; she seems low-spirited, and says she is often very lonely. A
bird would be nice company for her, shall we take her one?"

"It would be rather a troublesome gift without a cage, Edith, but I have
money enough, I think, and I will buy a cage, and then she shall have
her bird."

"We will hang it up to greet her on Sunday morning, shall we?" Thus the
brother and sister set out, and it was a beautiful sight to their
mother, who dearly loved them, to see the two who once were so
quarrelsome and disunited now walking together in _love_.

Emilie was not at home, and they stood uncertain which way to walk,
when Fred said, "Edith, I want some one to teach poor Joe love; will you
go with me and see him? You taught me to love you, and I think Joe would
be happier if he could see some one he could take a fancy to. Papa said
he might see one at a time now, and poor fellow, I do pity him so. Will
you go? It is a fine fresh afternoon, let us go to Mr. Barton's."

The October sky was clear and the air bracing, and side by side walked
Fred and Edith on their errand of mercy to poor neglected Joe, their
young hearts a little saddened by the remembrance of his sufferings, "Is
not his aunt coming?" asked Edith.

"No! actually she is not," replied Fred. "She says in her letter she
could not stand the fatigue of the journey, and that her physicians
order her to try the waters of Bath and Cheltenham. Unfeeling creature!"

Thus they chatted till they arrived at Mr. Barton's house. Mrs. Barton
received them very kindly. "Oh, Miss Parker, she said, my heart aches
for that poor lad upstairs, and yet with all this trial, and the
wonderful providential escape he has had, would you believe it? his
heart seems very little affected. He is not softened that I can see. I
told him to day how thankful he ought to be that God did not cut him off
in all his sins, and he answered that they who tempted him into danger
would have the most to answer for."

Ah, Mrs. Barton, it is not the way to people's hearts usually to find
fault and upbraid them. There was much truth in what you said to Joe,
but truth sometimes irritates by the way and time in which it is spoken,
and it seems in this case that the _kind_ of truth you told did not
exactly suit the state of the boy's mind. Edith did not say this of
course to the good lady, whose intentions were excellent, but who was
rather too much disposed to be severe on young persona, and certainly
Joe had tried her