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USAGES OF SOCIETY.

From Chambers' Journal.
USAGES OF SOCIETY

A CORRESPONDENT, a great stickler for etiquette, hands us the following hints; a knowledge of which, however commonplace, he thinks may be useful to those not up to the mark in this weighty subject.

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son to dinner, let it, if possible, be done a week or
ten days in advance; because, to ask a person
only a day or two days before, looks as if you had
been disappointed of somebody else, and had asked
him as a mere stop-gap. A short invitation is only
allowable for off-hand parties, or with strangers
"When you invite a person to dinner, or any
who are passing through a town.
And
other party at your house, specify only one day.
Don't say you will be glad to see him on either of
two days, as Tuesday or Wednesday next.
why? Because this person may not wish to dine
with or visit you at all; and so far from a choice
of days being thought an act of kindness, it may be
considered one of servility, if not rudeness. Al-
ways state only one day; and let the invitation,
like the answer, be unequivocal.

"Invitations for several weeks in advance are
almost as bad as invitations for alternative days;
because long invitations convey the impression that
the inviter is desperately ill for guests, and wishes
to insure a number at all risks. The person invited
is also apt to feel that it is not his pleasure or con-
venience that is consulted; and to raise a feeling
of this kind is anything but consistent with true
politeness.

"I shall begin with calls. When you call at the house of an acquaintance, or indeed call anywhere, and do not happen to find the party at home, you should leave your card. Leaving your name will not do; because names left verbally are seldom correctly delivered, if delivered at all, and your call may be said to go for nothing. Your card is the enduring evidence of your visit. The card is one of the most useful things in modern society. All are supposed to carry a small stock of these pasteboard representatives about with them, and the giving of one is very handy on many occasions. For example, in visiting, instead of sending in your name by a servant, hand in one of your cards, and then you may be sure there will be no mistake. Having either seen your acquaintance, or left your card, it is now the duty of your acquaintance "The receiver of an invitation has a duty to (supposing it is a call of ceremonial intercourse) to return the call within a reasonable time. If he do not call, you do not repeat your visit. And why perform as well as its giver. It is incumbent on so? Because it may be his wish to drop your him to say yes or no at once-not to allow a post or acquaintance, and your continuing to call on him a day to elapse before answering. The reason is may be disagreeable. Knowing that such is the obvious: a delay on his part looks as if he were rule, a second call from you seems like forcing waiting for a better invitation before he made up yourself on his notice-a determination that he his mind. Not to send a speedy reply, therefore, shall not rid himself of you. The rule of call for is one of the worst pieces of breeding of which a It man can be guilty. It is also not using the inviter call, therefore, is on the whole not a bad one. affords every one an opportunity of dropping an well for a dinner party usually consists only of a acquaintance when his society is no longer wanted. certain number; and if you cannot accept the inviIn good society, no one ever complains that an tation, say so, in order that time may be allowed to answer also be distinct no uncertainty is allowacquaintance has not returned a call-the thing is invite another person in your place. Let the silently dropped. able: and if the invitation be accepted, let it be kept.

"Calls of ceremony, which are not usually per"The answer to an invitation should be directed formed till past one or two o'clock, are seldom expected to last more than ten or fifteen minutes, "I now come to the fulfilment of the engageand, as everybody knows, are performed in a plain to the lady of the house. Some time ago it was fashionable to be walking-dress. Gentlemen, in making forenoon calls, or attending soirées, do not lay down their ment. hat in the lobby, but carry it in their hand into the rather late-twenty minutes after the hour being room, and never let it go, however long they stay. considered a fair thing. Now, prompt to the hour This is a very odd piece of etiquette, that has often is the rule, which is a great improvement. In atamused me. I frequently see gentlemen walking tending two or three dinners lately, I found that all "A drawing-room is the domain of ladies, and about a drawing-room for hours, each cuddling his had assembled within the space of ten minutes. hat below his arm, as if it were a crime to part A man might as con- on entering, you first make your obeisances to the with it even for a moment. veniently carry about a child's drum under his arm; lady of the mansion, who is of course ready to yet he cannot well escape from the annoyance. If receive you. Leading the ladies down stairs to the Jeft in the hall at large parties, and worth the steal- dining-room is a simple affair; yet one may be a ing, the unfortunate hat will in all probability be novice in this as well as in everything else. The never more seen by its owner; for there appears to rule is, for the lady you take down to sit on your be nothing like conscientiousness in the matter of right hand, if that can be managed conveniently. hats. How far the dread of losing the hat led to But when you take down the lady of the house, the practice of parading about with it under the you sit on her right hand-that is, you have the arm, is of little consequence. The modern custom seat of honor. It will not do for any guest to rush of keeping fast hold of it during short or extempore forward to offer his arm to the lady of the house. visits, is considered to indicate that you do not The honor of leading her down, if not assigned by intend to stay any great length of time, nor expect the host to a favored guest, is taken by the most an invitation to remain to dinner, or any other meal; elderly gentleman, or by the party of highest rank in short, that it is your design to vanish after a lit-present. To save all doubt on this point, the host tle friendly chit-chat. Thus, laughable as it seems, there is really a meaning, and not a bad meaning either, in the practice. A host who wishes you to remain, or at least not to go in a hurry, will beg to relieve you of your incumbrance.

