delight, when she saw the pretty toys her father had brought for her.
He had much to tell of all the wonderful things he had seen upon the
journey, and in the town itself.

[Illustration]

"I have brought you a very pretty thing," said he to his wife: "it is
called a mirror. Look and tell me what you see inside." He gave to her
a plain, white wooden box, in which, when she had opened it, she found
a round piece of metal. One side was white like frosted silver, and
ornamented with raised figures of birds and flowers, the other was
bright as the clearest crystal. Into it the young mother looked with
delight and astonishment, for, from its depths was looking at her with
parted lips and bright eyes, a smiling happy face.

[Illustration]

"What do you see?" again asked the husband, pleased at her
astonishment, and glad to show that he had learned something while he
had been away. "I see a pretty woman looking at me, and she moves her
lips as if she was speaking, and--dear me, how odd, she has on a blue
dress just like mine!" "Why, you silly woman, it is your own face that
you see," said the husband, proud of knowing something that his wife
didn't know. That round piece of metal is called a mirror, in the town
every body has one, although we have not seen them in this country place
before.

[Illustration]

The wife was charmed with her present, and, for a few days could not
look into the mirror often enough, for you must remember, that, as this
was the first time she had seen a mirror, so, of course, it was the
first time she had ever seen the reflection of her own pretty face. But
she considered such a wonderful thing far too precious for every day
use, and soon shut it up in its box again, and put it away carefully
among her most valued treasures.

Years past on, and the husband and wife still lived happily. The joy of
their life was their little daughter, who grew up the very image of her
mother, and who was so dutiful and affectionate that every body loved
her. Mindful of her own little passing vanity on finding herself so
lovely, the mother kept the mirror carefully hidden away, fearing that
the use of it might breed a spirit of pride in her little girl.

She never spoke of it, and as for the father, he had forgotten all about
it. So it happened that the daughter grew up as simple as the mother had
been, and knew nothing of her own good looks, or of the mirror which
would have reflected them.

But bye and bye