ot whiskers. Come
along."

Mark suffered Harry to lead him into the other room; and then,
forgetting everything and everybody, he rushed up to his mother, and
bursting into tears on her neck, sobbed out, "Oh, mother! if it only
could have been true, you would have been cured, and we should have
been living in such a nice house! with cows, and hens, and turkeys, and
all--oh! oh--!"

His mother was sitting up in the bed, and Harry's father was mixing a
pleasant drink for her. Mark looked up as Harry said: "Come, Mark, don't
cry so: here is a fairy who will help you, and your mother too." When
the little boy saw the genial, kindly smile of the doctor, he felt
comforted; and sitting down on the side of the bed, he told his
wonderful dream.

It was listened to with the deepest interest; and when he had finished,
the doctor patted him on the head, and said, "Never mind, my fine little
fellow! if we can't give you a grand house and a snuff box full of
servants, and a thistle which drops out of it all the clothes you want,
I think we can cure your mother; and when she is well, we will find her
something better to do than making shirts at ten cents apiece; and you
shall go to school, and learn to be a great scholar; and I don't see the
first thing to prevent your having a good chance to become, one of these
days, the President of the United States. So hurrah!"

The kind doctor was as good as his word. The poor widow recovered
rapidly under his excellent care, which did her _heart_ more good than
her body, for it was both sweet and strange to receive so much kindness.
Good Samaritans are very scarce nowadays.

When she was well enough to go out, she found that her rent was paid, a
load of wood was piled away in the wood shed, half a barrel of flour was
in the pantry, and some nice hams were hanging up. Plenty of work at
good prices soon poured in. Little Mark was sent to the district school,
for now he had comfortable clothes and shoes on his poor little feet;
and really, as he told his mother one happy evening--"After all, dear
mother, I like my _waking_ fairy Benevolence best--whiskers and all!"

* * * * *

A few evenings after the last story had been read, the little mother
drew from her pocket quite a thick roll of paper, saying: "Here is
something from Aunt Fanny, with a proposal that will surprise you."

"What _can_ it be?" cried the children with eagerness.

"She wants you to act a