N

The Harleys of Chelsea Place.

CHAPTER III.

OW, Dora, how I do wish you were a boy!' observed Tom Harley, a few days after Johnny's departure. Do you, Tom? I think I would rather be a little girl,' replied Dora, advancing to the table where Tom was sitting, resting his face upon his hands, with his two elbows on the table, and a lot of books before him.

Then you are downright silly, Dora. I did think you had more sense, or I should not have wanted you to be a boy. Girls are always poor silly things.'

Constance is not silly; she is very clever,' said Dora.

'Oh, is she though?' sneered Tom. 'Yes, and so is your mamma.'

I

'Well, yes; of course mamma is clever. don't believe there ever was anybody like mamma; but then, Dora, you know mamma is -well-I don't know what to call her;' and Tom, puzzled for a word expressive of his mother's qualifications, terminated his speech with the right one—' a lady.'

'I would not vex auntie, Tom.'

'No, of course you would not; but, you see, if you had only been a boy, it would have been all right.'

'Yes; but you know I could not help it, Tom.' replied Dora, apologetically; though I would rather be a little girl, if you would not object to it. Johnny does not mind my being one; he loves me,' and tears rose in Dora's eyes.

There, do not cry, Dora!' exclaimed Tom, ashamed at having caused them. 'I do love you very much, and I will teach you to play draughts with me; and you shall come and find words out for me in the dictionary, to help me in my exercises. So, come here every evening, and see what you can do.'

Dora's eyes glistened through her tears, as she expressed her delight at Tom's proposition; and, taking the dictionary, she sat down on the carpet, to be in readiness to look out any word Tom might require. Constance and Tom prepared their exercises in what was used as the schoolroom by Dora and Johnny; though, after Miss Mills had finished giving the little ones their daily lessons, they seldom entered it until that lady arrived for the same purpose the next morning. Tom and Constance dined at school, and, excepting at holiday time, were only home in the mornings and evenings. Dora was very pleased at being invited to stay in the room with Tom, and determined she would do all she could to help him. Constance made several objections, when she came in and discovered the child,' as she called Dora, in the schoolroom; but Tom 'But, Tom,' said Dora, putting her hand up immediately silenced them, by declaring that he to feel her objectionable nose, nobody ever had a nose like mine?'

'And why cannot I be a lady some day, Tom?' inquired Dora.

Why? of course you can't. A little brown thing like you would never make a real lady. Ladies ought to have beautiful light hair, and blue eyes, and to be tall like a queen, and to have straight noses like mamma's, and not a nose the shape of yours-like nobody else's.'

are you sure

'There, don't tease me, Dora. You would have made a capital boy; and I am very sorry you are not one.'

'But, Tom,' persisted Dora, creeping up close to him, if I had been a boy, would you have loved me better than you do now?'

'I should have liked to play with you better.' 'Could not I learn to play with you?' she inquired.

You play!-a girl like you play with me! Why, Conny cannot do that; but then she never would try.'

'I will try, Tom, if you please. I should like you to love me. Don't you think you could, though I am a little girl? I would do anything if you would please to love me.'

I do not see what you could do. You might catch a ball, or play marbles; but you could not join in foot-ball, or cricket, or leap-frog-your stupid dress would keep you from that; besides, I do not think mamma would like you to, if you could, because girls never play boys' games.' Dora glanced down at her dress as Tom alluded to it; but when she heard there was a probability that her aunt would not approve of her playing at boys' games, she observed quietly:

would go and ask his mamma's leave to have her there, if Constance did not hold her tongue.

'I will be very quiet and good, Conny, if you will let me stay,' pleaded Dora, as she listened to their contention. 'I only want to help Tom a bit.'

'You help Tom!' replied Constance, contemptuously, the idea of it! But please yourselves, I do not care; and, sitting down to her lessons, she took no further notice of either of them.

Tom finished his exercises without requiring any aid from Dora, who sat patiently waiting for his commands; and when he had put away his books, and got out his tool-box, he gave her some tools to hold, and then went on with his boatmaking. He was particularly kind and communicative that evening; and Dora had explained to her the difference between a ship and a schooner - a piece of information which was conveyed to nurse whilst Dora was undressing that night.

'What,' said nurse, 'do young ladies want to know about ships?'

'Oh nurse,' replied Dora, 'I should like to know all that Tom knows; and I will not forget a schooner has two masts, and a ship three, or he will never teach me anything again.'

'Well, I don't see that to know about ships can

hurt you; but Master Tom must not be teaching you all his nonsense; 'twouldn't be pretty for a little girl, Miss Dora.'

Is it naughty nonsense, nurse?' inquired Dora, looking up very innocently.

'Why, you see, Master Tom is a very good boy; only he is so full of fun and tricks, which I should not like you, Miss Dora, to play, because nobody would love you if you did.'

