Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-01-12

emit got any mother; I've only go,
grandpa, but he loves me dear y,
and gives me every thing want. SO
/ If | want some nice warm cloi hes
for YOU, he'll give them TO me |
know. Bat you must come in first
and get warm and put your basket
down here wouldn't carry that
heavy basket any more"
The child took the basket and set
il down upon the steps, and then
drew Mabel into the house, across
the hall, and up the broad carpeted
staircase, into the drawing room
where she had been before. Poor
Mabel she stood bewldercd with
aslonshment and admiration in The
centre of that beautiful room. 1t
seemed to her dream of fairy land !;
she never imagined the existence Of
such splendid things. The velvet
carpet, 50 rich and glowing, into
which her bare feet sunk nj every
step, the luxurious couches aud di-
vans, and the mirrors reaching from
the floor TO ceiling, the gorgeous
curtains. and the pictures aud stat
ues, and the beautiful trlnes scattered
around upon the marble tables--ev-
cry thing was new and wonderful to
1 Mabel. She looked down nj herself,
IN all her tatiers and misery. and then
with Il bitter sense of the contrast
between herself and her surround
lngs, she would run wildly from the
room, from the house, out into the
snow again. What business had she
there But the little lady held her
hands, and drew her up to the CRATE,
through the silver bars of which the
glowing Goals shed such warm
crimson light. A large cushioned
chair stood before the CRATE, and in
this the child seated Mabel then
she sat down upon the Ottoman 10y
her, and commenced talking to her,
and asking her questions.
TEL me what your name is,
litlie girl, she sad "Nlabel, is it i?
what a pretty name Mabel is Ny
name is Adelaide, bnt nobody would
ever know it, because grandpa al
WAYS calls me Lady bird. | wish
my grandpa was yours too, he is so
good, and he would never let you
go out into he cold so. Tell me
all about it, Mabel, where you live,
and what makes You so poor May
be | can do something for you"
And SO Mabel did tell her all her
story, and all that she had to bear !;
how she was cold and hungry al
ways, and badly treated, aud scold-
ed aud beaten at home. And the
little Adelaide cried wi h pity and
grief for the poor little bound girl,
end Mabel cried too,-it was SO uu-
usual thing, this sympathy and
Kindness that it affected her TO
tears much more readily than harsh
words or ill-usase would have done.
And there the Two children Sar, all
alone, for no one had been in the
room all this time ; and Mabel, III
talking with Adelaide, had forgot
ten all about her errand, and her
basket of evergreens that she had
left upon the doorstep, and that she
had stand away long past the time
when she should have been at home
again. But all at once she remem-
"ered it, and sprung up in alright
TO go home.
"What will Mrs. James say be-
cause have stayed away 50 long Z
and oh, my basket-if any thing
should have happened to it - she
exclaimed in terror.
"We'll go and see," Adelaide
said aud they Went down to the
hall door again and opemed it to ct
the basket, bat the basket was gone.
Some one hal passed by and taken
possession Of ii, and it was Of no
use to look any further for il. Poor
Mabel burst into an agony of grief
She knew only too well what would
be her fate il she had to go back
without the btsket, and without
having done her errand. Adelaide
tiled to comfort her:
"Never mind about the baske,
Mabel, - she SAID II wouldn't care
for the basket or the people /
wouldn't 20 back to live with peo-
Pile that treated me so aud ou
shan't go, Mabel you shall stay
with ma always; I'll ask grandpa
If you mayn't ~
Fail of a new idea, the child ran
after her up the staircase again.
Running along the upper hail past
the drawing-rooms, she mounted
two steps a, the extreme end of the
hall, and knocked tightly at door.
A kind voice said cheeriully, "come
in, Lady bird )" and then an old
man in crimson dressing gown aud
black velvet smoking cap, with long
silvrry hair beneath it, came and
opened the door.
IL had fancy it was Lady birds
knock" he sad, STOPPING down to
kiss the child. "What is your
pleasure, Queen Adelaide I Come
forward and proclaim it,"
"And may Queen Adelaide hare
her pleasure, grandpa, whatever it
may be y
"If she exacts nothing more than
usually unreasonabie-peii, who's
this ~ he exclaimed in surprise,
breaking off suddenly as he saw
Mabel for the first time. Poor Ma
bel she had hiddeu behind Ade-