n on the doorstep, and went in and
said, "There's a Christmas present out there for you, mamma."

11. Mamma went and looked, and there, in a basket of green branches, sat
her own little laughing girl.

12. "Just the very thing I wanted most," said mamma.

13. "Then, dear mamma," said Jessie, bounding out of her leafy nest, "I
should think it would be Christmas for mammas all the time, for they see
their little girls every day."

LESSON XLV.

pur'ple plumes pail hap'pened coat

shal'low wad'ed Charles nap yes'ter day

[Illustration: Two girls playing in water; two boats are beached on the
sand behind them.]

MARY'S STORY.

1. Father, and Charles, and Lucy, and I went to the beach yesterday. We
took our dinner, and stayed all day.

2. Father and Charles went out a little way from the shore in a boat, and
fished, while Lucy and I gathered sea mosses.

3. We took off our shoes and stockings, and waded into the shallow water.
We had a pail to put our seaweeds in.

4. We found such beautiful ones. Some wore purple, some pink, and some
brown. When they were spread out in the water, the purple ones looked like
plumes, and the brown ones like little trees.

5. Such a funny thing happened to Lucy. She slipped on a stone, and down
she went into the water. How we both laughed! But the wind and sun soon
dried Lucy's dress.

6. Then father came and took us in the boat for a row. After that we had a
picnic dinner in the woods.

7. Then father spread his coat on the grass, and took a nap while we
children played on the beach.

LESSON XLVI.

bid sore smile Ralph for get'

hay stem shone Wick scream

tore point pluck thorns snatched

[Illustration: Mother and boy walking in hay field.]

RALPH WICK.

1. Ralph Wick was seven years old. In most things he was a fine boy, but
he was too apt to cry.

2. When he could not have what. he wanted, he would cry for it and say, "I
will have it."

3. If he was told that it would hurt him, and he could not have it, he
would begin to tease and cry.

4. One day, he went with his mother into the fields. The sun shone. The
grass was cut. The flowers were in bloom.

5. Ralph thought he was, for once, a good boy. A smile was on his face. He
wished to do as he was told.

6. He said, "Mother, I will be good now. I will do as you bid me. Please
let me toss this hay."

7. "That I will