n of flowers was placed on Jessie's
head, and gave new beauty to her soft and curling brown hair. Frederick
also had a handsome crown. Sceptres were placed in their hands, and then
they arranged their court. Kate was made a Duchess, at which she grew
quite dignified; there were plenty of Earls and Countesses, and the
sweet little maids of honor and the pages stood behind the throne.

They then formed a procession, to return to the parlor, and in an
instant a march burst forth from a band of music which had been
concealed for the purpose.

At this unexpected event, his Majesty jumped so high that his crown
tumbled off, and the Queen was in such a delightful agitation that she
could not confine her steps to a walk, and so the King, and the Queen,
and the Duchess, and all the maids of honor and pages, ran
helter-skelter, as fast as they could, and took places for dancing.

Never were merrier hearts or brighter eyes than now leaped and shone in
that little party. The Queen was the gayest of all, and the King was
nearly out of his wits with joy, to find himself and Jessie once more
friends. Little Kate got so tired of being a Duchess that she skipped
about like a little fairy, and all the lords and ladies, and maids of
honor and pages, were so merry and so full of innocent fun, that they
looked a great deal more like little republicans. And so the happy
evening concluded, to the satisfaction of all.

The next morning, Mrs. Stanley asked her children if they had had a
pleasant party.

"Oh, yes!" they both answered; "it was perfectly delightful; and Jessie
was as pleasant as she could be, and seemed to have forgotten all about
the quarrel."

"She behaved very well indeed," said Mrs. Stanley, "and I think after
this you will not allow any thing to disturb your friendship. Jessie is
a good, warm-hearted girl, but she has been allowed to indulge sometimes
in fits of ill-temper, and has not been taught to be good to those who
wait upon her. If you were to talk to her with kindness and forbearance,
you would convince her that this was wrong. Her own heart would soon
tell her so. You must not expect her to do better all at once; but no
doubt, with a little patience on your part, and a little trying on hers,
she will find her happiness much increased by being kind to those
beneath her, and in time she will feel that in this country all are
equals, though for one night she _was_ a May Queen."

THE APPLE DUMPLING.

A