untry where I then lived,--and I've lived
in a good many countries, for wherever you find mountains, hills, and
rivers, there you'll find the Meadows family,--there was a little girl
who was both beautiful and good. She was not as good nor as beautiful
as those you read about in the books, but she was good enough for the
people who knew her. For a wonder she didn't have long golden hair.
Her hair was black, and curled about her head in the loveliest way;
and her eyes were large and brown, and her skin creamy white, with
just the shadow of rose color in her face. Her parents were rich and
proud, but they were prouder of their little girl than they were of
their money, as well they might be, seeing that she was the smartest
and most beautiful child to be found in all the country round."

"Were there no princes and castles in that country?" inquired Sweetest
Susan.

"Oh, dear, no!" replied Mrs. Meadows. "The folks were just plain,
common, every-day people. Those that were fortunate enough to be
honest and contented were much better off than any princes you ever
heard of; and a hut where happiness lives is a much finer place than
the finest castle.

"Well, as I was telling you, the parents of this little girl with
black curly hair were very proud of her. They watched over her very
carefully, and neglected nothing that would make her happy and
contented. Some little girls that I have known would have been spoiled
by so much kindness and attention, but this little girl with the black
curly hair wasn't spoiled at all. She was as good as she was
beautiful.

"One day, when this little girl was walking in the flower garden, she
heard the gardener talking to his wife through the iron fence. The
woman's voice was so pleasant and her laugh so cheerful that the
little girl ran to the fence and peeped through to see who it was. The
gardener's wife saw her, and at once began to pet her and make much of
her. The little girl wanted the woman to come into the garden, and
seemed to be so much in earnest about it that the woman promised she
would come and be the child's nurse some day.

"No sooner had the gardener's wife gone about her business than the
little girl ran and told her mother that she must have a nurse. At
first her mother paid little attention to her, thinking that it was
the passing whim of a child, but the little girl insisted, until
finally her mother said:--

"'Who shall be your nurse? You know, my dear, that you c