patience and
sweetness had helped _her_ to be patient and sweet. "But my darling is
better now," she continued; "and when we came to New York, she begged me
to bring her to see you."

I came very near crying. A thankful prayer rose in my heart, that God
had permitted me to add to the happiness of this little one, whose
pale, delicate face showed that she had passed through much suffering.
It does grieve me so, to know that children must sometimes spend hours
and days in pain! And I stooped again and kissed this tender little
blossom, and felt sure, as I looked at the soft, loving expression of
her large dark eyes, that Jesus, our Saviour and Friend, had loved and
comforted her all through her illness.

The other lady was her aunt--a gentle, lovely person, for whom I seemed
to feel an affection at once: indeed, we all talked together like old
friends, and I could hardly bear to have them go away. I had a strange
feeling, as if I must have known them all before, in some far off time.
The mother's voice especially had a charming, cordial tone, which I
shall always remember.

They could not stay very long, they said, because they had left a lady
in the carriage who was an invalid. Then I wanted to run out and bring
her in; but they said they must go; and my dear little new friend left
me, with kisses, and promises to come some time and see me again.

This visit put me in mind of a story about little Annie, which I meant
to have told you before. If you will please to forgive me, I will tell
it to you now. I shall call it "Ilken Annie," because that is her own
name for herself. By "ilken" she means "little."

ILKEN ANNIE.

Ilken Annie lives in a beautiful house on Staten Island. Her mamma and I
are great friends, and we have had plenty of pleasant fun together. Near
the house is a lovely little lake, shaped exactly like the figure
"eight" turned sideways, so: [symbol]. It has a cunning little bridge in
the narrowest part, across which a whole regiment of dolls could
march--and you and I, too, for that matter. It is so small and pretty,
that I do believe you and I could catch gold fish out of it. I have
looked very hard in it to find a mermaid, which, you know, is a lady
with no feet: instead of those, she has a fish's tail. I wonder how one
would taste boiled; for she is only a fish, after all, like the sea
horses which swim about in the aquarium at Barnum's Museum. If Annie and
I ever catch a mermaid in this beautif