ely when she returned to the parlor without her mother. She
thought over her mother's parting words, until she felt quite proud of
the confidence reposed in her, and resolved not to abuse it by neglect.

3. She accordingly took her books and sat down to her studies, as
attentively as if her mother had been waiting to hear her recitation.

4. Anna was an affectionate, intelligent child. She would have made any
sacrifices to please her mother, and she really loved her studies; but
her one great fault was a disposition to loiter away time.

5. This her mother well knew; and after trying admonition, until she
almost feared she was increasing the evil by allowing Anna to depend too
much upon her guidance, she determined to test the effect of leaving her
to her own responsibility.

6. For an hour after her mother's departure, Anna sat in close attention
to her studies. All at once, she started up. "I am so hungry," said she,
"I must go to Betty for some luncheon;--but stop--I will finish my
exercise first."

7. She wrote a line or two; then throwing down her pen, petulantly
exclaimed, "There! I have made two mistakes, because I was in such a
hurry;--I will not finish it till I come back."

8. So away ran the little girl to her old nurse, and the next half-hour
was spent in satisfying her hunger. As she was returning, with laggard
step, she happened to spy, from the window, a beautiful butterfly
fluttering about the rose-bushes in the garden; and, quite forgetting
her unfinished exercise, away she flew in chase of the butterfly.

9. But, agile as were her movements, the insect was too nimble for her;
and after an hour's race beneath the burning sun, she returned, flushed
and overheated, without having succeeded in its capture.

10. Again she applied herself to her books; but study was not so easy
now as it would have been a little earlier. Anna was too tired to apply
her mind to her lessons; and after loitering a while over her desk, she
threw herself on the sofa, and fell into a sound sleep, from which she
was only awakened by a summons to dinner.

11. After dinner, Betty proposed taking her out to walk; and though
conscious that she had not performed half her duties, she had not
resolution enough to refuse to go. Tying on her bonnet, she took a
little basket on her arm, and set out with Betty to gather
wild-flowers.

12. When they reached the woods, Betty sought out a mossy seat under an
old tree, and, taking her