Year: 1873

room Z! 1he new frlend Smllel, anu Iolu ner
that was the music box and after Il while
she opened it and explained what made the
sounds. Then she took out pile OF books
from one Of the baskets of goods, and told
Peggy she might look at the pictures till she
called her.


The little girl stepped forward eagerly to
take them, and then drew back, as if afraid.
"What is the matter ?" asked Mrs Fairweath-
er; 81 am very willing to trust you with the
books 1 keep them on purpose to amuse
children" Peggy looked down with her
finger on her lip, and answered, in con-
strained voice, "Aunt Turnpenny won't like
it if l play" "Don't trouble yourself about
that. I will make it all right with Aunt
Hetty," replied the friendly one. Thus as
sured, she gave herself up to the full enjoy
ment of the picture books and when she was
summoned to her work, she obeyed with
cheerful alacrity that would have astonished
her stern relative. When the labors of the
day were concluded, Mrs. Fairweather accom-.
panied her home, paid all the hours she had
been absent, and warmly praised her doclity
and diligence.


ut is lucky for her that she behaved so
we'll" replied Aunt Hetty; eff l had heard
any complaint, I should have given her
whipping, and sent her to bed without her
supper"


Poor little Peggy went to sleep that night
with lighter heart than she had ever felt
since she had been an orphan. Her first
thought in the morning was whether the new
neighbor would want her service during the
day. Her desire that it should be so soon, be-
came obvious to Aunt Hetty, and excited an
underlined jealousy and dislike OF a person
who so easily made herself beloved. With
out exactly acknowledging to herself what
were her own motives, she ordered Peggy to
gather all the sweepings of the kitchen and
court, into small pile, and leave it on the
frontier of her neighbors premises. Peggy
ventured to ask timidly whether the wind
would not blow it about, and she received a
box on her ear for her impertinence.


1t chanced that Mrs. Fairweather, quite
unintentionally, heard the words and the blow.
She gave Aunt Hetty's anger time enough to
cool, then, stepping out into the court, and
after arranging divers little matters, she
called aloud to her domestic, "Sally, how
came you to leave this pile of dirt here ?"
Didn't I tell you Miss Turnpenny was very
neat? Pray, make haste and sweep it up. |
wouldn't have her see it on any account. l
told her would try to keep everything nice
about the premises. She is so particular her.
self, and it is comfort to have tidy neigh
bors"


The girl, who had been previously instruct
ed, smiled as she came out, with brush and
dust-pan, and swept quietly away the pile that
was intended as a declaration of frontier war.


But another source of annoyance presented
itself, which could not be quite so easily dis
posed Of Aunt Hetty had cat, lean, scrag-
gy animal that looked as if she were often
kicked and seldom fed Mrs. Fairweather also
had fat, frisky little dog, always ready for
caper. He took distaste to poverty. .strick-
en- Tab the first time he saw her, and no coax
ing could induce him to alter his opinion.
His name was Pink, but he was anything but
pink of behavior in his neighborly relations.
Poor Tab could never set foot out of the door
without being safured with a grow1, and
sharp bark, that frightened her out Of her
senses, and made her run into the house, with
her fur all on end. If she even ventured to
doze little on her own doorstep, the enemy
was on the watch, and the moment her eyes
closed he would wake her with bark and a
box on the ear, and on he would run.


Aunt Hetty vowed she would scald him.
1t was a burning shame, she said, for folks
to keep dogs to worry their neighbors' cats.
Mrs. Fairweather invited Tabby to dine, and
made much of her, and patiently endeavored
to teach her dog to eat from the same plate.
But Pink steadily resolved that he would be
scalded first; that he would. He could not
have been more firm in his opposition if he
and Tab had belonged to different sects in
Christianity. While his mistress was patting
Tab on the head, and reasoning the point with
him, he would at times manifest degree Of
indifference amounting to federation but the
moment he was left to his own free will he
would give the invited guest hearty cuff with
his paw, and send her home splitting like
small steam engine. Aunt Hetty considered
it her own peculiar privilege to cuff the poor
animal, and it was too much for her patience
to see Pink undertake to assist in making Tab
unhappy. On one Of these occasions she rush
ed into her neighbor's apartments, and faced
Mrs Farweather, with one hand resting on
her hip, and the fore-fnger of the other ma
king very wrathful gesticulations.


II tell you what, madam, | won't put up
with such treatment much longer" said she;
"I'll poison that dog; you'll see if I don't;
and l shan't wait long either, | can tell you.
What you keep such an impudent little beast
for, don't know, unless you do it on purpose
to plague your neighbors,'


"I am really sorry he behaves so," replied
Mrs. Fairweather, mildly. "Poor Tab?


"Poor Tabw screamed Miss Turnpenny.
"What do you mean by calling her poor? Do
you mean to fling it up to me that my cat
don't have enough to eat %


81 did not think of such a thing" replied
Mrs Fairweather. 81 called her poor Tab
because Pink plaques her so that she has no
peace of her life 1 agree with you, neighbor
Turnpenny it is not right to keep dog that
disturbs the neighborhood. l am attached to
poor Pink because he belongs to my son, who
has gone to sea. was in hopes he would soon
leave off quarreling with the cat but if he
won't be neighborly, I will send him out into
the country to board. Sally, you will bring
me one of the pies we baked this morning. |
should like to have Miss Turnpenny taste of
them"


The grabbed nclghbor was helped abun-
dainty, and while she was eating the pie, the
friendly matron edged in many Il kind word
concerning little Peggy, whom she praised rs
a remarkably capable, industrious child.


81 am glad you find her so,' said Aunt
Hetty; 81 should get precious little work out
of her if I did not keep the switch in sight"


II manage children pretty much as the man
did the donkey" replied Mrs. Fairweather.
"Not an inch would the poor beast stir, for all
his masters beating and humping. But n
neiphbor tied some fresh turnips to q stick,