'Well, nurse,' said Dora, 'I will learn about ships and all that, and will tell him he must not teach me tricks at all.'

'What a queer little thing she is!' observed nurse to old nurse, when she returned to the nursery, after putting Dora to bed. 'I do believe it would nigh break her heart to tell her you did not love her. I never met with body who wanted so much to be loved.'

evidences exemplified themselves in her daily life. She could read very nicely; her Bible and Bible story-book were her delight, and she would spend whole hours over them if left to herself. She looked upon God as her best Friend, and accordingly told Him, with childlike confidence, all her joys or sorrows.

Dora thought the evening was long in coming the following day. She never saw much of Tom in the mornings, for, as soon as he had finished his breakfast, he was off to school; but he was always back again to tea, and played about until half-past six, when he went into the schoolroom to prepare his lessons, and sometimes she did not see him again until the next day. But now Tom had told her to come any-regularly to the schoolroom of an evening, saying she could help him; and she was so pleased at the idea of being useful to Tom! She had been useful to her mamma, and after she came to Chelsea Place, she was useful to Johnny; but since he had gone to Uncle Bennett's, she could not feel she was of any use to anybody, and the thought had grieved her. Now she was going to be of use to Tom, and she was so happy!

She is a precious darling,' replied old nurse, who was very fond of her. 'They'll be proud of her one of these days, if she lives to grow up. She thinks of every one afore she does of herself. Mark my words, Jane: she'll be a blessing to this house, let whoever live to see it.'

Old nurse's words were true; Dora did think of every one before herself. She only thought of herself, as she could be of use or pleasing to others. From her infancy she had been brought up close to her mamma's sick-room, and taught to consider her in everything. Young in years, she was old in thoughtfulness; and it was the habit of reflecting upon whether she must, or must not do a thing, that made her appear so frequently quaint and unchildlike. Her lively, rattling cousins had quite overpowered her when she first came amongst them; and, excepting when with Johnny, she felt more lonely than when playing quietly alone in a corner of her mother's room. Gradually her admiration of Tom drew her more and more to him; and it became one of her most ardent desires that he should like her, which his love of teasing had led her to suppose he did not. She had admired him at a distance for a long time; but that evening, when Tom, for lack of better society, had condescended to impart to her his wishes regarding her, she could no longer control her feelings, and had let him know how very much she wanted him to love her; and Tom, who really loved her a great Ideal, had graciously given her to understand that her desire was granted, and that, notwithstanding she was a girl, they were henceforth to be friends.

Dora never offered up her prayers aloud like the other little ones at old nurse's knee, for she had not been brought up with them to do so; but, kneeling at the foot of her bed, in an inaudible tone, she prayed in the words taught her by her mother, adding her own petitions and thanksgivings to them. Had she given distinct utterance to her thoughts that night, nurse would have been surprised at hearing her thank God for having made dear Cousin Tom love her, and would have considered her the strangest Ichild that ever was. Dora had been well instructed by her Christian mother, and the good seed had early taken root in her young heart. She had been the child of many prayers, and its

Before lesson-time arrived, Dora discovered that Tom was not nearly so amiable as he had been the preceding evening. He had been very snappish at tea; and, after tea, had amused himself teasing Agnes and little Guy, until old nurse told him that, if he could not behave himself, he should not remain in the nursery, and he had gone off in a pet, and Dora felt half afraid to follow him to the schoolroom, whither she knew he had gone. It was several minutes before she could really summon up courage to go in after him; but when she did, how was she astonished at seeing her big brave Cousin Tom leaning his head on his arms on the table, crying! For some moments she remained motionless, then springing forwards, she exclaimed:

Oh Tom!'

'Who sent for you? Who wanted you?' shouted Tom, jumping up in a passion at having been caught weeping by Dora. But Dora, nothing daunted, drew nearer to him, saying:

'Dear Tom, don't be angry; I am sorry'What about? You don't know anything, girls never do.' And he plumped down on his chair again.

What is the matter, dear Tom?' pleaded Dora, creeping closer and closer to him. 'Do tell me; you said you would love me;' and she put one of her little hands upon his shoulder.

'Why, I've lost my place in Latin, Dora,' cried Tom, softening, as the thought of his trouble again came over him. I've gone down three in my class, and examination will be next week; and I shall not get up again all that, and I shall lose the prize that I shall.' deep sob escaped from Tom's breast. Poor Tom! I am very sorry. quite sure you will not get up to-morrow?' she inquired.

And a

But are you

I do not think I could beat all three, Dora; they are not all three likely to miss answering. I have worked so hard, Dora; and it was not fair either, at least with Long, for he'd got the

answers written down. I saw him slip the paper tionary on her lap, and a story-book of her own into his desk.'

'But I cannot promise that, Dora.' Why not?'

'Because I cannot help getting angry if she says teasing things.'

