her father gave her the bunch of red strawberries he had gathered for her as he came along!

"Isn't that your new jump-rope, Nelly?" said he; "give me the baby's carriage, and let me see you try it." So she went skipping along the lane, and her father showed her how to hold the rope, and baby laughed and crowed at all her queer blunders and fail

ures.

When breakfast was over, Nelly was going to play until school-time, but she saw her mother take up her little mop to wash the breakfast things, and she thought, "How many things poor mamma has to do! I wonder if I can't help her;" and she said, "Mamma, please let me clear off the table and wash the cups and saucers."

"I shall be very glad to," said her mother, "for I am very tired this warm morning."

"Now, dear God, do send me the fairy," said Nelly in her heart, "for there are lots of dishes!" but the dirt did not seem to stick to them this morning, and the way to the closet

was not half as long as usual; and Nelly had them all nicely washed and put away before her mother believed it possible.

"Do you think you could go round by Aunt Elinor's and carry her butter, Nelly?" said her mother. "I would not ask you, but Bridget is gone, and your father wants all the men to go to help raise the minister's barn to-day."

Poor Nelly! that long hot hill, half a mile out of her way to school! A cross answer was half ready when she thought of the fairy. "Dear God, send the fairy very quick," she said, "for I need her help very much." how bright her heart grew! and she said, "Of course I'll go mamma: I love Aunt Elinor dearly."

Oh,

As she started off, her mother said, "Here is your luncheon, and you can have some roses to carry to your teacher, if you wish to."

What made the hill so short? Nelly really looked round to see if it were as high as usual. Yes: she could see away down into the meadow, and could watch the little brook

dancing through it, and see the white churchsteeple gleaming in the sun.

"How hot and tired you must be!" said Aunt Elinor; "sit down and drink this cool water, and let me get you some fresh strawberries."

"No," Nelly said; she must not stop.

"Well, Georgy and Mary are just ready to start for school, so you can go together."

I don't know how you like such sights, but I seldom see any thing pleasanter than those three little children with their nice straw-hats, and their lunch-pails and books, starting off for school, that fine summer morning. Georgy would carry Nelly's books for her, though she declared she was not tired, and would help her over the fences, and pick clover for her, and bring her water out of the brook, just as if a little country-girl could not do all these things herself!

They got to school just as the bell rang, and took their seats. Nelly opened her arithmetic. She had been a little lazy the day before, and had a long sum to prepare before the first reci

tation. "Oh, dear!" she thought to herself; "I don't believe fairies know a thing about longdivision. I'll try, though;" so she said in her heart, "Dear God, send me the blessed fairy," and she went to work. How nicely it all came out, every figure right! and she was all ready when her teacher called her. So it was with the spelling. Nelly wondered where all the hard words were gone, and why her pen did not spatter nor her ink blot as usual. When she opened her lunch-pail, her mother had put in just what she liked best, a nice rye-cake and butter; and how sweet it did taste!

But she was almost the last to leave school, because her teacher stopped her to tell her how pleased she was with her behavior; and just then she saw poor little Amy, the lame girl, who was left all alone. “Oh! I must go home with Amy," she said; "all the girls have forgotten her."

A glance at the long, hot road which led to Amy's house half discouraged her. "Why can't she go alone?" she thought; but, she remembered the tottering step, and what a

help it was to Amy to have some one take her by the hand, and she said, "Come, fairy, you and I must help poor Amy home."

Poor Amy was so delighted— for she loved Nelly Morgan dearly, and seldom had a walk home with her. that she talked as fast as she could talk all the way, and nobody could talk like Amy. She could not run about and play as the others did, but she read a great many beautiful books, and she told stories out of them, and even made them up herself. She had been to the sea-shore, and she told Nelly about the cool, dark caves where the seamosses grow, and that she thought she saw a mermaid's hair there, only she could never see the mermaid herself. Nelly was really sorry when they got to the house.

Amy's mother was watching for her. "Thank you, Nelly dear," she said; "I was looking and wishing I had some one to send for Amy; it is so warm, and I knew she would feel so tired coming home alone. Do come in and rest you."

"No," said Nelly, "I am afraid mamma