ou
and read to you, and do everything for you. Do not be unhappy, dear
grandmamma, we will all be your own children."

The old lady was scarcely able to speak, but she murmured to herself:

"Yes, my God is good, I am not left without comfort."

"Stand back, my dears," said Mrs. Fairchild, "and let your grandmamma
look at you quietly--you overpower her."

They drew back. The old lady wiped away a tear or two which dimmed her
sight, and then, with a gentle smile, she looked first at Lucy.

"She has the oval face and gentle look so dear to me," said the old
lady; "this is Lucy. Will Lucy love me?"

The little girl, being thus called upon, fell again on grandmamma's
neck, and quite sobbed with feeling; she soon, however, recovered
herself, and pointing to her sister:

"This is Emily, grandmamma," she said.

"Another Emily!" replied the old lady, "I am rich indeed!" and, fixing
her eyes on the younger little girl, "I could almost think I had my
child again. Daughter," she added, speaking to Mrs. Fairchild, "do my
eyes deceive me? Is there not a likeness? But your little girls are
such exactly as I fondly wished them to be. And this is Henry, our
youngest one;" and she took his hand in hers, and said, "Did you expect
to see grandmamma looking so very old, my little man?"

"No, ma'am," replied Henry, "not quite so old;" and the little boy made
a bow, thinking how very civil he ought to be to his own father's
mother.

"He does not mean to be rude, ma'am," said Lucy.

"I see it, my dear," replied the old lady, smiling. "Do not, I pray
you, say anything to destroy his honesty--the world will soon enough
teach him to use deception."

Henry did not understand all this, but fearing, perhaps, to lose his
place as grandmamma's horse, he took the occasion to ask if he might
not be her horse.

"What is it, my child?" said the old lady.

"May I be your horse, ma'am?" he said.

"My horse?" repeated the old lady, looking for an explanation from
Lucy; and when she had got it, she made him quite happy by assuring him
that no horse could please her better.

She did not drink tea that evening with the family, and went very early
to bed; but having seen them all that evening, she was ready to meet
them more calmly in the morning, and quite prepared to rejoice in the
blessing of having such grandchildren to make up her losses.

Great Changes

[Illustration: "Here, ma'am, you can gather any you like"]

Henry arose