Avon; and oh, how she longed to smell the newlyWhat did she there? what did she

mown hay! there?

But now little pattering steps might be heard on the stairs, and little prattling tongues sent their musical vibrations on the mother's ear, and for a moment her eye brightened, and a faint tinge of colour appeared on her wan cheek, as two children, a boy and girl, entered the room, holding each other by the hand. Their cheeks were rosy with health, and their eyes sparkled with pleasure when they saw the two sisters. There was nothing shy, nothing awkward about them; nor was there any thing bold. The boy bowed respectfully, as, laying down his satchel, which seemed rather heavy, for it contained his sister's books as well as his own, he advanced to receive the hand held out to him by the elder sister, while the little girl nestled closely up to the younger one. Sunbeam greeted them with a friendly smile; she instinctively felt that, all blooming as they were, great sorrows were in store for them, and she determined to visit that lowly room as frequently as she could, and impart as much comfort as she should receive from the Great Geni.

Now Sunbeam was a curious little sprite, as we have already remarked, and she longed to find out where she could pay a visit to the two Hebe

C

looking children that had just entered, a nightly visit in her own form-you remember the promise of the Geni-so taking advantage of the general joy at the meeting of the little ones, and the conversation going on between the elder ones, she crept through a chink in the door, glided down a long passage, and came to a square spacious loft, where she saw a quantity of hay piled up in one corner for the horses that were in the stable below. She saw many other things, too, that would, had she been mortal, have explained the secret of the cleanliness that pervaded the tiny room she had just left, brooms and pails, shovels and dusters, and many another implement of industry,—but these were not what she had come hither to seek. In a corner, screened off by a clean curtain were two little beds, covered with counterpanes as clean and white as the rest of the little household; and this was what she wanted, for she felt an inexpressible longing to reveal herself as a friend to the children that slept there. It was not that she felt more love for them than for her guides, but she was sure she was more necessary to them: she saw that others of her race had charge of the ministering angels in human form, and had done their work well, or they would not have been there in that humble home; but she knew there must be plenty for her to do too, and most heartily did she resolve

to do it, and most skilfully did she lay out her plans; but at this moment the door opened, and leave-taking was going on, and Sunbeam hurried back to cast, ere parting, a bright ray upon a certain corner of the room in which she had seen delicate hands deposit a beautiful picture-book and a transparent slate. They had been so carefully concealed, that Sunbeam feared the bright eyes for which they were intended would not light upon them without her aid. She was not yet acquainted with all the secrets of this wonderful room, nor that the spot chosen for the hiding of the presents was called Fairy Corner; and that it was an understood thing among the children that no curious eye should wander that way till evening, when all the duties of the day should have been fulfilled, lest the time necessary for the performance of those duties should be taken up in admiration of the wondrous things that might meet the eye.

And now the children bade each other goodbye, many loving words passing among them, and promises of another visit at the earliest opportunity. The sisters went their way, and Sunbeam after them. They passed away like shadows that come, and shadows that go: but no, not like shadows, for they left many a blessed trace behind them. The mother's eye was brighter; she looked

at her sick baby, and smiled, as she remembered certain words spoken by the elder sister. The children were as merry as crickets, as they sat down at their mother's knee, and related what they had been doing at school, and their pleasant voices sank like a strain of soft music into that mother's heart. The two sisters had accomplished their task; they had brought happiness into this humble home, and Sunbeam had been guided thither to perform her mission. She remembered the promise of the Great Geni, that all on whom her friendly ray fell should be good or great.

CHAPTER IV.

SUNBEAM IN RUSSIA.

E left Sunbeam following the two sisters to their home, where she hoped to become

better acquainted with these interesting beings that had thus greeted her on her first entrance into our earthly planet; but as she was gliding along, listening to their pleasant chat, and entering with all her heart into the charitable plans they were forming for rendering more efficient aid to the poor family they had just visited, a Zephyr that was hovering over her, caught her up and carried her off, a long way off, so rapidly that she was almost out of breath when she got to her journey's end. He gave her a loving kiss as he left her on the window-sill of a large house in one of the finest cities in the world, the city of St. Petersburg. No fog here to impede her progress along the streets; a clear blue sky, with scarcely a cloud to be seen, but cold, so intensely cold, that