did, and with the exception of one or two bruises, occasioned by falls from the ladders, on which they had mounted to arrange the branches, and one or two cut fingers, caused by the dangerous practice of cutting string with a knife, nothing disagreeable happened; and even the disasters which did occur, were not of much consequence; for the little victims considered themselves martyrs in a good cause, and rather looked upon themselves as heroines. Certainly that night they slept sounder, if not so long as usual, owing to their fatigues. Most of them, however, got up as early as possible, just to put a few finishing touches to the room; and also to

have the pleasure of seeing the "present" (which was an elegant group of figures, under a glass-case) properly placed upon the breakfast-table, ready for Mrs. Vance to see it, as soon as she came down. The breakfast-table was really a perfect picture. The steaming urn at one end, with all the tea apparatus; and at the other, coffee. The very table-cloth seemed more than usually white; down the centre of the table, between the tongues and hams, and beautiful little home-made rolls, were flowers, prettily arranged in vases, and having all the sweet fresh smell of May flowers about them; and the sun shone in cheerily from the windows, on a most merry set of happy little beings, eating and talking away as fast as they could..

The day was fully occupied with various enjoyments. First they went on a picnic party, from eleven till five; then they came home and rested themselves a little, and in the evening there was a party; consisting of some ladies in the neigh