'God will help you not to, if you ask Him, Tom.'

'I should not like to ask God that, Dora; the idea of it-'

Oh! Tom, you must ask Him for everything good, if you want to do good.'

'Do you, Dora?'

'Yes, Tom, I try to do it; mamma told me So. But sometimes I forget, and then I say and do naughty things-like when I struck you. My heart is very bad sometimes; oh, so naughty bad, Tom!'

'What do you do then, Dora?'

'Why, I ask God to forgive me for his Son Jesus Christ's sake, and to make me a better little girl. But here is nurse coming. Do promise me, Tom.'

Tom could not resist her pleadings, and giving her an affectionate kiss, whispered, 'I will try, Dora; for you know I would rather please you than the best boy going. You are a first-rater, and no mistake. Yes, I will really try.'

CHAPTER IV.

DORA'S FIRST SUMMER HOLIDAYS.

JOHNNY'S return was a source of great pleasure to all the children, for they had missed him so much in their games. Dora's faith in her aunt was also quite confirmed; for Johnny had come back, as Aunt Harley had told her he would. The mistaken untruthful kindness of the persons who had taken her from her mother's room, telling her that her mamma was going away, but would come back again, had shaken her trust in those about her in illness; but in Johnny's safe return she found her hoped-for confidence in her aunt was not misplaced, and she knew most certainly that what her auntie said was truth.

times so very loud, and then so low and pathetically, that Dora frequently forgot she was only playing a make-believe part, and quite cried with fear at what was coming upon her. Then Johnny strutted about with a stick in his hand, cryingSilence! silence! so grandly, making them all burst out laughing in the midst of their mock gravity, that Constance would adjourn the court for an hour or so.

;

Occasionally Dora pleaded that if she was to be tried, it might not be for dog-stealing or jampot emptying, for she never did do such a thing; but her desire was generally overruled, and poor Dora heard of whole rows of pots having been emptied, and stains having been discovered upon her pinafore and dress, leaving no doubts on the mind of judge and jury but that she was guilty. Tom, with a boy's curiosity, had so often pushed his way into the Guildhall, in the city, with his schoolfellows, that he was pretty well up in the manner a trial was carried on, and managed their mock court capitally. Then they read and told stories; and Tom's were usually of such a thrilling, marvellous description, that Dora and Johnny were glad to run away to the nursery, to inquire of old nurse if they could be true. On the whole, the Harleys of Chelsea Place enjoyed their holidays thoroughly. Sometimes, however, there was an outbreak amongst them, and they wished school would begin, to be rid one of the other; and they considered each other very disagreeable, which they really were, when in their naughty moods. It was a great misfortune for them that they were so little with Mrs. Harley, and a cause of deep regret to her but whilst Mr. Harley continued an invalid, there was not a possibility of her making any alteration in their mode of bringing up. Many a little quiet talking to did Tom get, when his mamma had the opportunity of leaving his papa a bit, about preserving gentlemanly habits and language. She could not endure vulgar ejaculations in conversation, or unmeaning epithets; and Tom was constantly picking up amongst his schoolmates something objectionable in her ears, which, for want of being more frequently with him, she could not fully check. Constance was also very high-minded; and being naturally clever, gave herself all manner of airs about her self-supposed superiority, which cost her mother many an anxious moment. Dora really, young as she was, was what nurse had said she would be at some future day—the blessing of the house. Her tender mind had been so early imbued with religious impressions, rendering her thereby so keenly alive to a sense of right or wrong, that she imperceptibly influenced her impetuous elder When they were tired of sitting still, chipping cousins. The 'Oh! it is so wrong,' would effecwood, and flag and sail-making, they played at tually stop Tom in a foolish if not rash proceed'Court.' Constance, with her long light hair, ing; and the timid, meek, 'If you please, Conbeing the judge; Dora, the culprit; and Johnny, stance, I would, or I would rather not do such the crier; whilst Tom, in a paper wig, and old a thing,' did much to soften Constance's overnurse's short black cloak over his shoulders, acted bearing disposition, where direct and determinate as counsel for and against the prisoner. Tom opposition would only have ended in a violent had already decided upon being a barrister fit of passion. There must be two to make a when he was a man; and in his zeal to sustain quarrel; and Dora very seldom, if ever, became the character he some day hoped to fill, he one of the necessary two-not but she had an flourished his papers and argued away, some- evil temper to control, as well as her cousins,

Ship and boat-making became a favourite pursuit in the schoolroom in Chelsea Place-Constance making the flags with coloured ribbon, and Dora hemming the sails for them; and it was settled a regular little fleet of ships should be made against they went to the seaside, when they were to be launched. Tom had somewhat got over his disappointment in losing the prize for Latin, for he did lose it, never having been able to regain his place in class; but he won a prize for history, which turned out to be a book on boats, and it proved a great help to him in his shipbuilding.