skip, and frisk round her, and would bleat most
piteously whenever Flora was obliged to leave her at home.

Baba, however, repaid the services of her little mistress in a more
substantial manner than that of merely dancing about her, for she
brought forth young lambs: those lambs grew up, and brought forth
others; so that, within the space of a few years, Flora had a very
capital stock, that furnished the whole family with food and raiment.
Such, my little readers, are the rewards which Providence bestows on
acts of goodness, tenderness, and humanity.

[Illustration]

THE FRUITFUL VINE

[Illustration]

It was in the beginning of the spring, when Mr. Jackson went to his
country-house, and took with him his little son Junius, in order to
treat him with a walk in the garden. The primroses and violets were then
displaying all their beauties, and many trees had begun to show what
livery they were soon to wear.

After walking some time about the garden, they happened to go into the
summer-house, at the foot of which grew the stump of a vine, which
twisted wildly, and extended its naked branches in a rude and irregular
manner. As soon as little Junius saw this tree, he exclaimed sadly
against the ugly appearance it made, and began to exert all his strength
to pull it up, but he found his efforts in vain, it being too well
rooted to yield to his weak arm. He begged his papa to call the gardener
to grub it up, and make firewood of it; but Mr. Jackson desired his son
to let the tree alone, telling him that he would in a few months give
him his reasons for not complying with his request.

This did not satisfy Junius, who desired his father to look at those
lively crocusses and snow-drops, saying, he could not see why that
barren stump should be kept, which did not produce a single green leaf.
He thought it spoiled and disfigured the garden, and therefore begged
his father would permit him to fetch the gardener to pluck it up.

Mr. Jackson, who could not think of granting him his request, told him,
that it must stand as it then was, at least for some time to come.
Little Junius still persisted in his entreaties, urging how disgraceful
it was to the garden; but his father diverted his attention from the
vine, by turning the conversation.

It so happened, that Mr. Jackson's affairs called him to a different
part of the country, from whence he did not return till the middle of
autumn. He no sooner came home, than he