her; in a few days she was contented to leave her mother for an hour or two to play in Miss Lawrence's room. She had taken, as she declared, a violent fancy to Helen, and at the conclusion of the week persuaded Mrs. Lester to remain a few days longer. Those few days did not make her at all more willing to part with her little pet, but her mother could no longer be spared from her family, so the matter was compromised, and Mrs. Lester returned home, leaving Helen at the Grange for a short time by herself. Unwilling to try her little girl by a formal parting, Mrs. Lester went quietly out of the house while she was upstairs, feeling sad enough at heart, it must be confessed, for she did not like leaving her child, though but for a few weeks; little did she imagine those weeks would multiply into years.

Helen was in sad distress when she found her mother was really gone, but she was gentle and submissive, and accepted Miss Lawrence's caresses gratefully. The sorrows of early childhood are not very lasting; in a few days Helen had almost forgotten her troubles. She was a constant amusement to Miss Lawrence, as reclining indolently on her couch, she watched her dressing and undressing her doll, and listened to her lively prattle, till weary with play, she would go fast asleep on the rug, or nestle on the sofa by her side. She soon found she could not bear

to let her go again; in the daytime she did not like her to be long out of her sight, and she had a bed put for her in her own room. Her own spirits improved very much, the child seemed to afford her the interest she so greatly needed. Mrs. Lester was congratulated by her neighbours upon her good fortune, but would not Helen have been far better off with her brother and sister in her father's house? she was treated as a plaything, nothing more, and if she remained with Miss Lawrence, would probably be brought up in a manner wholly unsuitable to the station of life in which she was born. Mrs. Lawrence was a good-natured, indolent woman, greatly disliking trouble of any kind; very high principled she could not have been, or she would not have suffered her daughter to act as she did in respect to Helen's education, which she professed to take upon herself, but which, in fact, was no education at all, for the child did not like learning her letters, so she was allowed to amuse herself with looking at the pictures in her book; and, as to religious instruction, it consisted in little more than going to church once on a Sunday when the weather was fine.

Of the two daughters, Maria was most like her mother both in person and disposition-the youngest, Harriet, had more energy, and was blest with more common sense than her sister; she acted, too, on better principles, but she was

unsympathising in small matters, and in this way often gave offence, and besides, she was rather hasty in her temper; both were pretty looking girls, and were gifted with the usual share of accomplishments.

Helen had now been rather more than two years domesticated at the Grange, and was become as troublesome and unruly, as she had been docile and obedient; her favour with Miss Lawrence had greatly increased, but it was otherwise with her sister, she was not fond of children, and had never encouraged Helen's introduction into the family, and when, at the end of the first few months, the want of wholesome restraint had begun to tell upon the little girl, she had wearied of her constant presence, and wished impatiently that Maria would send her back to her mother, or if she would not consent to that, at least keep her in better order. Mrs. Lawrence was rather fond of her, and glad to have Maria amused; she did not, so fully as her youngest daughter, appreciate the evil of such over indulgence, and she was, besides, too indolent to interfere.

"I never heard anything to equal the noise your protegée makes, Maria," said Ĥarriet, as she entered the room where her sister was working one afternoon, and the noise of loud crying and screaming, admitted by the opening of the door, seemed to justify the accusation; "I am sure how mamma endures it, I cannot tell."

"What is the matter with the poor child? have you been scolding her, Harriet?"

“Oh! I have nothing to do with it, but she will eat the strawberries that Morris has had gathered for jam, and is roaring at being turned out of the room.

Here the delinquent entered, her face, hands and frock stained with the juice of the fruit, and still crying, though with less violence.

"Come here, Helen, and tell me what is the matter," said Miss Lawrence.

"Morris is so cross," was the whining an

swer.

"You had better get along child," interposed Harriet," and wash your face, and above all, your hands, or you will stain everything you

66

Morris appeared at the door, looking very indignant. Pray, ma'am," she began, addressing Miss Lawrence, "is Miss Lester," with a peculiar emphasis on the word Miss, "to come picking among my strawberries whenever she likes?"

"Oh, no, certainly not, Morris; how came you to let her be in the room?"

"She doesn't wait for me to let her, ma'am ; I must lock the door, and take away the key, and shut the shutters, if I want to keep her out, and then it's my belief she'd find some way of getting in if she'd a mind."

"Why, you make her out very ingenious," was the laughing answer.

"It's no joke to me, Miss Lawrence," said Morris, growing more and more angry; "and I'm sure I don't know what my mistress will say to it, but......"

Mrs. Lawrence here joined the party: "What a figure you are, Helen! what have you been

about?"

"Picking and stealing among my strawberries, ma'am ; I can keep nothing from her, a nasty little......"

"Hush, hush, Morris, she is a naughty little puss," and Mrs. Lawrence pinched her ear gently. Morris flounced out of the room.

"I want you to take a walk, Helen; do go and get yourself washed, and have on a clean frock," said Miss Lawrence.

"Run away, child," said her mother; but Helen stood with her finger in her mouth, and would not stir.

Go, there's a dear," repeated Miss Lawrence, coaxingly; "ask Susan to put you on that pretty pink frock you are so fond of." Harriet opened the door, and put her gently

out.

"I have a letter from Edmund, I came to show you," said Mrs. Lawrence; "they are coming here the end of next week; they had a very bad passage, and want a few days in Lon