very quietly, put things in
their right places. Even that would make her feel better; for nobody
can be quite comfortable in the midst of confusion."

"Oh! I can do all that, mother." And light beamed in the child's
countenance. "It's nothing very hard."

"No; you can do all this with little effort; and yet, trifling as
the act may seem, dear, it will do Mrs. Elder good: and you will
have the pleasing remembrance of a kind deed. A child's hand is
strong enough to lift a feather from an inflamed wound, even though
it lack the surgeon's skill." The mother said these last words half
herself.

And now they were at the door of Mrs. Elder's unattractive cottage,
and the mother and child passed in. Aggy had not overdrawn the
picture when she said that everything was poor and mean; and
disorder added to the unattractive appearance of the room in which
the sick woman lay.

"I'm sorry to find you no better," said Mrs. Markland, after making
a few inquiries of the sick woman.

"I shall never be any better, I'm afraid," was the desponding
answer.

"Never! Never is a long day, as the proverb says. Did you ever hear
of a night that had no morning?" There was a cheerful tone and
manner about Mrs Markland that had its effect; but, ere replying,
Mrs. Elder's dim eyes suddenly brightened, as some movement in the
room attracted her attention.

"Bless the child! Look at her!" And the sick woman glanced toward
Aggy, who, bearing in mind her mother's words, was already busying
herself in the work of bringing order out of disorder.

"Look at the dear creature!" added Mrs. Elder, a glow of pleasure
flushing her countenance, a moment before so pale and sad.

Unconscious of observation, Aggy, with almost a woman's skill, had
placed first the few old chairs that were in the room, against the
wall, at regular distances from each other. Then she cleared the
littered floor of chips, pieces of paper, and various articles that
had been left about by the untidy girl who was Mrs. Elder's only
attendant, and next straightened the cloth on the table, and
arranged the mantel-piece so that its contents no longer presented
an unsightly aspect.

"Where is the broom, Mrs. Elder?" inquired the busy little one,
coming now to the bedside of the invalid.

"Never mind the broom, dear; Betsy will sweep up the floor when she
comes in," said Mrs. Elder. "Thank you for a kind, good little girl.
You've put a smile on every thing in the room. What a grand