A Litte Princess

reated more as if she were a distinguished guest at the establishment than as if she were a mere little girl. If she had been a self-opinionated, domineering child, she

inually praised and never forbidden to do what she liked, she would be sure to be fond of the place where she was so treated. Accordingly, Sara was praised for her quickness at her lessons, for her good manners, for her amiability to her fellow pupils, for her generosity if she gave sixpence to a beggar out of her full little purse; the simplest thing

was born with a father who was beautiful and nice and clever, and could give me everything I liked. Perhaps I have not really a good temper at all, but if you have everything you want and everyone is kind to you, how can you help b

aid Ermengarde, stolidly,

ittle nose reflectively, as

This was the result of a charitable recollection of having heard Miss Amelia say t

er the little children, and assumed grand airs with those big enough to be her companions. She was rather pretty, and had been the best-dressed pupil in the procession when the Select Seminary walked out two by two, until Sara's velvet coats and sable muffs appeared, combined wi

t herself the least bit, and you know she might be, Lavvie. I believe I couldn't help being-- just a little--if I had s

peak French to Lady Pitkin. Her accent is so perfect.' She didn't learn her French at the Seminary, at any rate. And there's nothing so clever in her knowing it. She says he

in the skin Sara has in her room. That's why she likes it so. She

a. "My mamma says that way of hers of pretending th

of the way by mature ladies aged ten and twelve, were never made to cry by this most envied of them all. She was a motherly young person, and when people fell down and scraped their knees, she ran and helped them

be confessed--slapped Lottie and called her "a brat;" "but you will be five next year, and six the

s not to be denied that sixteen and four made twenty--and twenty

had been played with, and Emily's own tea service used-- the one with cups which held quite a lot of much-sweetened weak tea and had blue flowers on th

young mother had died, and as the child had been treated like a favorite doll or a very spoiled pet monkey or lap dog ever since the first hour of her life, she was a very appalling little creature. When she wanted anything or did not want

ther was a person who ought to be pitied and made much of. She had probably heard some grown-up people talking h

Miss Amelia trying to suppress the angry wails of some child who, evidently, refused to be silenced. She refused so s

rying for?" sh

heard; "I haven't

Amelia. "Do stop, darling

ttle howled tempestuously. "

Minchin proclaimed. "You SHAL

rose until it almost thundered, then suddenly she sprang up from her chair in impote

quaintance with Lottie and might be able to quiet her. When Miss Minchin came out and saw her, she looked rather ann

med, endeavoring to pr

s Lottie-- and I thought, perhaps--just perhaps, I

ng that Sara looked slightly chilled by her asperity, she changed her manner. "But you are clever in

ver her in consternation and despair, looking quite red and damp with heat. Lottie had always found, when in her own nursery at home, that ki

in quite another tone, "If you don't stop, Lottie, I will shake you. Poor little

o do, but she had a vague inward conviction that it would be better not

w voice, "Miss Minchin says I m

at her hopelessly. "Oh, DO

answered Sara, still in her

es with a heavy sigh, and Lottie's f

of the room," said Sara

. "We never had such a dreadful child b

, and was very much relieved

reamed, to hear other people protest and implore and command and coax by turns. To lie and kick and shriek, and find the only person near you not seeming to mind in the least, attracted her attention. She opened her tight-shut streaming eyes to see who this person was. And it was only another little girl. But

ma-a!" she announced; but

e steadily, but with a sort

have I,"

g else will. Also it was true that while Lottie disliked Miss Minchin, who was cross, and Miss Amelia, who was foolishly indulgent, she rather liked Sara, little as

was in heaven, she had thought a great deal about the matter,

etimes to see me--though I don't see her. So does yours. Perhap

e, and her round eyes were like wet forget-me-nots. If her mamma had seen her during the last

n that Lottie began to listen in spite of herself. She had been told that her mamma had wings and a crown, and she had been shown pictures of ladies

--and everybody always breathes it, because the soft wind is always blowing. And little children run about in the lily fields and gather armfuls of them, and laugh and make little wreaths. And the streets are shining. And people are never tired, how

; but there was no denying that this story was prettier than most others. She dragged herself close to Sara, and drank

e cried. "I--haven't an

eam. She took hold of the chubby hand and pulled

e will play that you are my little gi

s all began to

she?" s

t. "Let us go and tell her. And then I

ng even to remember that the whole of the last hour's tragedy had been caused by the fact that she had re

ime Sara was an