t
she had been accustomed to hear used in the fisherman's cottage.

Then she was delighted with the new and beautiful flowers, and her
wonder was excited when she found that they all had names, and that Miss
Mary, though blind, could tell their colours and describe them so
perfectly. Miss Mary also told her the names of the birds whose notes
they heard as they walked about the grounds, and May in return described
with a minuteness which surprised her blind friend a number of objects
both animate and inanimate which she thought would interest her, while
she asked a variety of questions which, though exhibiting her ignorance,
showed a large amount of intelligence and desire to obtain information.
The child was evidently natural and thoroughly unaffected, without
either timidity or rustic bashfulness. She had, indeed, been treated
with uniform kindness, and with even a certain amount of respect, which
the fisherman and his family could not help feeling for her. Though the
dame had not failed in endeavouring to correct any faults she might have
exhibited, yet she had done so with that gentleness and firmness which
made the little girl sensible that her kind protectress did so for her
benefit alone. The dame found the task a very easy one, for Maiden May
rarely required a rebuke.

Still, though her voice was gentle, the child had caught the idiom and
pronunciation of the fisherman's family; but even in that respect there
was a natural refinement in the tone of her voice; and as Adam was a
God-fearing man, and had brought up his sons to fear God also, no coarse
language or objectionable expressions were ever heard in his cottage.
Indeed, more true refinement is oftener found among the lower classes
where religious principles exist than is generally supposed.

Miss Mary, after walking till she was tired, invited her young guest
into the house. Luncheon was placed on the table; Susan attended her
mistress and placed delicacies before May such as she had never before
tasted. In spite, however, of Susan's pressing invitations to take
more, she ate but sparingly, to the surprise of the kind woman, who
thought that the little fisher-girl would have done more justice to the
good things offered her.

"She has quite a young lady's appetite," she observed afterwards to Miss
Mary.

"That is not surprising, for a young lady she is, depend on that. It
will be a grievous pity if her relatives are not to be found," was the
answ