ast;
and, as I knew the time must be running away very fast,--hard that it
will always run fastest when we are the happiest!--I seized my first
opportunity to say that few things would give me greater pleasure than
to furnish the illustrations she had mentioned, if I could but succeed
in executing them as I ought.

"As to that, I will be your sponsor," returned she, gayly, "if you would
like to begin them here. Your touch is very firm and true; and I will
show you all our tricks of color. Here is my paint-box. Have you time
to-day?"

I had time, and no excuse; though, in falling so suddenly into the
midst of painting-lessons from Miss Dudley, I really felt as if I was
having greatness thrust upon me in a manner to take my breath away. If I
had only had a little more time to think about it, my touch might have
been truer for the nonce. Her paint-box was so handsomely furnished,
too, and so daintily ordered, that I scarcely dared touch it. She gave
me a little respite, however, by rubbing the colors for me,--colors,
some of them, that, for their costliness, I could not allow myself at
all at home,--and selected for me two such exquisite brushes from her
store! Then she lay down beside me on a "couch of Ind," smiled as I laid
her plaid over her feet, and watched me at the work. How that brought my
poor Fanny back to me! But my new mistress went on unwearyingly,
teaching and encouraging me, and, if I was more than satisfied with her,
did not on her part show that she was less than satisfied with me. The
clock struck twelve before I dreamed of its taking upon itself to offer
such an untimely interruption.

"Now I am nicely rested," said she, soon after; "and I am afraid you
must begin to be nicely tired. Do you not?"

"No, indeed; I seldom do till nine o'clock at night."

"Then we will indulge ourselves here still a little longer. But hark!
Are not there my little people back from school?"

The expression common to those who love children stole into her face.
Young voices were drawing nearer.

"Come to my arms, O lovely cherub!" said one that had a boyish sound in
it, paternally.

"Look out and see them," whispered Miss Dudley to me.

I peeped through the blinds. A handsome and very graceful olive-hued
boy, apparently about fourteen years old, with a form like that of the
Mercury upborne by a zephyr, eyes like stars, lashes like star-beams,
and an expression that would have made him a good study for a picture of