s over, there came a sad misfortune to
her, which took away the hopes of apple-pies and other things which
her birthday was to bring her.

All this time she had been going regularly to Mrs. Nott's school,
and the schoolmistress was much surprised at the change in her
careless little pupil. Her companions, too, could not tell what
had come to Phoebe Copland; and as for sly Margaret Prettyman, she
was filled with dislike and envy of her little rival; for Phoebe,
having put aside her careless habits, took her place as first in
the class, and Margaret had been first till now.

On this particular afternoon Mrs. Nott had given her girls an
additional task to learn; and Phoebe, having a quarter of an hour
to spare, sat down, as was her habit sometimes, to look over the
lesson before leaving school. She was putting up her books, when
one of the other girls, Esther Heywood, came to her with a message
from her (Esther's) mother, asking Phoebe to step down to the Mill
Farm, where the Heywoods lived. They had got a jar of fine
citron-preserves, which the sailor son, Jem, had brought from
across the seas to his mother; and she was going to send some over
to Mrs. Copland to taste.

"You might leave your books here," said Esther, "and I'll walk
back a bit with you. We'll get them when we come."

The citron-preserves were very, very good, and Phoebe was kept a
little while at the Mill Farm to taste them, and to hear the
wonderful things which Jem Heywood had to tell about the parrots
and the beautiful birds in the countries where he had been; and
then Phoebe started on her way home over the fields, and Esther
with her. Sailor Jem said he'd "go a bit too with the girls," to
see them "under way," as he called it; and it ended by Esther and
Jem going the whole way with her, to carry her books, which they
got as they passed the school-house.

All the evening Jem was telling them such funny stories that she
could not attend to her lessons, but went to bed quite tired with
laughing, and dreamed that she was a parrot, and that Jem Heywood
was teaching her tasks off by heart.

Next morning, with the sunshine, up jumped Phoebe, to learn her
lessons before going to school. She felt very happy. The next day
but one was her birthday; and next day itself Uncle Roger would be
over from Lady's Mead, she knew, and then she would tell him how
faithfully she had kept her promise; and how pleased and kind he
would look--she could fancy she saw h