hings that happen during the
day. What do you say?"

The child nestled close to her mother.

"It would be nice, mamma, only nothing pleasant happens now that Don is
dead."

"Why, why," exclaimed Mrs. Davenport, "that isn't at all like my happy
Beth. Put on your thinking cap and see if you can't remember something
nice that happened to-day."

Beth remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly smiled.

"Why, yes, mamma, now that I think of it, a whole lot of nice things
happened. Do you know, ever since Don died, Julia has been perfectly
lovely. She always plays just as I want to. And what do you think?
Harvey played with Julia and me to-day, and he would never stay before
when Julia was here. We even got him to play dolls with us, although
he said dolls were beneath a boy."

Mrs. Davenport smiled. "Why should he feel that way?"

"Well, you see, mamma, he doesn't think much of girls and their play.
He's always saying to me, 'Beth, don't you wish you were a boy?' So
one day I answered, 'No, indeed, Harvey.' It wasn't quite the truth,
mamma, for I should like to be a boy, but I wouldn't let him know it.
Then I asked him: 'Don't you wish you were a girl, Harvey?'"

"What did he say, dear?"

"He grunted and said, 'Eh--be a girl? I'd rather be nothing than be a
girl.'"

Mrs. Davenport could hardly keep her face straight; nevertheless, she
said gravely:

"If Harvey ever says that to you again, you tell him your mamma says
that girls are of just as much consequence as boys. God would not have
created them otherwise. Well, what else happened to-day?"

"Oh, Harvey offered me a bird's nest that he'd stolen. Mamma, I
couldn't help scolding him about it. You know papa doesn't think it
right. So I had Harvey take the nest back."

"That was a good girl."

"And oh, mamma, I forgot to tell you how nice Marian has been. This
afternoon after school, she made some candy for Julia and Harvey and
me. It was just lovely. And now that I think of it, Maggie has been
good too. She hasn't scolded us once, although I guess we are in her
way very much sometimes."

Mrs. Davenport now kissed Beth good-night.

"Doesn't my little girl see that there never was a sorrow so great but
that it has its bright side? You have much for which to be thankful,
dear, and you must try to be happy."

This talk helped Beth somewhat. Nevertheless, for weeks thereafter, a
dog did not cross her path without bringing tears to