"Next as to invitations. When you ask a per

always asks one of the party to be so good as take Mrs. So-and-so down stairs. Where the party are generally strangers to each other, it is customary gentlemen as respects the other ladies. The host for the host to make a similar request to the other selects the lady of greatest consequence, and leads

her off first. The hostess waits to go down last- the feelings of others, are most remiss in the sees all go down before her.

"In going down stairs, the lady should have the widest side, supposing the stair to have a narrow and a wide side, as is the case with winding-stairs. Better, however, take the wrong side, than make any fuss about correcting so small an error.

answering of letters, and will allow days and weeks
to elapse before despatching a reply. When letters
are conceived in an impertinent or intrusive spirit,
it is of course allowable and reasonable to let them
remain unanswered. Persons of notoriety, for
example, who are pestered with letters on all sorts
of frivolous subjects, frequently for no other purpose
than to get hold of their autograph, may very ex-
cusably take some latitude in regard to this rule.
"In asking after the health of a person's rela-
tions, give each his or her proper name and title,
unless it be a child. Ask for Mrs.

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or Miss

"A custom, lately come in, seems to be deservedly gaining ground: instead of sitting at the top and bottom of the table, the host and hostess sit opposite each other at the middle; by which means they are more at ease, more in the centre of their guests, and better able to communicate with each other. George IV. adopted this practice twenty, and so on: never say, How is your wife?' years ago it is followed by the present queen. I hope your daughter is well,' &c. Any such According to this arrangement, two persons can be mode of address is intolerably over-familiar, and is accommodated at each end of the table-not a bad almost certain to give offence. Calling persons point where there is limited accommodation. 'My dear sir,' or ' My good fellow,' in speaking to them; also holding them by the button-an offence denounced by Chesterfield-are, for the same reason, objectionable."

"A dinner-party usually lasts four hours. If you go at six, you may order your carriage at ten: if at seven, it may come at eleven; and so on. What dinner hours are by and by to come to, I cannot tell. Not many years ago, dinner at five o'clock was thought mighty genteel; then we had half-past five; next came six, and six and a halfboth of which are now general; but seven is also far from uncommon. That the fashionable dinner hour will be pushed on to eight, to nine, or to ten, is what we may reasonably expect. When it comes to this pass, will dinner bound back to its ancient hours, or will it be extinguished as a formal meal?

COURT CIRCULAR FOR THE FRENCH.

THE French are a polite nation; therefore we expect that they will return a compliment very largely paid them in this country. We allude to the adoption of cant terms borrowed from their language by British journalists, in order to denote the things and transactions of high-life. As, by calling the most fashionable sort of people the élite or ton, and speaking of a dancing tea-party as a thé dansant; whereas it is the party that dances, not the Hyson; and the tea is quite distinct from the caper.

"So much for dinners: now for a little about personal decoration: and here I address myself chiefly to ladies. In giving a dinner or evening Also, by describing a person of dignified departy, take care to dress somewhat less elegantly meanor as distingué instead of dignified, a rout as than any of your expected guests; because, were a soirée, and a meat-breakfast as a déjeûner à la you to dress much more elegantly, it might be sup-fourchette, just as if everybody does not use a fork posed that you invited the party only to astonish who has a Yarmouth bloater for that meal. If we, them with your finery, or at least to show them out of admiration for the French language, employ that you could afford to dress better than they-a it when we might full as well talk plain English, thing not likely to be agreeable to their feelings. the French ought surely to reciprocate the civility, As under-dressing may be considered disrespectful particularly since we go out of our way in deferto guests, it is equally to be avoided with over-ence to them, often using a phraseology which is decoration. Good taste will suggest the proper at the same time Frenchified and nonsensical. medium. Accordingly, in their fashionable journals, we shall expect to find such announcements as the following:

"I must say a word on tokens of sympathy. 'If you wish me to weep, you must weep with me,' says the Roman poet. Quite reasonable this. If you wish to condole with a friend, you must at least employ the emblems of woe. In calling on an acquaintance who is in mourning, put on a little mourning also don't go in flashy attire, out of character with the occasion. If your correspondent seals his letters with black, seal your replies with black also. These may be trifles, but if they tend to give any one gratification, why not practise them? A thousand comforts in life depend on what are intrinsically trifles.

