k, to pay her rent, three dollars a month, and to provide food for
her children. She has known what it is to be both cold and hungry. She
has bought coal by the bushel, and has sometimes been without fire in
the dead of winter. Her family have lived principally upon bread and
water, and the little ones have cried for food when she had none to
give them.

Little Ida is too young to know her mother's sorrow. She is a babe of
only a few weeks old, and she sleeps as sweetly in that great
rocking-chair as any babe ever slept in a cradle. She is warmly
wrapped in a blanket, and does not suffer, although she has scarce a
change of dresses.

When Mrs. Dudley returned to her happy home, she told her children
about this family, and particularly about the poor babe, who so
increased her mother's cares and labours, yet repaying it all by the
wealth of maternal love her coming had developed. It was pleasing to
see Georgianna lay her face so softly on the infant's, and so gently
rock her when her slumbers were disturbed.

Mrs. Dudley's children listened to her story with great interest, and
wished to do something for the family. Mary repaired some garments
which her mother gave her, and when this was done, she went to her
drawer and took out a small piece of calico, which had been given to
her to make her doll a dress. She asked her mother if there was enough
to make Ida a dress. Mrs. Dudley examined it, and told her there was.
So she cut it out for her daughter, and showed her how to make it.
This work occupied her several days, for Mary goes to school, and has
not much time for sewing. The dress looked very pretty when it was
completed. She had embroidered the tiny sleeves with a neat scollop,
and had taken great pains to make it strong and neatly.

The next time Mrs. Dudley went to the city, she took several small
parcels for Mrs. Carter, who was much pleased with them. None
gratified her more than the dress for the baby.

It will always be a pleasant recollection to Mary that she made the
heart of this suffering woman happy by sending a dress to her infant.
She learned the pleasure of giving, and of exerting herself to do good
to others.

If Mrs. Dudley had had the dress made by a seamstress, it would have
been equally useful to Mrs. Carter; but Mary would have lost the
reward which she now enjoys in the consciousness of relieving the
sufferings of the destitute. I hope Mary will always be benevolent,
and never grow "wear