elf, and her taste was excellent. At her death
it was divided, and among so many that it seemed to melt away. All that
came to my share were those two handleless cups that are at the top of
that little cabinet over there, and those were by no means the most
beautiful, beautiful as they undoubtedly are. I was never tired of
feasting my eyes on grandmother's china when I used to be sent to spend
a day with her, which happened every few weeks. And _sometimes_, for a
great treat, she used to open the wall cupboards and let me handle some
of the things--for it is a curious fact that a child _cannot_ admire
anything to its perfect satisfaction without touching it too, and looking
back upon things now, I can see that despite her cold manner, my
grandmother had a very good knowledge of children and a real love and
sympathy for them.

"One day--it was a late autumn day I remember, for it was just a few days
after my ninth birthday--my birthday is on the fifteenth of November,--my
mother told me that my father, having to drive to the town the following
day, would take me with him to spend the day with grandmother.

"'And Nelly,' said my mother, 'do try to be very good and behave
prettily. I really fear, my dear, that you will never be like a young
lady--it is playing so much with your brothers, I suppose, and you know
grandmother is very particular. The last time you were there you know you
dressed up the cat and frightened poor old Betsy (my grandmother's cook)
so. Do try to keep out of mischief this time.'

"'I can't,' I said. 'There is no one to play with there. I would rather
stay at home;' and I teased my mother to say I need not go. But it was no
good; she was firm about it--it was right that I, the only girl at home,
should go to see my grandmother sometimes, and my mother repeated her
admonitions as to my behaviour; and as I really loved her dearly I
promised to 'try to be very good;' and the next morning I set off with my
father in excellent spirits. There was nothing I liked better than a
drive with him, especially in rather cold weather, for then he used to
tuck me up so beautifully warm in his nice soft rugs, so that hardly
anything but the tip of my nose was to be seen, and he would call me his
'little woman' and pet me to my heart's content.

"When we reached my grandmother's I felt very reluctant to descend from
my perch, and I said to my father that I wished he would take me about
the town with him instead of l