"The prompt answering of letters is considered an unequivocal mark of a gentleman and a man of business. Why is delay the reverse? Because not to answer a letter (supposing it deserves to be answered) is the same thing as not answering when you are spoken to; and everybody knows that that is bad enough. Yet some people, who mean nothing wrong, but are only ignorant of what is due to

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Hier au soir came off, à sa maison, dans la Rue St. Honoré, le grand hop de MADAME LA COMTESSE DE VANILLE. La compagnie était ornée par presque tous les swells les plus tip-top.

Aujourd'hui, M. DE FRICANDEAU donnera, à son hôtel, un spread magnifique; où plusieurs nobs de la première distinction se trouveront autour de son mahogany.

On dit qu'il y a sur le Kidderminster une alliance nuptiale entre un Marquis bien connu parmi les crack cercles, et une demoiselle de tin, heritière à un millionaire Anglais.

Au plein tog et fancy ball de MADAME DE PAPILLOTE, assistèrent une foule de first-rate gens. L'affaire était extrêmement spicy.

Our neighbors must really consent to a free interchange, amongst other commodities, of fashionable slang, or we shall never believe in the entente cordiale that they talk about.-Punch.

From the Columbian Magazine.

THE NEIGHBOR IN LAW.

BY L. MARIA CHILD.

Who blesses others in his daily deeds,
Will find the healing that his spirit needs;
For every flower in others' pathway strewn,
Confers its fragrant beauty on our own.

"So you are going to live in the same building with Hetty Turnpenny," said Mrs. Lane to Mrs. Fairweather. "You will find nobody to envy you. If her temper does not prove too much even for your good nature, it will surprise all who know her. We lived there a year, and that is as long as anybody ever tried it."

for me, while I am getting my furniture in order. I will pay her sixpence an hour."

Aunt Hetty began to purse up her mouth for a refusal; but the promise of sixpence an hour relaxed her features at once. Little Peggy sat knitting a stocking very diligently, with a rod lying on the table beside her. She looked up with timid wistfulness, as if the prospect of any change was like a release from prison. When she heard consent given, a bright color flushed her cheeks. She was evidently of an impressible temperament, for good or evil. "Now mind and behave yourself," said Aunt Hetty; "and see that you keep at work the whole time; if I hear one word of complaint you know what you'll get when you come home." The rose color subsided from Peggy's pale face, and she answered, "Yes, ma'am," very meekly.

"Poor Hetty!" replied Mrs. Fairweather, "she has had much to harden her. Her mother died too early for her to remember: her father was very severe with her; and the only lover she ever In the neighbor's house all went quite otherhad, borrowed the savings of her years of toil, and wise. No switch lay on the table, and instead of, spent them in dissipation But Hetty, notwith-mind how you do that. If you don't I'll punstanding her sharp features, and sharper words, ish you," she heard the gentle words, "There, certainly has a kind heart. In the midst of her dear, see how carefully you can carry that up greatest poverty many were the stockings she stairs. Why, what a nice handy little girl you knit, and the warm waistcoats she made, for the are!" Under these enlivening influences, Peggy poor drunken lover whom she had too much sense | worked like a bee, and soon began to hum much to marry. Then you know she feeds and clothes her brother's orphan child.”

"If you call it feeding and clothing," replied Mrs. Lane. "The poor child looks cold and pinched, and frightened all the time as if she were chased by the east wind. I used to tell Miss Turnpenny she ought to be ashamed of herself, to keep the poor little thing at work all the time, without one minute to play. If she does but look at the cat, as it runs by the window, Aunt Hetty gives her a rap over the knuckles. I used to tell her she would make the girl just such another sour old crab as herself."

"That must have been very improving to her disposition," replied Mrs. Fairweather, with a good-humored smile. "But in justice to poor Aunt Hetty, you had ought to remember that she had just such a cheerless childhood herself. Flowers grow where there is sunshine."

