es to which
I was so little accustomed. My aunt at first refused, saying I was not
accustomed to kitchen-work. But when I begged to be allowed to try my
hand in assisting her, she brought me one of her large, checked aprons,
which she advised me to put on. Thus attired, I washed and wiped the
breakfast dishes, and arranged them in her spotless cupboard, saying to
her that, while I remained an inmate of her house, she must allow me to
assist her to the best of my ability, adding that I should be much
happier if allowed to assist in her labors, than otherwise. Seeing me so
anxious, my aunt allowed me to take my own way in the matter. I
succeeded much better than I had feared; and when the morning's work was
finished, my aunt laughingly said that, with a little practice, she
thought I should make a very useful kitchen-maid.

In the afternoon she invited me to accompany her to the room which had
been her daughter's. The room was tastefully, though not richly
furnished.

"This," said my aunt, "was Caroline's room from her childhood. I have
never allowed anything to be disturbed in the room since her death,
except that I occasionally air and dust it. I suppose I am somewhat
childish and fanciful; but it would pain me to see this room occupied by
another."

Over the mantel-piece--for almost every room in my uncle's house
contained a fire-place--there hung a picture of my cousin Caroline,
taken six months previous to her death. I drew nigh to look at the
picture. One glance told me that she had indeed been a beautiful child.
The picture was enclosed in a beautiful frame of leather-work, which had
been the work of her own hands. I gazed long upon the fair picture,
fondly hoping that the loss her friends had sustained, by her death, was
her eternal gain, by being thus early removed from a world of sin and
sorrow to her home in Heaven. Opening a drawer in a small bureau, my
aunt told me to look at her school-books.

By examining the books I was convinced that she must have been a child
of no ordinary capacity, for her age. I also examined some of her
apparel, with many other articles, which had been presents to her from
friends.

Seeing the tears, which I found impossible to repress, my aunt became so
much affected that I made some pretext for hastening our departure from
the room; and, when we went down stairs, I endeavored to turn our
conversation to some cheerful subject, to divert her mind from her
sorrow, which had bee