"I have a great favour to ask of you, uncle," whispered Anna into his ear.

"What is it, my love? ask any thing you choose. Is it a secret? Pray, Miss Palmer, take away Jane and Marianne, and leave us for a little."

Miss Palmer did not look quite pleased, but did as she was directed, and when she was gone, Anna told her uncle about her Mamma's last illness, and how she had sent for her just before she died, and the three things she had charged her to remember; " and, indeed, uncle," continued Anna, "I cannot obey my own dear Mamma if I never am one moment alone, and never even allowed to read the Bible, and then when the last day comes, and Mamma is on the right hand, and looks for me, where shall I be?" and then poor Anna could not keep from crying and sobbing.

Her uncle kissed her, and pressed her to his bosom. "You are your Father's own child, Anna," said he. "He used, from a boy, always to be talking in that way; and, though I think it all nonsense, at your age, to be making yourself melancholy with such things, still, for his sake, and as his Father, who was far better than I am, let him do as he chose, you too, Anna, shall have your own way; so tell me, my love, what you wish."

Anna clasped her arms round her uncle's neck. "Dear, dear uncle, how good you are! This is what I wish; you know there is nobody sleeps in the bed-room next the school-room, and if you would allow me to go in there alone every morning, and put my Bible in one of the drawers, and lock it, and keep the key, and Hannah to wake and dress me half an hour earlier than. Louisa, and tell Miss Palmer not to be angry, for you allowed me."

"Yes, yes, my love, I shall settle it all; call Miss Palmer, and I shall tell her about it." Anna ran joyfully to tell Miss Palmer to come, and her uncle directed all to be as she wished, and left Anna quite happy.

. Next morning Hannah came at the time she had been desired, and Anna moved about quite softly, that she might not wake Louisa. Then, taking her Bible, went into the empty bed-room. and bolted the door; and then she remembered that she was alone with God; and she loved to think that it was so; and she prayed to Him as to a father, and tried to recollect and confess what she had done wrong, that she might ask God to wash away all her sins in the blood of Christ. And then she believed that they were all washed away; and she prayed for God's Holy Spirit to guide her every moment, and to teach her to understand God's word: and then she read, and understood some, though not much;

but what she understood she read over two or three times that she might remember it. And she also chose a chapter, that she might begin to commit it to memory, as she used to do with her own Mamma; and she had got two verses, and was just getting a third, when Hannah came to the door to say Miss Louisa was dressed; and then Anna hastened, with a heart as happy and peaceful as possible, to go to her lessons. And though Miss Palmer read the Scriptures and prayers so fast, she still heard something she could understand. Anna's lessons this day were so well got, that Miss Palmer was again quite pleased with her; and she had some time also to assist poor little Marianne. Louisa spent a part of every forenoon with her Mamma, which Anna would also have done, as Aunt Ross thought she could herself best teach little girls how to be polite, and what to say when any one who called spoke to them; and so on: but as Anna had not got her mourning dress, Aunt Ross said she was unfit to be seen. On this day, however, Anna's dress at last arrived; and Aunt Ross herself came up stairs to see how it fitted, and said so much about every part of it, that poor Anna could not keep from crying; for the dark dress only reminded her that her own Mamma was gone to another world.

Aunt Ross chid Anna for being such a baby as to cry at every thing, and then desired that

and she was scarcely in bed when Miss Palmer entered the room. Louisa, who had disregarded all Hannah's exhortations to make haste, and who seemed quite a new creature when no longer in her Mamma or Miss Palmer's presence, was chatting, and laughing, and declaring that it could not be above a quarter of an hour since they had left the school-room, and only about half undressed.

"Very well, Miss Louisa," said Miss Palmer, “I suppose you like being in the dark. Come away, Hannah ;" and she took the candle, and desiring Hannah to leave the room before her, immediately followed, closing the door after her, and leaving Louisa in the middle of the floor half undressed, and in total darkness.

"Oh! Miss Palmer-if you please, Miss Palmer"-exclaimed Louisa; but Miss Palmer said not a word in answer. They heard her moving about in her own room, through which was the only entrance to that in which the girls were; but she returned not, and poor Louisa had to get into bed, as Miss Palmer had threatened, the best way she could. Anna heard her muttering, "How cross! I shall never get these knots untied-what shall I do ?"

"Come near, and I will try to assist you," said Anna in a whisper. Louisa groped about in the dark till she found Anna's bed, and then

they together at last succeeded in getting off Louisa's things, during which she said to Anna,— "Did you ever see any one so cross as Miss Palmer is ?"

"She told you what she would do," replied Anna. "You know.she could not help doing it after she had said she would; and it was somebody else who was to blame when you were left in the dark."

"But she might have staid just a few minutes!"

"Then she would have broken her word," said Anna," and that would have been much more sinful than leaving us in the dark."

Louisa was silent for an instant, then said, "I hope you like early rising, Anna, for you will see Miss Palmer will send Hannah to us at six o'clock in the morning.”

"And what is the first thing you do in the morning?" asked Anna, in the hope that she might hear that the day was at least begun as she had been accustomed to see it.

"Lessons, lessons, lessons," replied Louisa, "from morning to night nothing but lessons, and sit this way, and sit that way, and walk so and so, and how awkward you are, and how ungraceful, and you will never be like Miss somebody, or Miss t'other body. Oh, how I wish that I was grown up, and then no more Miss Palmer for ever at my elbow.!"