Mary Erskine

rskine would kneel down together, by the settle which stood in the corner, while he repeated his evening prayer. This short season of devotion was always a great source of enjoyment to Mar

, she took the bible down from its shelf, and seating herself upon the settle, so as to see by the light of the fire, as Albert had been accustomed to do, she opened the book, and then began to repeat such verses as she could remember. At length she closed the book, and laying it down upon the seat of the settle, in imitation of Albert's custom, she kneeled down before it, and repeated the prayer

was full of joy at the idea of having her come and spend several days and nights too, at her house, and she was impatient for the time to arrive when she might begin to expect her. At eight o'clock, she began to go often to the door to look down the road. At nine, she began to feel uneasy. At ten, she put on her hood and went down the road, almost to the corner, to meet her-looking forward intensely all the way, hoping at every turn to see her expected visitor advancing along the path. She went on thus until she came in sight of the corner, without seeing or hearing any th

visit to Mary Erskine, her mother told her, as she came into the room,

go?" aske

other, "I think I

aid Mary Bell, cl

ve you stay there several

he was not quite sure that she should be willin

me home every n

ny good by giving her your money, for she has got plenty of money; nor by carrying her any thing good to eat, for her house is full of abundance, and she knows as well how to make good th

ry Bell, "I sho

s Joseph, to harness the horse into the wagon. When the wagon was ready, she directed Joseph to carry Mary to the corner, and see that she set out upon the right road there, toward Mary

ry Erskine's house, where a road branched off to the right, and led into the woods. There was a large pine-tree at this point, which Mary Bell remembered well;

corner, she stood still, upon a flat rock by the side of the

id she. "I am going to

ng to look round at Mary Bell,

ry Bell,-"and Joseph, don't yo

don't you forget to ta

aid Mar

veral days before she should see her mother again. But then, calling up to her mind a vivid picture of Mary Erskine's house, and of the pleasure that she should enjoy

forest, their notes being heard at intervals, in various directions, as if one was answering another, to beguile the solemn loneliness of the woods. The trees were very tall, and Mary Bell, as she look

footing, he stopped and looked round at Mary Bell. Mary Bell stopped too; each looked at the other for several seconds, in silence,-the child with an expression of curiosity and pleasure upon her countenance, and the squirrel with one o

y Bell, "I am sorry tha

t number of yellow butterflies had settled down together in the path. Most

ut, I suppose, till they have got tired, and have stopped to rest. But if

ked upon the butterflies

terflies. I will sit down here, myself, on a stone, and wait till they get

again after a short distance. There were many such little paths, here and there, running parallel to the main road. They were made by the cows, in the spring of the

m not very tired; so I will go around by this littl

r the great pine-tree, where the road into the woods branched off, and the path which she was determining to take, though it commenced in the main road leading to Mary Erskine's, did not return

rbing the butterflies. She thought, indeed, it might possibly be that the path would not come back at all, but would lose itself in the woods; and to guard against this danger, she determined that after goin

forward in a very light-hearted and happy manner. The road was very similar in its character to the one which she ought to have taken, so that there was nothing in the appearances around her to lead her to suppose

f an approach to the farm, until at length she saw signs of an opening in the woods, at some distance before her. She concluded to go on until she

re and there. There was a small elevation in the land, at a little distance from the place where Mary Bell came out, and she thought that she would go to the top of this

the woods to find her, as soon as she heard that she was lost. She concluded, at first, to wait where she was until Joseph should come, but on second thoughts, she concluded to go back by the road which had led her to the opening, and so, perhaps meet h

t could find no road. She, however, at length found something which she liked better. It was a beautiful spring of cool water, bubbling up from between the rocks on the side of a little hill. She sat down by the side of this spring,

" said she to herself. "It i

l, in looking around her from her seat near the spring, saw at a distanc

id she. "I will go and see; if I could only find plent

She ate of them abundantly, and was very much refreshed. She would have filled her pail besides, so as

y tired. She wished that they would come for her. She climbed up upon a

kine! Mar

and listening in vain for an

as! Th

, after an

ph! Jo

e singing of the birds, and the sighing of the wind u

ushes. She came to a place where there were rocks, with smooth surfaces of moss and grass among them. She found a shad

ead again, and endeavored

very tired, but I must not go to sleep, for then I shall not hear them

ound, and notwithstanding her resolution to keep

, to find that she had been sleeping, and she started up and climbed along upon a rock whi

distant tink

It is out that way. I wonder wha

could not. She, however, steadily persevered, though she encountered a great many obstacles on the way. Sometimes there were wet places, which it was very hard to get round. At othe

aid she at length, "t

one of Mary E

uainted with Queen Bess, having often gone out to see Mary Erskine milk her, with the other cows. She had even tried many tim

Bell. "She knows me, and she will giv

eing near, some cropping the grass and some browsing upon the bushes. Queen Bess raised her head and looked at Mary Bell wit

until Thomas comes up after the cows. He will find you by your bell. And now I am

ined to stand still, but advances all the time, slowly, step by step, making it very difficult to do any thing at milking. Mary Bell, however, succeeded very well. She was so thirsty that she did not wait to get a great deal at a

. When she had thus had as many raspberries, and as much milk, as she wished, she amused herself for some time in gathering a bouquet of wild flowers to give to Mary Erskine on her return. The time, being thus fil

home,-but she said that she was not tired, and could walk as well as not. So they went down together, the cows running along before them in the paths. When they reached the ho