the young lady said, "but sit
down and let me hear why you were all looking so serious when I came up.
What lovely garlands you have made, and what a charming morning this is!
God is very good to give us so many bright days, and so much joy in
them, isn't he?"

Before any one could reply, a servant came up, with a request that the
children would go to their Aunt Maria on the porch, and hear a message
from their mother.

"Good! good!" Johnnie said, clapping his hands; but Edith and Mabel went
more soberly. Miss Rose seated herself in a favorite spot of hers, a
rustic chair under the oak-tree, and waited their return. She was fond
of children, and since the little visitors had been there, she had often
gone in with her knitting to talk and play with them.

After they had heard the letter, they were dismissed by Mrs. MacLain,
who had her key-basket on her arm, and was very busy with her
housekeeping. They trooped back to their friend Miss Rose, and grouped
themselves around her, and the little girls began to weave a wreath for
her hair, while Johnnie made her a bouquet.

"The question is, Miss Rose, whether we ought to be happy while we are
away from mamma and papa."

"And while mamma is sick."

"And perhaps might die."

Miss Rose put her work down on her lap, and with one soft hand smoothed
away the thick curls that had a way of falling over and shading
Johnnie's forehead and eyes. She thought to herself, "What a pretty boy
he is! How noble and open and candid those eyes and that brow!" Johnnie
was a very truthful little fellow, and though he had faults, he would
have scorned to tell a lie or do anything mean. At this moment Charlie
Hill, Aunt Chloe's boy, passed by with his fishing-rod and line. So
Johnnie could not stay to hear Miss Rose then. He caught up his straw
hat, seized his shrimp-net, and ran off, without even saying, "Excuse
me."

"That wath very imperlite," observed Mabel. "And Johnnie began asking
the questions too! He ithn't very thad."

"Dear children," said Miss Rose, "you are only little and young, to be
sure, but you may as well learn that God never wants you to _try_
to be miserable. He means you to be as merry and happy as you can be.
Consider a minute. Have you ever been very unhappy when you have been
good?"

"No," said Edith.

"I have," said Mabel, "when I've had the teethache."

Miss Rose laughed.

"Well, that was a pretty good cause; but generally, when children are
not naught