least.

11. She had scarcely commenced her studies, however, when she
recollected that she had not watered her mother's plants since she had
been gone. She threw down her books, and running into the garden, sought
her little watering-pot; but it was not to be found.

12. She was sure she had put it either in the summer-house, or the
tool-house, or under the piazza, or somewhere. After spending half an
hour in search of it, she remembered that she had left it under the
great elm-tree, in the field.

13. By this time, the sun was shining with full vigor upon the delicate
plants; and, forgetting her mother's caution to water them only in the
shade, she overwhelmed the parched leaves with a deluge of water, and
went off quite content.

14. She then thought of her bird; and on examining his cage, found that
he could reach neither the seed nor the water. So she replenished his
cups, decorated his cage with fresh chickweed, treated him to a lump of
sugar, and played with him until she had loitered away the best part of
the morning.

15. Immediately after dinner, a little friend came to see her, and the
rest of the day was consumed in dressing dolls, or arranging her
baby-house.

LESSON XXX.

_The same subject, concluded._

1. On the fifth day, she summoned courage enough to persevere, and
actually performed every task with attention.

2. In the afternoon, Betty took her out to walk, and Anna coaxed her
into a visit to Mrs. Wilson's cottage. What was her indignation, as she
approached the house, to see the children again playing on the margin of
the duck-pond!

3. As soon as they saw her, they ran to hide themselves, but not until
she had observed that their new frocks were as dirty, and almost as
ragged, as the old ones. Betty did not fail to make Anna fully sensible
of her own superior wisdom.

4. "I told you so, child," said she; "I told you it was all nonsense to
try to dress up those dirty creatures; much good you have done, to be
sure!" Anna almost cried with vexation, as she thought of all the time
and labor she had wasted upon her benevolent task, and she walked home
with a heavy heart.

5. The next morning, she had scarcely risen from the breakfast-table,
when Kitty came to show her a beautiful little ship, which, her
brother, who was a sailor, had made for her, as a token of remembrance.

[Illustration]

6. Anna was delighted with it; nothing could be more beautiful than its
graceful form,