is your name, little girl?"

"Kate," said the girl, looking earnestly at her questioner.

"Kate! Where do you live?"

"Down the lane, in yonder cottage. I'm Mrs. Button's gal."

"I'm glad to meet you, Kate. I've just seen your mother. I want you to
try to be a good girl, and help her. Do you go to Sunday school?"

"No. I'se got no clothes fit to wear there."

"Would you like to belong to one if you could get a new dress?"

"Don't know whether I should or no. Never was in a Sunday school in all
my life," replied Kate, looking at the lady with a stare of wonder.

"Well, Kate, I'll send you some clothes and see your mother about the
school before Sunday."

Aunt Amy now walked slowly on to meet Minnie, who was running back from
her errand of kindness. Coming up to her aunt, with a flushed face and
joyous look, she said,--

"O aunt Amy, I'm a sunbeam now! I've made that boy's heart glad."

"What did you do for him, Minnie?"

"Why, you see, aunt, he had been gathering a pail of berries for his
grandmother, and was very tired. As he ran along the road with his pail,
he kicked against a stone, fell down, spilled his berries, and hurt his
knee. The poor boy was weeping, and I told him not to cry, for I would
pick up his berries while he rested himself and wiped the dirt from his
clothes. Then I picked up his berries, speaking kind words to him all
the time. He soon left off crying, and when I gave him the pail, he
looked so glad it made me cry for joy; for I knew I was a sunbeam to
him."

"You are right, Minnie. I am glad to find you so apt a scholar in the
art of doing good. But it is time for us to be going home now; your
mother will feel uneasy about us, we have been gone so long."

Minnie gave aunt Amy her hand, and they walked to the village, talking,
as they went, about Mrs. Button, and Kate Button, and about getting
some clothes fit for Kate to wear to Sunday school. And I doubt if there
were two happier persons in all Rosedale than they.

That evening, aunt Amy proposed to take Minnie and her mother, in her
carriage, the next day, on an excursion to a pleasant seaport, about
five miles from Rosedale. This trip promised too much pleasure to be
refused. So it was agreed that they should start early in the morning,
and spend the day in rambling on the sea shore.

Minnie awaked very early the next morning, and was up and dressed, all
ready for breakfast, before either her aunt or her mother came down
stai