CHAPTER III.

The Happy Tea-party-Success of the New Plan-Birthday Verses-Good Resolutions-Interest

excited-Illuminated

Books-A Concordance and its Use-The Promised Holiday.

HEIR walk homewards was very pleasant.
Mary was so rejoiced at the idea of see-

ing her daughter once in every week, that she seemed to forget all fatigue; and Annie was so happy in feeling that she had done good, that she danced along the path almost too rapidly for old Mary's steps. When they had placed the poor woman in her easy chair, they left her to talk about Susan to her younger daughter Jane, who was most eager to hear the news about her sick sister, and the little party soon regained Mrs. Scott's cottage. The sight of the tea which was spread out for them was quite refreshing, for a little weariness was beginning to be felt.

'What! more fruit, mamma,' cried Annie, 'besides the cake?'

'Yes, my dear; it was only a part of your aunt's present that I took with me to town.'

'I am very glad of it, mamma. You see, Lena, that you will fare better than I led you to suppose. I have a petition to make, mamma: that you will let me bring down Eva and Nelly to have tea with I have been very little with them to-day.'

us.

'I have no objection,' replied her mother; 'run up to the nursery for them.' Presently the little things were seated, much pleased to see Annie's visitors, and much admiring the plates of fruit and the large cake. After tea, when they were going to bed, Eva expressed a wish that Annie might very often have a birthday! So Annie felt that she had really given a little happiness to several persons.

'Now, my dear Annie,' said Mrs. Scott, 'let me hear how you have enjoyed this day-the first in your life, perhaps, in which you have thought of others more than of yourself.'

'I have liked it, mamma,' replied Annie eagerly; 'I have indeed liked it. And what appears to me curious is, that I seem to love my little sisters more because I tried to please them to-day; and I feel as if I have a much greater interest in poor Mary and her daughter because I have helped them.'

'That is quite a natural result of what you have been doing. The more you occupy yourself in helping your fellow-creatures, the more love you will have for them. Now, I am going to give you a verse for your birthday; and Lena, Carry, and Zoë may also find their birthday verses. Fetch

your Bible, Annie, and mine, with one for each of your friends. Now, look out the last chapter in Proverbs.'

'I have it,' said Lena quickly.

'But I have not,' cried Annie. 'I do not quite know where the book of Proverbs comes.'

'And I have not found it either,' said Carry. 'Nor I,' exclaimed little Zoë; 'I cannot find it at all.'

'Sit by me, Zoë,' said Mrs. Scott, and look quietly through the different names of the books until you come to "Proverbs." How is it, Lena, that you seem so much more at home with this precious book than Annie or Carry? Zoë being so much younger, we cannot expect her to do so much.'

'My mamma often makes me find texts for her,' said Lena.

'And me too,' said Carry; 'but I never can find them so well as Lena.'

'And I,' said Annie, 'have never looked out anything in the Bible, excepting the lessons at church on Sundays, and then my aunt helped me.'

'I am very sorry for it, my dear little girl,' said Mrs. Scott; but I hope soon to make these things a little more familiar to you.'

'Now I have found it, mamma-the book of Proverbs, and the last chapter. Have you, Carry?'

'Wait a moment,' said Carry; I think it comes after Psalms. Yes, here it is!'

'Look at the tenth verse, and you will see that the whole of the rest of the chapter is the description of a virtuous woman, each verse mentioning some separate and good quality possessed by her. Now the account does not begin till the eleventh verse; so any one whose birthday is on the first of the month, will take the eleventh as their verse; any one whose birthday is on the second, will take the twelfth verse, and so on.'

'My birthday is on the first of June,' said Zoë.

Then, dear Zoë, read the eleventh verse, and let that verse be your own especial guide. What is it?' Zoë looked a little abashed at reading aloud before any one but her own mamma; but she gathered up her courage, and read distinctly and well, 'The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.' Little Zoë looked perplexed.

'But, Mrs. Scott,' she said, 'I have no husband. How can I take that verse as my special guide?'

'You must try so to live while you are a little girl, that when you grow up you will be worthy of trust and confidence. When your mamma, or your governess, gives you any express order, and they feel quite sure that you will obey them,-that is having confidence in you.'

'Yes,' said Zoë,' they will not be afraid that I shall do wrong.'

'And if they are certain that you always speak the exact truth, then you may say that "their hearts can

safely trust in you." Do you understand this, Zoë ?'

'Yes I do,' replied Zoë. 'I must try to be quite true, and fit to be trusted.'

'My

'Now, do let me read my verse,' cried Carry. birthday is on the fifteenth, and this is the verse : "She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.'

'Then, Carry, your duty is very plainly pointed out early rising, and industry, and helping to contribute to the comfort of the house, is here indicated.'

That is really curious,' said Lena; 'for do you know, Mrs. Scott, that Carry finds it extremely difficult to be up in the morning at the time mamma requires ? '

'Then, as you see, Carry, that active, early habits are mentioned as one of the best qualities of a good woman, it is very important that you should overcome such idle feelings. Think of this verse, dear Carry, and try to be like Solomon's virtuous woman.'

'So I will,' said Carry; 'I will write the verse in large letters, and hang it up in my bedroom, that I may often see it, and remember it.'

'Now for yours, Lena.'

'It is the twenty-sixth,' said Lena; 'I will read it : "She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness.""

'What do you understand from that, dear Lena?' asked Mrs. Scott.

'I suppose it means, that whenever there is an