home, both heart and step were lighter.

The lady whose benevolent feelings had prompted her to the
performance of this little act of kindness, could not help
remembering the woman's grateful look. She had not done much--not
more than it was every one's duty to do; but the recollection of
even that was pleasant, far more pleasant than could possibly have
been Mrs. Mier's self-gratulations at having saved ten cents on her
purchase of five boxes of strawberries, notwithstanding the
assurance of the poor woman who vended them, that, at the reduced
rate, her profit on the whole would only be two cents and a half.

After dinner Mrs. Mier went out and spent thirty dollars in
purchasing jewelry for her eldest daughter, a young lady not yet
eighteen years of age. That evening, at the tea-table, the
strawberries were highly commended as being the largest and most
delicious in flavor of any they had yet had; in reply to which, Mrs.
Mier stated, with an air of peculiar satisfaction, that she had got
them for eight cents a box, when they were worth at least ten cents.

"The woman asked me ten cents," she said, "but I offered her eight,
and she took them."

While the family of Mrs. Mier were enjoying their pleasant repast,
the strawberry-woman sat at a small table, around which were
gathered three young children, the oldest but six years of age. She
had started out in the morning with thirty boxes of strawberries,
for which she was to pay seven and a half cents a box. If all had
brought the ten cents a box, she would have made seventy-five cents;
but such was not the case. Rich ladies had beaten her down in her
price--had chaffered with her for the few pennies of profits to
which her hard labor entitled her--and actually robbed her of the
meager pittance she strove to earn for her children. Instead of
realizing the small sum of seventy-five cents, she had cleared only
forty-five cents. With this she bought a little Indian meal and
molasses for her own and her children's supper and breakfast.

As she sat with her children, eating the only food she was able to
provide for them, and thought of what had occurred during the day, a
feeling of bitterness toward her kind came over her; but the
remembrance of the kind words, and the glass of cool water, so
timely and thoughtfully tendered to her, was like leaves in the
waters of Marah. Her heart softened, and with the tears stealing to
her eyes, she glanced upward, and asked a blessin