to her, she spoke to us about our hearts, telling us that when our first father Adam departed from his God by eating the forbidden fruit, sin entered into his heart, and that from that time all his children had been born in sin, being proud, and selfish, and cruel, and having no power to do any good thing of themselves; and then she told us how God the Father had sent his Son to die for us, and to save us from our sins, and how God the Holy Spirit abides in the hearts of the redeemed, making them gentle where they used to be rough, full of love and pity where they used to be unkind, and desirous of giving hap piness to others where they only used to think of pleasing themselves. She then knelt down, and prayed that the Holy Spirit might come into our hearts, and fill us with love and pity for each other. I thought that all she said at that time was meant for me, and I felt angry, and was sullen all day, though I tried to make myself happy with the thoughts of the next day but it would not do. : On Tuesday we were to have a whole holiday, and our little class agreed to take their dolls in the evening to my grandmamma's. I therefore went to school as usual, and brought my doll, that Clara might help me to dress her, and very busy we all were. My grandmamma's maid, when she brought me to school, also brought my clothes for the evening, and my pretty red shoes with them, that I might have the pleasure of walking back with all the rest, and shewing my fine clothes in the street. Now it happened in the morning that I wanted a sash for my doll to match her coral necklace, and not having any ribbon of the colour, I went slily into my governess's room, where my clothes were laid on the bed, and took one of the red strings out of my shoes. As I was bringing it back into the play room, all crumpled up in my hand, Clara, seeing by my manner that I had been about something I did not like to tell, pulled open my hand, and getting hold of one corner of the ribbon, she pulled it with all her might, and as I would not let it go, we broke it in several pieces, on which I threw my doll on the ground, screaming with passion. Clara was sorry, and Lily came up and would have comforted me, but I pushed her from me. The teacher, however, being in the room, we were soon told to be quiet, though she did not enquire the cause of the noise. At last the clock struck three, and we were called to get ready, and my governess's maid, Jane, having dressed Lily, called me. "And now, Miss Eliza beth," she said, "come and be dressed, and first your shoes; but you have lost the strings." "Grandmamma will give me a new piece of ribbon," I said, "when I get home." "But, Miss," said Jane, "you must not go with your shoe untied.” "But I will," I answered, for I was a very naughty girl. "Well," said Jane, "I suppose that I must ask my mistress;" and she went, but returned immediately, saying, that her mistress was sorry she had no ribbon of the colour, and she told me to tell you that your grandmamma will be displeased if you go without your shoes being properly tied. So Miss, she added, you must wear your black shoes. Oh, what a shrieking and crying did I make, on which Jane reproved me, and said I was a naughty, spoiled child; but the good natured little Lily ran to her box, and came back the next minute with a small piece of red ribbon which she had taken from her doll's bonnet. "Will this do, Jane?" she said, and, without waiting for an answer, she took up my unfortunate shoe, slipped the ribbon into the holes, and kneeling down put it on my foot. “There," she said, "that will do, dear Elizabeth, and now you can wear your pretty red shoes." I could not tell you how much I felt when I saw dear little Lily kneeling at my feet, and tying on my shoe. Something rose up to my throat as if it would have choked me, and there was at the same time a kind of feeling of shame in my heart, unlike any thing I had ever known before. I think that it was then, for the very first time, that I felt myself to be a sinner, and that I would gladly have changed places with little Lily, (though I supposed that she was very poor, and lived almost on the bounty of our good governess,) if I could only be as humble, and as gentle, and as dear to her Saviour, as I felt she was. that my good governess had said to me the day before, then came to my mind, and with it a longing desire to be like those children adopted of God, of whom she so often talked to us. But having these new and blessed feelings, the first thing I did was to get quietly from my chair, and take off my red shoes to put on my black ones. "What now, Miss Elizabeth?" said Jane. Lily will wear black shoes to-day," I said, so will Ï." All " and I was It was of no use for Jane to argue with me; determined. I put my red shoes into my bag to carry to my grandmamma's, and set out with the rest in my black shoes, having my heart so filled with many new thoughts, that I hardly heard what Clara and the rest of our class said to me upon my strange whim, as they called it. Our governess went with us, and grandmamma received us in the arbour, and there the tea was set out. There were two tables-one for the elder per sons, and another for our little class-and I was to make tea there in the beautiful set of little china which my grandmamma called mine. My grandmamma was a very kind person; I loved her very much; but she did not know the evil which is in the heart of a little child, and therefore she indulged me more than was good for me; yet she wished that I should fear God, and be a good girl, as you will see by and by. When the tea was over, before we began to play, a large bag was produced, which was laid carefully on the table before my grandmamma, who smiled and looked about her, and then put her hand within it. We were very impatient to see what she would bring out when she removed her hand, and were surprised to see her produce, one by one, certain little paper parcels, directed to each of us by name. These she handed round, and it would have delighted you to have seen what pretty things appeared when each parcel was unfolded. There were embroidered needle books, all furnished with needles, and thimbles, and scissars, and pocket books, and dolls' wicker cradles, and dolls' chests of drawers, and cups, and balls, and pictures, all painted and gilt. But I wanted much to see what was in Lily's parcel, for the dear little girl was so humble, that when my grandmamma put it into her hand, she could hardly believe it was for her; but when she opened it, she quite screamed for joy, for it contained a pair of bright red shoes, exactly like mine. And then I knew that Lily had been wishing for red shoes, though she had been taught that she was never to ask or seek for any thing which her governess did not think right to give her; for Lily had been brought up in the fear of God, and had been taught, that the Holy Spirit would give her strength to be humble |