.

"Mother," said little Fanny, "the baby looks like brother, and has the same name -Edward."

"You have no brother Edward," said

Willy.

"Yes I have, Willy."

"Where is he? in Boston? Why did you not bring him?"

"Father and mother say that he is in heaven."

Willy was silent. He remembered what his mother had said to him of the death of his little cousin.

Tea was announced, and Willy ran to call the gentlemen.

Tea was over, the children were abed, and the birds were in their nests. The deep, full, pervading roar of the water-fall not far from the house, was the only sound that, like a low running bass, harmonized with the conversation of the four friends. "What do you think," said Fanny, "of my being the Goody of the village; I am the monitress, the Jackat-a-pinch upon all occasions. If they have a quilting-match, they send for me to tell them stories and be agreeable to them; if a girl has an offer, the mother consults me; if any child is unruly, they ask my advice of the

best way to tame it. They come to me for recipes for making pickles, for curing beef, pork, disobedient children, and unruly horses. Only yesterday a good woman came here on horseback upon a man's saddle, on an old horse, and wanted me to get on and take a ride, and see if I could cure the wicked animal of tripping; another comes to ask me for something strengthening for her stomach; and since they have seen our nice medicinechest, I should not be surprised if they were to come to me for pills against thunderstorms and earthquakes."

"Stop, stop, Fanny, this is not fair," said her husband; "you are running away with all the honors of the place, and will have no breath even to relate mine. Am I not lawyer, doctor, and schoolmaster, of the place? don't they call me Squire, Dr., your Honor, Elder, Major, &c. &c.? I mean to have a goldheaded cane, and a larger hat, and try to look more respectable in your eyes at least, so that I need not be overlooked entirely, by you, my lady Bountiful."

"Fear not that I should forget you," said Fanny. "You and your committee men, your Lyceum gentlemen, your politicians, and your tribe of boys, leave marks enough on my

carpet to make it sure you will be remembered. When we go to walk, there is not a head of any description that does not nod to him as he passes, with a sort of hail-fellowwell-met look and manner. The boys pull

the tail of his coat, some of the men almost slap him on his shoulder, others hold him by the button-hole, and I doubt not they will send him for their representative to Congress, and then he will be the honorable Mr. Roberts, and I Mrs. honorable."

"I confess," said Mr. Roberts, "that my estimate of this office, and of the people at large has changed since I left the city. In cities, public officers are chosen simply for their politics, in country towns, something more is required; if they are not moral and religious men, there are many who will not vote for them. My love and reverence for human nature has much increased during our residence in the country."

"Do tell them about the church steeple," said Fanny. "But where is Mrs. Hawkins? she is so modest she will very like think we do n't want her."

Fanny went out, and in a moment returned with the good housekeeper.

"Sit here, Mrs. Hawkins; you will love to hear the steeple story again, I know.”

"Fanny," said Roberts, laughing, "makes me tell this story to everybody. A very poor man in our town, a carpenter, had contracted to build the steeple to our new church; it was to be raised up into its place after it was finished. The poor fellow expended in making it every farthing he could command, much of which was borrowed from his fellow-townsmen. It was completed according to the contract, it only wanted to be raised; the levers, and pulleys were all placed, the crowd were assembled, people had come from far and near, to witness the raising of the steeple. The carpenter's wife and eight children had the best place for seeing assigned to them. Very soon the steeple began to rise; it arrives safely at its place, it merely wants to be adjusted on its basis. As soon as that should be accomplished the carpenter, according to the contract, was entitled to his pay. The crowd were beginning to shout at its ascension, when a pulley gave way, then another, and in an instant the steeple fell to the ground, and became a shapeless mass of ruins."

"Oh the poor carpenter and his family," exclaimed Amy, "what did he do?"

"He was in utter despair; he sat down on

the ground and exclaimed, 'take us all to jail ; we are ruined!' His children cried aloud, his wife tried to comfort him, but he covered his face and would not look up. I saw some of the leading men together, and went up to learn what they were talking of. I found they were proposing a subscription. As I passed through the crowd I heard one say, I'll give him the timber; and another, I'll haul it; another, I'll give him a week's work, and in less than ten minutes the poor man's loss was made up to him. This was too much for him; he wept even more than at his loss, he could not articulate his thanks."*

"Surely," said Edward "that church can never be the scene of a more devout and acceptable service to the beneficent Being for whose worship it was erected."

Amy's eyes glistened with delight, as she said "It was indeed a beautiful consecration." "They only did what they ought to do," said Mrs. Hawkins.

After much pleasant talk, the friends retired for the night.

The next morning, at breakfast, when they were planning the pleasures of the day, “I

* A Fact.