ave
other cottages to see," she said, placing her hand in that of Dame
Desley.

"And I hope that I shall find them very different indeed from this,"
said the disappointed parent, as she crossed over the way to Matty's.

The little owner ran on in front, with mingled feelings of hope and
fear. She knew that her home was not empty; that the furniture looked
very gay; but she could not help suspecting that her mother, and yet
more the sage Mr. Learning, might think some of it tawdry and worthless.
Flinging the door wide open to admit her guests, Matty ran in so
hurriedly to put a piece of furniture straight, that her foot was caught
in her unfastened carpet, and down she fell on her nose.

"My dear child, I hope that you're not hurt," cried Dame Desley.

Matty jumped up, rubbed her nose, and said that it was "nothing," though
looking extremely annoyed at such a beginning to the survey.

"What a hole you have torn in the carpet!" cried her mother. "Why, it is
not fastened down with nails; you must be in danger of tripping every
minute."

"Such a carpet!" exclaimed Learning, with contempt, kicking it up with
his heel.

"And what a paper!" cried the mother; "as shabby as it is gaudy, and all
with the damp showing through."

"But I have some things very pretty indeed," said Matty, in rather a
petulant tone; for she could not bear that any fault should be found
with her beautiful cottage. "I'm sure that the porcelain jars on the
mantelpiece are fit for the palace of a princess; and just look at my
gilded French mirror, and my elegant tambourine."

Dame Desley appeared by no means as much delighted at these fine things
as her daughter had expected; and Mr. Learning dryly observed, "I see
that you have troubled Mr. Arithmetic, the ironmonger, as little as Mr.
History, the carpet manufacturer; and however pretty your fancy articles
may be, I must just venture to remark that a poker is more useful than
porcelain, a mat than a gilded French mirror, and that, though a
tambourine may be charming, it can't supply the place of a table."

"Your furniture also looks so light and fragile," observed Dame Desley,
"that I should be almost afraid to use it."

"Oh, it does exceedingly well," cried the mortified Matty, tossing
herself down on a chair, to show that her mother was mistaken. She had
chosen, however, an unfortunate way of displaying the strength of her
furniture; the luckless chair gave way with a crash, and Matty came