s the wood where Emily had seen the doves, to
gather strawberries, which they mixed with some cream and sugar at
night for their supper.

The next morning, after breakfast, Mr. Fairchild went out to take a
walk. Then Mrs. Goodriche called the three children to her, and said:

"Now, my dear children, I will tell you a story. Come, sit round me
upon these little stools, and hearken."

The children were very much pleased when they heard Mrs. Goodriche say
she would tell them a story, for Mrs. Goodriche could tell a great many
pretty stories.

The Old Story of Mrs. Howard

"About fifty years ago," said Mrs. Goodriche, "a little old lady, named
Mrs. Howard, lived in this house with her maid Betty. She had an old
horse called Crop, which grazed in that meadow, and carried Betty to
market once a week. Mrs. Howard was one of the kindest and most
good-natured old ladies in England. Three or four times every year
Betty had orders, when she went to market, to bring all manner of
playthings and little books from the toy-shop. These playthings and
pretty little books Mrs. Howard used to keep by her till she saw any
children whom she thought worthy of them. But she never gave any
playthings to children who did not obey their parents, or who were rude
or ill-mannered, for she would say, 'It is a great sin in the eyes of
God for children to be rude and unmannerly.' All the children in the
neighbourhood used from time to time to visit Mrs. Howard; and those
who wished to be obliging never came away without some pretty plaything
or book.

"At that time there were in this country two families of the name of
Cartwright and Bennet; the former much beloved by the neighbours on
account of their good qualities; the latter as much disliked for their
bad ones.

"Mr. Bennet was a rich farmer, and lived in a good old house, with
everything handsome and plentiful about him; but nobody cared to go
near him or to visit his wife, because their manners were so rough and
disobliging; and their two children, Master Jacky and Miss Polly, were
brought up only to please themselves and to care for nobody else. But,
on the contrary, Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright made their house so agreeable
by their civil and courteous manners that high and low, rich and poor,
loved to go there; and Master Billy and Miss Patty Cartwright were
spoken well of throughout the whole neighbourhood for their pretty and
modest behaviour.

"It happened once upon a time that Be