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"I know you think everybody ought to live in the sunshine," rejoined Mrs. Lane; "and it must be confessed that you carry it with you wherever you go. If Miss Turnpenny has a heart, I dare say you will find it out, though I never could, and I never heard of any one else that could. All the families within hearing of her tongue called her the neighbor in law.”.

more agreeably than a bee. Aunt Hetty was always in the habit of saying, "Stop your noise, and mind your work." But the new friend patted her on the head, and said, "What a pleasant voice the little girl has. It is like the birds in the fields. By and by, you shall hear my music-box." This opened wide the windows of the poor little shut-up heart, so that the sunshine could stream in, and the birds fly in and out, carolling. The happy child tuned up like a lark, as she tripped lightly up and down stairs, on various household errands. But though she took heed to observe all the directions given her, her head was all the time filled with conjectures what sort of a thing a music box might be. She was a little afraid the kind lady would forget to show it to her. She kept at work, however, and asked no questions; she only looked very curiously at everything that resembled a box. At last, Mrs. Fairweather said, "I think your little feet must be tired by this time. We will rest awhile, and eat some gingerbread." The child took the offered cake, with a humble little courtesy, and carefully held out her apron to prevent any crumbs from falling on the floor. But suddenly the apron dropped, and the crumbs were all strewed about. "Is that a little bird?" she exclaimed eagerly. "Where is he? Certainly the prospect was not very encourag- Is he in this room?" The new friend smiled, and ing; for the house Mrs. Fairweather proposed to told her that was the music box; and after a while occupy, was not only under the same roof with she opened it and explained what made the sounds. Miss Turnpenny, but the buildings had one com- Then she took out a pile of books from one of the mon yard in front. The very first day she took baskets of goods, and told Peggy she might look possession of her new habitation, she called on the at the pictures, till she called her. The little girl neighbor in law. Aunt Hetty had taken the pre- stepped forward eagerly to take them, and then caution to extinguish the fire, lest the new neigh- drew back, as if afraid." "What is the matter?" bor should want hot water, before her own wood asked Mrs. Fairweather; "I am very willing to and coal arrived. Her first salutation was, "If trust you with the books. I keep them on purpose you want any cold water, there's a pump across to amuse children." Peggy looked down with her the street: I don't like to have my house slopped finger on her lip, and answered, in a constrained all over." voice, "Aunt Turnpenny won't like it if I play." "I am glad you are so tidy, neighbor Turnpen-"Don't trouble yourself about that. I will make ny," replied Mrs. Fairweather; "It is extremely it all right with Aunt Hetty," replied the friendly pleasant to have neat neighbors. I will try to keep everything as bright as a new five cent piece, for I see that will please you. I came in merely to say good morning, and to ask if you could spare little Peggy to run up and down stairs

one. Thus assured, she gave herself up to the full enjoyment of the picture books; and when she was summoned to her work, she obeyed with a cheerful alacrity that would have astonished her stern relative. When the labors of the day were con

cluded, Mrs. Fairweather accompanied her home, | poor animal, and it was too much for her patience paid all the hours she had been absent, and warm- to see Pink undertake to assist in making Tab unly praised her docility and diligence. "It is lucky happy. On one of these occasions, she rushed for her that she behaved so well," replied Aunt in to her neighbor's apartments, and faced Mrs. Hetty; "if I had heard any complaint, I should Fairweather, with one hand resting on her hip, have given her a whipping, and sent her to bed and the forefinger of the other making very wrathwithout her supper." ful gesticulations. "I tell you what, madam, I won't put up with such treatment much longer,' said she; "I'll poison that dog; you'll see if I don't; and I shan't wait long, either, I can tell you. What you keep such an impudent little beast for, I don't know, without you do it on purpose to plague your neighbors."

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Poor little Peggy went to sleep that night with a 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 again during the day. Her desire that it should be so soon became obvious to Aunt Hetty, and excited an undefined jealousy and dislike of a person who so easily made herself beloved. Without exactly acknowledging to herself what were "Poor Tab!" screamed Miss Turnpenny. her own motives, she ordered Peggy to gather all "What do you mean by calling her poor? Do the sweepings of the kitchen and court into a small you mean to fling it up to me that my cat don't pile, and leave it on the frontier line of her neigh-have enough to eat?"

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

life. I agree with you, neighbor Turnpenny; it is not right to keep a dog that disturbs the neighborhood. I am attached to poor little Pink, because he belongs to my son, who has gone to sea. I was in hopes he would soon leave off quarreling with the cat; but if he won't be neighborly, I will send him out in the country to board. Sally will you bring me one of the pies we baked this morning? I should like to have Miss Turnpenny taste of them."

