playfellows,
cannot be called well-bred.

"After the young people had had their tea and cake, and strawberries
and cream, Betty came with the playthings, and placed them on the table
before Mrs. Howard. You would, perhaps, like to know what these
playthings were:--First of all was the jointed doll, dressed, as I
before said, in a green satin slip, and a gauze bib and apron, and
round cap, according to the fashion of those days; then there was the
History of the Bible, with coloured pictures; then came a little chest
of drawers, for dolls' clothes; a doll's wicker cradle; a bat and ball;
a red morocco pocket-book; a needle-book; and the History of King
Pepin, bound and gilt. These beautiful books and toys were placed on
the table before Mrs. Howard, and the little ones waited in silence to
see what she would do with them. Mrs. Howard looked first at the
playthings, and then at the children, and thus she spoke:

"'My dear children, I sent for these pretty toys from the fair, in
order to encourage you to be good: there is nothing that gives me
greater pleasure than to see children polite and mannerly, endeavouring
to please everybody, "in honour preferring one another," as God hath
commanded us to do. Pride and ill manners, my dear children, are great
faults; but humility, and a wish to please everyone rather than
ourselves, make us resemble the blessed Lord Jesus Christ, who did not
despise the poorest among men. Many persons are polite and
good-mannered when in company with their betters, because, if they were
not so, people would have nothing to say to them: but really
well-behaved persons are courteous and civil, not only when they are
among their betters, but when they are with servants, or with poor
people.'

"Then Mrs. Howard took the jointed doll, and the History of the Bible,
and gave the one to Miss Patty Cartwright, and the other to Master
Billy, saying:

"'I give you these, my children, because I observed your good manners,
not only to me, but to the poor old man who passed through the croft
with his bundle of sticks. To you, Master Bennet, and to you, Miss
Polly, I shall not give anything; because you showed, by your
behaviour to the old man, that your good manners were all an outside
garb, which you put on and off like your Sunday clothes.'

"Then Mrs. Howard gave the rest of the toys among the lesser children,
commending them for helping the old man to gather his sticks together;
and thus she dismisse