ionate Cousin,
JESSIE CARLTON.

P. S. I've almost finished Uncle Morris's slippers. J. C.

CHAPTER XIV.

The Watch-Pocket finished.

"Well, Jessie, how do you like your black-eyed _protege_?" asked Uncle
Morris, a few days after the events recorded in the last chapter.

"Pretty--well--but--but--"

"But what?" said Uncle Morris, with an arch glance, for he saw that Jessie
was loth to speak the thought that lingered in her mind.

"Well, I like Madge, Uncle, but as ma says, she is not quite an _angel_,"
and Jessie laughed as if there was something funny in her mother's
saying.

"I suppose she is not. Did my puss ever hear of angels being found, as we
found Madge, dressed in rags, and shivering under a stone wall?"

"No, uncle, but, but--"

"There you are _but_-ing again," said Mr. Morris. "Why not out with it at
once, and say that you did not expect to find so many faults in poor
Madge, as you have found?"

"Because I don't like to speak evil of her, and yet I do wish she wouldn't
have those ugly spells come over her. Sometimes she is so gentle and
grateful, that I begin to love her dearly. Then all at once, she will be
so cross and ugly, that I begin to repent having asked you to bring her
home with us."

Mr. Morris looked at his perplexed niece in silence for nearly a minute.
He was thinking how to impress her mind with the moral taught by her
disappointment respecting Madge. At last he very gravely said:

"Jessie!"

"What is it, Uncle?" asked Jessie, surprised at her uncle's manner.

"Shall I tell you plainly, why you _feel_ so much disappointed in poor
Madge?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Well, it is because your kindness to her was mixed with a good deal of
_selfishness_."

"O Uncle Morris!" exclaimed Jessie; "how can you say so?"

"Because I really think so;" replied Mr. Morris.

"Well, you are a funny man, if you think so, Uncle! How _could_ I be
selfish, in wishing you to bring that poor child home? I'm sure I didn't
expect to gain any thing by it." Here Jessie pouted a little, for she was
really piqued by what her uncle had said. Seeing this, Mr. Morris
replied:

"I hope my little puss is not going to be angry with her poor old uncle,
because he seeks to tell her the truth."

"Well, no; but really, I don't see how you can think me selfish, just for
wishing you to bring a poor, freezing child, to our house," and with this
remark, Jessie