The crabbed neighbor was helped abundantly, and while she was eating the pie, the friendly matron edged in many a kind word concerning little Peggy, whom she praised as a remarkably capable industrious child.

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

"I manage children pretty much as the man did the donkey," replied Mrs. Fairweather. "Not an inch would the poor beast stir, for all his master's beating and thumping. But a neighbor tied some fresh turnips to a stick, and fastened them so that they swung directly before the donkey's nose, and off he set on a brisk trot, in hopes of overtaking them."

bor's premises. Peggy ventured to ask timidly "I did not think of such a thing," replied Mrs. whether the wind would not blow it about, and she Fairweather. "I called her poor Tab, because received a box on the ear for her impertinence. It Pink plagues her so that she has no peace of her chanced that Mrs. Fairweather, quite unintentionally, heard the words and the blow. She gave Aunt Hetty's anger time enough to cool, then stepped 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 Mrs. Turnpenny was very neat? Pray, make haste and sweep it up. I would n't have her see it on any account. I told her I would try to keep everything nice about the premises. She is so particular herself, and it is a comfort to have tidy neighbors." The girl, who had been previously instructed, 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 disposed of. Aunt Hetty had a cat, a lean scraggy animal that looked as if she were often kicked and seldom fed; and Mrs. Fairweather also had a fat, frisky little dog, always ready for a caper. He took a distaste to poor poverty-stricken Tab the first time he saw her, and no coaxing could induce him to alter his opinion. His name was Pink, but he was anything but a pink of behavior in his neighborly relations. Poor Tab could never set foot out of the door, without being saluted with a growl, and a short sharp, bark, that frightened her out of her senses, and made her run in the house, with her fur all on end, If she even ventured to doze a little on her own door step, the "For the matter of that," answered Mrs. Fairenemy was on the watch, and the moment her eyes weather, "whips cost something, as well as turclosed, he would wake her with a bark and a box nips; and since one makes the donkey stand still, on the ear, and off he would run. Aunt Hetty and the other makes him trot, it is easy to decide vowed she would scald him. It was a burning which is the most economical. But, neighbor shame, she said, for folks to keep dogs to worry Turnpenny, since you like my pies so well, pray 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 Aunt Hetty had come in for a quarrel, and she same plate. But Pink sturdily resolved that he was astonished to find herself going out with a would be scalded first; that he would. He could pie. "Well, Mrs. Fairweather," said she, "you not have been more firm in his opposition, if he are a neighbor. I thank you a thousand times.' and Tab had belonged to different sects in Chris- When she reached her own door, she hesitated for tianity. While his mistress was patting Tab on an instant, then turned back, pie in hand, to say, the head, and reasoning the point with him, he" Neighbor Fairweather, you need n't trouble would at times manifest a degree of indifference, amounting to toleration; but the moment he was left to his own free will, he would give the invited guest a hearty cuff with his paw, and send her home spitting like a small steam engine. Aunt Hetty considered it her own peculiar privilege to cuff the

Aunt Hetty, without observing how very closely the comparison applied to her own management of Peggy, said, "that will do very well for folks that have plenty of turnips to spare.'

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take one home with you. I am afraid they will mould before we can eat them up."

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yourself about sending Pink away. It's natural you should like the little creature, seeing he belongs to your son. I'll try to keep Tab in doors, and perhaps after a while they will agree better,"

"I hope they will," replied the friendly matron: "We will try them a while longer, and if they

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"I learned a good lesson when I was a little girl," rejoined Mrs. Fairweather. "One frosty morning, I was looking out of the window into my father's barn yard, where stood many cows, oxen, and horses, waiting to drink. It was one of those cold snapping mornings, when a slight thing irritates both man and beast. The cattle all stood very still and meek, till one of the cows attempted to turn round. In making the attempt, she happened to hit her next neighbor; whereupon, the neighbor kicked, and hit another. In five minutes, the whole herd were kicking and hooking each other, with all fury. My mother laughed and said,See what comes of kicking when you're hit.' Just so I've seen one cross word set a whole family by the ears, some frosty morning, Afterward, if my brothers or myself were a little irritable, she would say, 'Take care, children. Remember how the fight in the barn yard began. Never give a kick for a hit, and you will save yourself and others a deal of trouble.""

