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The Children's Corner.

WHEN we were very little children, we used sometimes to hide ourselves under a side table that was covered with a large cloth in the parlour, instead of going to bed at seven o'clock. One evening, as we were quietly nestled in our hiding-place, some elder member of the family began to read Shakspeare aloud at last, he came to a passage that was so very funny that we could not help laughing, and so we were discovered. The higher powers of the family were so much amused at our keeping quiet so long, that they allowed us to "sit up," and hear the play finished.

Now in those families where our little Magazine is established, children listening to it read out, or reading it for themselves, may have found something to amuse and interest them; but for the future, we mean to give them a corner to themselves. Here they shall find amusement and instruction nicely blended. And first of all, for their benefit, I shall throw off the formal we of the Editor, and say, My dear little friends, hide behind your curtain or table-cloth, and enjoy yourselves at your leisure, but do not expect all amusement, for I shall speak very seriously to you sometimes. Nor must you expect all your corner to yourselves, for I know that plenty of grown people will come behind the curtain, and read what is written for you.

I shall first present you with some papers of my late lamented friend, the Rev. Isaac Herbert; who used to write down little histories, from time to time, of the doings of the village children over whom he ruled as a kind and gentle shepherd. Before he died, he gave me full permission to use his papers as I pleased; only he said, "If you publish them, you must change the names of the persons, as the stories are all quite true; and it might be unpleasant if the book should fall into the hands of those who know those children now grown up; or even their children."

I hope then, my little friends, you will find as much pleasure in reading Mr. Herbert's stories, as I did in looking them over, and altering the names.

STORIES OF VILLAGE MAIDENS.

CHAPTER I.

THE EVENING SCHOOL.

In our little country parish we had an evening school, at which my sister Margaret and I gave instruction in reading and writing to those boys and girls who were hindered by work from

attending the daily school. The girls used to assemble twice a week in a room in my house at six o'clock, for an hour and a half's lesson: and the boys came at eight on the same evenings. Poor boys! it would have been well for them if they could have been home from their work a little earlier; and we would gladly have given them an earlier hour on other evenings in the week. The children were always happy when they came to "nightschool," as they called it. We loved to hear them talk and laugh in the intervals of work; and their writing lessons were generally made amusing. Sometimes they wrote from copies; and then they watched eagerly to see what little sentence was written for their five minutes' meditation: if it were a moral precept, such as they felt applicable to themselves, it was received with reverence and silence-though one would sometimes whisper to the other that Mr. Herbert had set them" such a pretty copy." If the copy implied a reproof,—and in this matter conscience often discovered more than was meant,--they would be particularly careful that no second eye should see it. But a merry copy gave universal satisfaction: and a teazing copy pleased all except the one who was teazed. Then you think she was vexed? No; very seldom.

At other times, all the better writers, being simultaneously prepared with books and pen, or slate and pencil, wrote down from dictation. When they wrote in books, we generally read them a hymn or a few lines of poetry such as they could understand, and thus they preserved each a little treasury of verses; but they very frequently looked for amusement as well as instruction in their dictations; and I was very glad to afford amusement in the evening to boys who had been working hard all day in the fields, or girls who had been sitting close to their button-making for eight or ten hours. They were very fond of merry verses, such as these:

There was a man,
And he had a calf;

And that's half.

He took it out of the stall,

And set it on a wall;

And that's all.

Oh! how pretty their voices were when they repeated these charming jingles. The very soul of fun was in those dear children: they could laugh with a clear bright merry laugh, because their consciences were clear: for it was generally those children who tried to be good that came to the evening school.

But you must not think they were always laughing at nightschool. No; there was the reading lesson, a chapter in the

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Holy Bible, and a catechizing after it. They loved this better than any of their lessons, but they never laughed over it; for if there was one good habit I tried to teach them more than any other, it was reverence towards holy things. But of this, and their catechizings in Church, I mean to tell you at another time. I wish now to make you laugh, or at least, to make you cheerful, whilst you view the picture of our village evening school: and then you will feel that it was no slight punishment to be shut out from it.

Well, when the lessons were all over, would come a question, "Now please Sir?"

"Please what?"

"Tell us a story."

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Very well; you have been very quiet and attentive over your reading; you shall have a story, what shall it be?”

"Please sir, The Vinegar Bottle and the little dog Dido.'" "Oh no, you have had that often enough: here is a new story for you."

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O let us hear. Hush! silence-a new story."

"Well, then, sit round in a ring, and be very quiet; and if I ask you a question, mind you answer it nicely."

"Yes, sir: we will, we will."

"Once upon a time there lived a king and a queen who had three daughters, each of whom they loved very well, but the youngest was so very good that some people thought they loved her best. Now the name of the eldest was Adelina, and the name of the second was Maude, and the name of the third was Holdyourtongue. So the queen said one day to the king, ‘I should like to see if all our daughters will be very good for a whole fortnight, and be guilty of no fault at all.' How shall we try?' said the king. Let us call our daughters,' answered the queen, ' and you shall see.'

