e your hands, and see you my darling
little Nelly once more."

"I'm sorry now," said Nelly, her lip quivering. "I will be good, aunty."
The tears ran down the little girl's cheeks, but this time they were not
angry tears.

Her aunt made haste to untie the towels, and took Nelly in her arms.

"I love you now," sobbed Nelly; "I love you dearly."

"And I love you, my dear, or I could not have kept you here so long,"
said her aunt, kissing her again and again. "I came a great many times
to the door, and longed to take you from this great chair, and hear your
happy voice once more; but I knew it would be wrong in me to do so
until you were ready to say you were sorry, and to promise to be a good
girl. You have offended God, my dear child. Shall I ask him to forgive
you?"

"Yes, aunty."

Mrs. Gray then knelt with Nelly by the chair, and prayed God to forgive
all her sins, and to help her to keep her new resolution to be good.

CHAPTER V.

TAKING MEDICINE.

AFTER tea Nelly had a fine romp with her cousins on the lawn. Margie and
Ponto were there too; and papa and mamma sat on the front steps,
laughing and enjoying their sport. As the children ran round and round,
the lady saw that Nelly's apron was unbuttoned, and that it troubled her
as she played. She called, "Nelly, come here a minute."

The little girl stopped at once, and then ran to her aunt. Before this,
when any one called her, she would say, "I can't come now;" or, "In a
minute I will." The lady was very much pleased to see that the child
obeyed promptly. When she had fastened the apron, Nelly clasped her arms
about her aunt's neck, and kissed her. Her uncle smiled, and said, "You
look very happy now, Nelly; I wish your mamma could see your rosy
cheeks."

"Come, Nelly, it's your turn now," shouted Willie from the lawn.

A few days after this, Mrs. Gray sat busily sewing, while Frankie made a
barn with his blocks, in which to put up the pedler's cart, and Nelly
was undressing her doll. The sleeve did not come off easily, and as she
pulled it roughly it tore. The little girl was angry, and began to cry.

"What is the matter?" asked her aunt.

"Dolly's dress is ugly, and it's all torn."

"Should you like to have a needle, and mend it, my dear?"

"O, yes, aunty."

"May I sew some too?" asked Frankie.

"Yes, darling, you may mend this stocking." She then threaded a needle
for the little girl, and showed her how to put the stitches through, an