Year: 1874

| Il
ence knitting her bFows and affecting
impatience. hut even as she spoke,
the quick, gentle hands of the step
mother had removed the collar from
her neck.


Do you think it clean enough now
said she, as she placed the sOiled collar
beside the fresh one, which the house
keeper had brought.


1t is rather dirty said Florence,
smiling.


And now Mrs. Arnold examined
other articles of her dress, and had
them changed, re-arranged her hair,
and saw that her teeth were properly
brushed. While this was progressing,
Mary stood little apart, a close OBJ
server of all that passed. One thing
she did not fail to remark, and that
was the gentle firlnness of her STEP
mother, which was in strong contrast
with the usual scolding, jerking, im-
patience of the housekeeper, as mani
fesfed on these occasions.
BY the time Florence was ready for
school, Mary's state of mind had un-
dergone considerable change, and she
half regretted the exhibition of i'll tenn
per and insulting disobedienee she had
shown. Yet she was in no way pre-
pared to yield. To her surprise, after
4OiGACC WI ali A4CA
turned to her and said in a mild cheer
fuI voice, as if nothing unpleasant had
happened:


Have you particular reasons for
wishing to wear your new bonnet to-
day, Mary?'


Yes, Ina'am, have The voice of
Mary was changed considerable, and
her eyes fell beneath the mild but
penetrating gaze of her stepmother.


May ask you the reason.


There was pause of some moments
and then Mary said:


promised one of the girls I'd wear
it. She asked me to. She wanted to
see it


Did you tell Hannah this p


No maiam, it wouldn't have been
any use. She never hears to reason.


But you'll find me very different,
Mary, said Mrs. Arnold, tenderly. i
shall ever be ready to hear the reason


All this was so far from what Mary
anticipated that her mind was half
bewildered. Her stepmother's clear
sight penetrated to her very thoughts.
Taking her hand, she drew her gently
to her side. An arm was then placed
lovingly around her.


Ny dear child-it wauld have been
hard heart, indeed, that could have
resisted the influence of that voice
: let us understand each other in the
beginning. You seem to look upon
me as an enemy, and yet / wish to be
the very best lriend you have in the
world. have come here, not as an
exacting and overbeariDg tyrant, but
to seek your good and promote your
happiness in every possible way. /
will love you and may not expect
love in return Surely, YOU will not
withhold that


AS Mrs. Arnold spoke thus, she felt
a slight quiver in the hand she had
taken in her own. She continued:


cannot hope to fill the place of
your dead mother, now in heaven.
Yet even as she loved you would / love
you my ehild.' The voice of Mrs. Ar
mold had become unsteady, through
excess of feeling. AS she bore with
your faults will bear with them as
she rejoiced over every good affection
born in your heal t, SO will i rejoice


Outraged by the conduct of Mary,
the housekeeper had gone to Mr.. Ar
mold, whem she found in the parlOr,
and repeated to him with cOloring of
her own, the insOlent language his
child had used The father hurried
up stairs in a state of angry excitement
No little surprised was he, on entering
the nursery, to see Mary sobbing on
the breast of her stepmother, whose
gentle hands were softly pressed upon
the child's temples, and whose low,
sweet voice was speaking to her words
of comfort for present, and cheerful
hope for the future. UnObserved by
either, Mr.. Arnold stood for moment
and then softly retired, with a gush of
thank fulness in his heart that he had
fo11nd for. hiS ohiinFAn O0O6 and fTIIfa
a mather.


With Mary there was no trouble
From that hour she came wholly un-
der the influence of her stepmother,
learning, day by day, as she knew her
better, to love her with more confid-
ing tenderness. Wonderful was the
change produced in the children of
Mr.. Arnold in a single year. They
had, indeed, found mother.