That same afternoon, the sunshiny dame stepped into Aunt Hetty's rooms, where she found Peggy sewing, as usual, with the eternal switch on the table beside her. "I am obliged to go to Harlem, on business," said she; "I feel rather lonely without company, and I always like to have a child with me. If you will oblige me by letting Peggy go, I will pay her fare in the omnibus."

"She has her spelling lesson to get before night," replied Aunt Hetty. "I don't approve of young folks going a pleasuring, and neglecting their education."

I

"Neither do I," rejoined her neighbor; "but think there is a great deal of education that is not found in books. The fresh air will make Peggy grow stout and active. I prophesy that she will do great credit to your bringing up.' The sugared words, and the remembrance of the sugared pie, touched the soft place in Miss Turnpenny's heart and she told the astonished Peggy that she might go and put on her best gown and bonnet. The poor child began to think that this new neighbor was certainly one of the good fairies she read about in the picture books. The excursion was enjoyed as only a city child can enjoy the country. The world seems such a pleasant place, when the fetters are off, and Nature folds the young heart lovingly on her bosom! A flock of real birds and two living butterflies put the little orphan in a perfect ecstasy. She pointed to the fields covered with dandelions, and said, "See, how pretty! It looks as if the stars had come down to lie on the grass." Ah, our little stinted Peggy has poetry in her, though Aunt Hetty never found it out. Every human soul has the germ of some flowers within, and they would open, if they could only find sunshine and free air to expand them.

Mrs. Fairweather was a practical philosopher in her own small way. She observed that Miss Turnpenny really liked a pleasant tune; and when winter came, she tried to persuade her that singing would be excellent for Peggy's lungs, and perhaps keep her from going into a consumption.

"My nephew, James Fairweather, keeps a singing school," said she;" and he says he will teach her gratis. You need not feel under great obligation; for her voice will lead the whole school, and her ear is so quick, it will be no trouble at all to teach her. Perhaps you would go with us sometimes, neighbor Turnpenny? It is very pleasant to hear the children's voices."

The cordage of Aunt Hetty's mouth relaxed into a smile. She accepted the invitation, and was so much pleased that she went every Sunday evening. The simple tunes, and the sweet young voices, fell like the dew on her dried-up heart, and greatly aided the genial influence of her neighbor's example. The rod silently disappeared from the table. If Peggy was disposed to be idle, it was only necessary to say, "When you have finished your work, you may go and ask whether Mrs. Fairweather wants any errands done." Bless me, how the fingers flew! Aunt Hetty had learned to use turnips instead of the cudgel.

When spring came, Mrs. Fairweather busied herself with planting roses and vines. Mrs. Turnpenny readily consented that Peggy should help her, and even refused to take any pay from such a good neighbor. But she maintained her own opinion that it was a mere waste of time to cultivate flowers. The cheerful philosopher never disputed the point; but she would sometimes say, "I have no room to plant this rose bush. Neighbor Turnpenny, would you be willing to let me set it on your side of the yard? It will take very little room, and will need no care." At another time she would say, "Well, really, my ground is too full. Here is a root of lady's delight. How bright and pert it looks. It seems a pity to throw it away. If you are willing, I will let Peggy plant it in what she calls her garden. It will grow of itself, without any care, and scatter seeds, that will come up and blossom in all the chinks of the bricks. I love it. It is such a bright, good-natured little thing." Thus, by degrees, the crabbed maiden found herself surrounded with flowers; and she even declared, of her own accord, that they did look pretty.

One day, when Mrs. Lane called upon Mrs. Fairweather, she found the old weed-grown yard bright and blooming. Tab, quite fat and sleek, was asleep in the sunshine, with her paw upon Pink's neck, and little Peggy was singing at her work as blithe as a bird,

"How cheerful you look here," said Mrs. Lane. "And so you have really taken the house for another year. Pray, how do you manage to get on with the neighbor in law?"

"I find her a very kind, obliging neighbor," replied Mrs. Fairweather.

"Well, this is a miracle!" exclaimed Mrs. Lane. "Nobody but you would have undertaken to thaw out Aunt Hetty's heart."

"That is probably the reason why it never was thawed," rejoined her friend. "I always told you that not having enough of sunshine was what ailed the world. Make people happy, and there will not be half the quarrelling, or a tenth part of the wickedness there is."

From this gospel of joy preached and practised, nobody derived so much benefit as little Peggy. Her nature, which was fast growing crooked and knotty, under the malign influence of constraint and fear, straightened up, budded and blossomed, in the genial atmosphere of cheerful kindness.

Her affections and faculties were kept in such

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