aughter was sternly denied every pleasure of the kind. Yet when
the husband came home, his wife's tongue ran like a mill-wheel--her
step-daughter was disobedient, bold, bad-tempered, this, that, and the
other; he must send her away from home, put her out at service,
whichever he chose; it was impossible to keep her in the house because
she might ruin her daughter too.

The old man was a jackanapes, or, as the saying goes, under petticoat
government. Every thing his wife said was sacred. Had he obeyed the
voice of his heart the poor old man might perhaps have said something,
but now the hen had begun to crow in the house, and the rooster was of
no consequence; yet, if he had thought of opposing them, his wife and
her daughter would have soon made him repent it. One day, when he was
unusually angry about what his wife had told him, he called the young
girl, and said:--

"My dear child, your mother is always saying that you are disobedient
to her, have a spiteful tongue, and are wicked, so that it is not
possible for you to stay any longer in my house; therefore go wherever
the Lord may guide you, that there may no longer be so much quarreling
here on your account. But I advise you as a father, wherever you may
go, to be obedient, humble, and industrious, for here with me all your
faults have been overlooked, parental affection has aided, but among
strangers nobody knows what sort of people you may meet, and they will
not indulge you as we have done."

When the poor girl saw that her step-mother and her daughter wanted to
drive her out of the house at any cost, she kissed her father's hand
with tears in her eyes, and went out into the wide world without any
hope of ever returning home. She walked along the road till she
chanced to meet a little sick dog, so thin that one could count its
ribs.

When the dog saw her, it said: "You beautiful, industrious girl, have
pity on me and take care of me, I will reward you some day."

The girl did pity the poor animal, and, taking it in her arms, washed
and cleaned it thoroughly. Then she left it and went on, glad that she
had been able to do a good action. She had not walked far when she
came to a fine pear-tree in full bloom, but it was completely covered
with caterpillars.

When the pear-tree saw the girl, it said: "You beautiful, industrious
girl, take care of me and rid me of these caterpillars, I will repay
you for it some day."

The girl, with her usual diligence, clea