nie had two nurses to wait on herself alone. These were in the days
before she could remember anything. With her first early memories came
the recollection of a much smaller house, of much fewer servants, of her
mother often in tears, and her father often away. Then there was no house
at all that the Forests could call their own, only rooms of a tolerably
cheerful character--and Annie's nurse went away, and she took her daily
walks by her mother's side and slept in a little cot in her mother's
room. Then came a very, very sad day, when her mother lay cold and still
and fainting on her bed, and her tall and handsome father caught Annie in
his arms and pressed her to his heart, and told her to be a good child
and to keep up her spirits, and, above all things, to take care of
mother. Then her father had gone away; and though Annie expected him
back, he did not come, and she and her mother went into poorer and
shabbier lodgings, and her mother began to try her tear-dimmed eyes by
working at church embroidery, and Annie used to notice that she coughed a
good deal as she worked. Then there was another move, and this time Mrs.
Forest and her little daughter found themselves in one bedroom, and
things began to grow very gloomy, and food even was scarce. At last there
was a change. One day a lady came into the dingy little room, and all on
a sudden it seemed as if the sun had come out again. This lady brought
comforts with her--toys and books for the child, good, brave words of
cheer for the mother. At last Annie's mother died, and she went away to
Lavender House to live with this good friend who had made her mother's
dying hours easy.

"Annie, Annie," said the dying mother, "I owe everything to Mrs. Willis;
we knew each other long ago when we were girls, and she has come to me
now and made everything easy. When I am gone she will take care of you.
Oh, my child, I cannot repay her; but will you try?"

"Yes, mother," said little Annie, gazing full into her mother's face with
her sweet bright eyes, "I'll--I'll love her, mother; I'll give her lots
and lots of love."

Annie had gone to Lavender House, and kept her word, for she had almost
worshiped the good mistress who was so true and kind to her, and who had
so befriended her mother. Through all the vicissitudes of her short
existence Annie had, however, never lost one precious gift. Hers was an
affectionate, but also a wonderfully bright, nature. It was as impossible
for Annie