ome shoes and this lovely dress."

"Who gived you the dress?" asked Prue, innocently.

"That's what I'd like to know," was Molly's answer. "It was sent to me,
and on the bundle it said, 'From one who loves you.' I'd give much to tell
the one who sent it how lovely I think it is."

"I like mine better than any dress I've had," said Randy, "and since you
think it pretty it's nice that yours is like it."

"I don't know as I'd care what gowns I had if I'd been allowed to go to
boarding school," said Phoebe Small. "This school is pleasant enough, I
like the teacher and of course I like the girls and boys."

"'Specially the boys," remarked Reuben Jenks, when a scowl from Phoebe
silenced him.

"I think it would be great fun to go away somewhere. I don't know as I
care where, and see a new school and new faces. 'Twouldn't prevent keeping
all my old friends just because I made new ones," said Phoebe in a
disconsolate voice. "It's just no use to wish," she continued, "for I
wished last night when I saw the moon over my right shoulder, and I don't,
know how many times I've wished when I've seen the first little star at
night. This morning I found a horse shoe, and stood on it wishing with all
my might that ma would let me just try boarding school for one term and I
guess that old horse shoe just about finished it, for I ran in and asked
ma again, and she put down the pan that she had in her hand and says she,

"'Phoebe Small, if you ask me that again, I believe I shall fly. I've
said no to it repeatedly and I meant it. Now, hurry and get ready for
school; you'll find there's something yet to be learned there, I'll be
bound.'"

"Never mind, Phoebe," said Randy, "it's disappointing if you so wished to
go, but think how we should have missed you."

"O Randy, to think that you would have missed me makes me almost glad to
stay here," said Phoebe, with a bright tear upon her lashes.

It was over a year since Phoebe had resolved to conquer her "unruly
tongue" as she described it, and although at times a sharp saying escaped
her lips she was really a very different girl from the Phoebe of the year
before. That she was in earnest was evident, for if some careless speech
chanced to hurt one of her friends, she promptly acknowledged her fault,
and grasped the first opportunity to do some little kindness which should
thus give proof that her regret was sincere.

Of Jotham the boys and girls saw but little, his new studies requiring