"DELIVER US FROM EVIL.' Oh God, on every hand are found A fall or blow my limbs may break, "FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, THE POWER, AND THE GLORY, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN." Oh God, who thus hast bid me raise 2. Purification. FEBRUARY. 24. St. Matthias. John and Charles Mozley, Printers, Derby. Chapters on Insects, Chapter III.-Moths and Butterflies 83 EVERY one must have felt at times when unhappy and ill at ease, how small an accident will weigh down our spirits, and seem to put the finishing touch to all that has been troubling us before. So now this new misfortune disheartened poor Madgie, and her tears fell fast upon the work, which with her blue trembling fingers she found such difficulty in undoing. It went on very slowly in consequence, and she had been sitting there nearly an hour, when the door was burst open, and a number of little girls ran into the room. The foremost stood still an instant on seeing Madgie, but as they had found her there once before at work, after staring at her a little, they began bustling about just as if she MARCH, 1854. VOL. XIII. D had not been present. They had come in to make themselves tidy for dinner, and while the process was going on of changing their frocks, or arranging their hair, which hung in curls or plats round their heads, they talked and laughed merrily together though in rather a low tone of voice, for a teacher had come in with them, who had stationed herself very near the window where Madgie was sitting. The little girl was frightened at first, but when she glanced up at her there did not seem anything very awful in her appearance. Her cheeks were so long and thin, and her heavy eyes looked so tired, even Madgie could not help perceiving it; the colour seemed to have faded even from her hair, which was of the palest hue, and hung in two scanty little ringlets each side of her face. She had some work in her hands which she was very busy about, it was a beautiful bright mat, so soft and round it looked like a bird's nest. Madgie could not take her eyes off it, and at last the lady turned towards her with a pleasant smile, and when she saw Madgie had been crying, she said kindly, "I am afraid little girl you are in trouble, what is the matter?" The voice of kindness quite upset poor Madgie again, so that she could only sob out something about being cold and having done her work wrong. The girls came round her when they saw she was crying, as if they were very curious to know what could make her so unhappy, and that frightened her more; the teacher told them to go away again. "You had better go on with what you are about, young ladies, and take no notice of her." So they moved off in another direction, turning their heads round every moment to look at her and talking very eagerly to each other. "I wish we could do anything for her," Agnes Grant said, 66 I have a great mind to give her that old plaid shawl I hate so much, and that Mrs. Burton will persist in making me wear." Oh, Age! To give such a reason as that," her sister Minnie replied. "But I do really think now we have our new brown cloaks, Mrs. Burton might not object to it." "I tell you what," little Fanny Murphy said running up to them, "I am sure she is hungry, and I shall save her my lump of rice-pudding at dinner, I can slip it into my lap easily without any body seeing me." "You will only spoil your apron and get into a great scrape if you do, little one," Agnes answered," so I advise you not." Little Fanny nodded her head and ran away determined to try in spite of Agnes. Hers was really a kind thought, but there was a little love of mystery mixed up with it common to children; besides which, she did not like to ask leave to save her pudding before all the school, because she was afraid of being laughed at. In the meantime Miss Egerton, which was the name of the teacher, had been talking a great deal to Madgie, and by slow degrees had learnt every thing about her and her Grandmother, and all her troubles. "To-morrow is Saturday," she said, “and I shall not be so busy as usual, and will come and see you." A great bell rang at that moment so she had not time to say any more, but went away with all the young ladies to dinner, and Madgie was left alone, but she was much less unhappy than she had been, and was so busy with a thought that had come into her head, that her work went on quite merrily. She was thinking of the beautiful mat she had seen the lady working, and wondering how it was made, and then it struck her if she could but learn to do the same, she might be able to earn some money for herself and her Grandmother. She was so pleased with the notion that she quite forgot all the difficulties in her way. Her work meanwhile went on so fast she had come to her last ring when the door opened gently, and a little girl ran into the room holding something up in her apron. She came close up to Madgie, looking shyly up at her, and held out a piece of cold pudding. "This is for you," she said. "It was mine, and I give it to you," and she placed it in Madgie's lap, and ran away before she had time to say anything. Very much surprised she was, but she thought she could not do better than eat it, now it had been given to her; she had hardly, however, begun doing so, before Mrs. Burton came into the room. "What are you doing there, little girl?" she asked. Madgie coloured, but she knew she was not to blame, so she told Mrs. Burton that one of the little ladies had given her a piece of pudding. Mrs. Burton did not look at all pleased, though she could not scold Madgie, but told her in spite of it she might go to the kitchen, and the cook would give her some dinner. When she saw the work was finished, she took out her |