id Mabel. 'If I were you, I should sell the eggs, and not give them
away,' she added.

'And what should I do with the money?' inquired Clara. 'I have
everything I want; aunt takes care of that.'

'But you might buy nice gloves and neckties with the money you would get
for the eggs,' urged Mabel. 'I don't see that you have much of that sort
of thing.'

'I have all that I want in that way,' replied her cousin. 'I would ten
times rather give away the eggs than take money for them. When I first
came to live with dear aunt, she had this place fitted up on purpose for
me; and she bought the fowls, and food, and everything that was wanted,'
said Clara. 'In three months' time I had a beautiful brood of chickens;
and when they were grown, aunt asked me what I meant to do with my
surplus stock. I said that I really did not know; so she suggested that
I should sell the chickens, and give the money to the poor. "Sell that
ye have, and give alms," said my aunt. "This, dear Clara, is our
Saviour's advice," she added, and I was only too glad and thankful to
follow her advice. So I made a purse, in which I save up my
egg-and-chicken money, and we buy calico, and print, and flannel, and
provide other things,' said Clara, in great glee, for it was, indeed,
one of her chief sources of pleasure to give to the poor.

'I'm sure you would not catch me doing in that way,' said Mabel. 'I see
no fun in keeping fowls only for the sake of giving to other people.'

'No _fun_, perhaps,' replied her cousin; 'but you would find real
pleasure, Mabel, in being able to relieve the wants of the sick and the
afflicted. Oh, I know,' she added, 'you will--you _must_ change your
mind when you go with us to some of the neighbouring cottages. I do hope
we shall not be prevented from going to-morrow.'

Whatever effect time and scenes were to have on our young friend Mabel,
certainly her cousin's arguments and declarations produced none at the
present; so we must close the chapter of the first day, and begin
another.

CHAPTER XIV.

VISIT TO THE COTTAGE.

The evening of this first day at Oak Villa had been very pleasantly
spent by Aunt Mary and her nieces at Mr. Maitland's, where the young
people engaged themselves on the lawn, while the elders talked over the
various events of the very eventful times, without being able to come to
any conclusion as to how they were to be mended.

Mabel either really _was_ in a very gracious humour this evening