TUESDAY,

The fifth Day.

OUR little company, as soon as the morning school-hours were over, hastened to their arbour, attentively expecting what Miss Jenny Peace would propose to them for their amusement till dinnertime; when Miss Jenny taking out of her pocket a little gilt book, said, if they pleased, she would read them another short story, which, if they had not met with before, she had no doubt would afford them pleasure.

They all eagerly asked the title of the story; to which Miss Jenny replied, "It is the history of the hard-hearted little girl."

The young ladies all assured Miss Jenny that they had never heard of the book before; upon which she immediately began to read.

The History of Miss Fanny; or, the hard-hearted little Girl.

In a small sea-port town, or rather village, in

the north-west of England, there formerly lived a very respectable widow lady, named Hill, who having two daughters, endeavoured to bring them up in the fear of God, and in useful habits.

The eldest of these was married while young to a gentleman of the name of King, and was so unfortunate as in a very few years to lose her husband and two sons. One little girl only remained to her, with whom she returned to her mother's house, devoting the remainder of her days to the service of her God, to her aged mother, and to this little daughter, who was still in a state of infancy on her father's removal. What time this excellent woman could spare from these her first duties, she consecrated to the poor: and thus happily employing her hours, she found that consolation, which the active performance of duty seldom fails to afford in affliction.

The name of Mrs. King's little daughter was Anna; and the discreet manner in which she was educated soon shewed itself in her gentle and amiable deportment, as well as in the sweet expression of her countenance.

Mrs. Hill's second daughter was married a few years after her sister to the captain of a merchant vessel, whose family resided in the same village; a man of rough manners, and not altogether pleasing to the old lady but as her daughter's mind was set upon the connection, Mrs. Hill had not thought

N

it right to control her inclinations any further than by expressing her disapprobation, and giving her reasons for so doing. And this indeed ought to have been sufficient to make the young lady hesitate, if not entirely to lay aside all thoughts of the marriage.

The captain's name was Saunders. He possessed a handsome house in the village, not far from Mrs. Hill's neat little dwelling; and as he was frequently from home for months together, it might have been a great comfort to Mrs. Saunders to be so near her mother and sister.

Mrs. Saunders had, like her sister, one little girl, who, being about the age of her cousin, would have been a very pleasant and proper companion for her, had they been educated upon the same plan. But whereas Anna was brought up, as we before said, in the most unexceptionable manner; little Fanny Saunders was seldom subjected to any control: in consequence of which, she became from day to day more selfish and more obstinate. For such is the depravity of our nature, that it is not sufficient to remove children from the view of actual evil; but they must be persuaded and compelled to do well by every inducement that can be held forth to them for that purpose.'

We may suppose that Mrs. Hill, when she saw the difference between her two little grandchildren,

did not spare expostulation with her younger daughter on the occasion; neither can we believe that Mrs. King, who was so very anxious to bring up her own child properly, could refrain from speaking freely to her sister upon the subject. But whatever arguments they might use, they produced no effect upon the conduct of Mrs. Saunders. She was too partial to her daughter to dwell much upon her faults, always speaking of her as of a mere baby, who would do better as she grew older. In vain the grandmother would say, "If you wish your child to behave well in youth, you must compel her to do so as an infant; and if you desire her to be a pious woman, you must endeavour to make her a pious child: that is, the means appointed by God must be employed, in order to secure so desirable an end. And though the best means which we can use," this pious old lady would add, "must of themselves fall far short of the proposed end; since no parent can so far change the heart of a child, as to inspire it either with divine love or with self-abhorrence; the parent is nevertheless bound to do all in his power to effect this mighty work, looking up in faith for the blessing of God on his endeavours."

The only effect which Mrs. Hill's expostulations produced upon her daughter was this, that instead of controlling Fanny, she endeavoured to hide the child's faults from its grandmother and aunt: and, in consequence, she seldom brought her to see them, or to play with her cousin. But when she

herself visited the old lady, she generally left Fanny with the servants, who, in order to please their mistress, allowed the child every possible indulgence; thus fostering and confirming all those evil habits which, in better company, would at least have been weakened, if not overcome. Thus do over fond parents, in ways innumerable, promote the ruin of their children.

In this manner Fanny and Anna attained each her eighth year, for there were only a few months difference in their ages, Fanny being the elder. At this time Mrs. Hill, who was very old, began rapidly to decay; and at length, taking entirely to her bed, her physicians declared it as their opinion that she could not live many weeks.

Captain Saunders being at this time from home, Mrs. Saunders, anxious to assist her sister in attending on their sick parent, became for a season an inmate in her mother's house, accompanied by her little daughter. And now the difference between the two children, who were brought continually together, (both bearing the same relation to the dying person,) was made strikingly apparent even to the most common observer, who could hardly fail to mark in little Anna the lovely effects of a pious education.

While the poor old lady lay on her death-bed, this amiable child of her own accord put away all her dolls and playthings, not allowing herself to