"So the three princesses were called before the king and the queen. And the queen said, 'My daughters, I wish you all to try your very best to commit no fault for a fortnight; to be obedient, and good-tempered, and kind, and diligent, and if you succeed, I will give you each a reward.' And all the princesses answered, Madam, our mother, we will try.'

"Well, day after day passed on, and each of the princesses was very careful. They said their prayers every morning and evening, and they dressed themselves with care, and were quiet at their meals, and were kind to each other. Neither did they spend their money on foolish toys or sweetmeats, but gave what they could spare to the poor; so that when the fortnight was ended, they had none of them been naughty at all. They had all been good; but the youngest had been the best, because

she ever took pains to be good, so that it was quite natural to her to be always trying to do right. But for her sisters it was very hard to be forced to watch themselves for a whole fortnight.

"As soon as the time of trial was over, they were all brought in before the king and the queen, and each was to receive a beautiful reward: but that which was to be given to the youngest was far the most beautiful.

"So the queen called her eldest daughter first, and said, 'My dear

"Let me see, what was her name?"

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'Adelina," answered little Mary, quickly.

“Good child, Mary; I am glad you remembered. Now let us go on.

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My dear Adelina,' said the queen, 'I have been very much pleased with your conduct. You have observed my precepts well; you are deserving of the promised reward.'

"Then the queen opened a beautiful little velvet-covered box, with silver clasp and hinges, and drew forth a very elegant little gold watch with a gold face, and slender gold chain, which she hung around the princess Adelina's neck.

"Then she called the second princess to come forward. What was her name ?"

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Maude," answered two or three little voices at the same time. “Good children; that is quite right. Always remember names in a story."

"My dear Maude,' said the queen, 'your conduct during the time of trial has been blameless. I am much pleased with your successful endeavours to behave well. You shall have the reward, and a beautiful one it is.'

"Then the queen opened a little cupboard at her right hand, and took out a beautiful harp, made of the handsomest rosewood, inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and ornamented with a crown of gold set with precious jewels. The lower strings were wrapped with fine gold wire, and the screws were of solid silver gilt. All the sisters smiled with joy when they saw this splendid harp, for they were not envious one of another, and they all delighted in music. I dare say you think these presents were very beautiful, and that nothing could exceed them. You are partly right, and partly wrong. Beautiful as they were, they were not half so beautiful as those that were given to the youngest princess. Now comes the delightful part of the story. You cannot possibly fancy what it will be. Prepare yourselves: sit quite still-listen.

"Then the queen called upon the third princess. Her name, let me see, her name was

“ Holdyourtongue,” cried little Mary.

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Very well, Mary; thank you, you are very civil: I will hold my tongue.”

“Oh! I did'nt mean that: do let us hear the rest.”

"Oh, no! I could not think of telling any more.

What! go on telling you a story after you tell me to hold my tongue? Oh, for shame! how could you think of such a thing? Of course I must do as you bid me."

“Please, sir, she didn't mean that,” said half-a-dozen voices

at once.

"What did she mean then? What do you think she meant, Eliza ?"

“Ah! I know what she meant to give the name of the princess, to be sure." And then she added good-naturedly, for Eliza Anstey, the eldest of the evening school girls, was always good-natured, “Please, sir, she won't do it again, if you will only go on and tell us the rest. Please, sir, do try us, and see.”

“Very well,” I replied, “you shall have one more trial; but if you are so rude again, you cannot expect me to go on."

"Ah! but we won't, Polly, will we?" said Eliza, addressing little Mary Stone.

"I won't," said Mary.

"And I won't,” “And I won't,” “And I won't,” sounded round the room.

“We shall see,” I replied, and then I began to tell them the story over again. Silly little children; they listened so eagerly, that all their good resolutions were forgotten. First they told me the name of the eldest, and then, when I hesitated a moment, the name of the second; and at last when I came to the third, and said, "What was the name of the third daughter?" little Mary again cried out, “ Holdyourtongue." Eliza was unbounded in her mirth, and Kate helped her to teaze poor little Mary. But she, not at all discouraged, begged very hard to be tried again, "Please, sir, only this once. Do try us, sir, only this once we will not ask again."

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But I was inexorable. They had had their amusement, and it was almost time to disperse. So they sat down in their places very quietly for a few moments there was perfect silence. Then one of them got up gently, went into my study, and brought out of the book-case eight or ten Prayer Books; their sweet harmonious voices were soon united in repeating their alternate verses of the Psalms for the evening; and they then knelt down reverentially, and joined in the responses, as I said our usual family evening prayers. When prayers were over they left, each making a respectful courtesy as she passed out of the

room.

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