rs. Evans had been ailing all the long cold winter, and as Spring began
to approach, she drooped more and more, until her husband and her
friends feared she would die. Then Dr. Phelps advised a short journey to
Florida and Mexico. He said she needed sea-air, and change, and flowers.
So it was settled that she should attempt it.

The children were having a frolic in the play-room while this talk had
been going on. Johnnie and Mabel had been arranging a little basket of
fruit for their mother, oranges, apples and grapes, and now they were
disputing as to which should present it to her.

"I ought to, I'm the oldest," said Johnnie. "I'm the biggest and the
strongest, and I will take it in to mamma myself."

"The bigger and the stronger ought to yield to the smaller and the
weaker," said a sweet voice. The children looked round, and saw a little
lady whom they all liked. She was Miss Simms, the dressmaker. Her face
was as round as an apple, she had two bright black eyes, and when she
laughed the dimples seemed to chase each other over her cheeks.

"I'm so glad you've come," said Mabel, running away from the fruit to
put her two fat arms as far round Miss Simms as they would reach.

"I am glad, too; it's jolly," said Johnnie. "But I'd like to know why
you think the bigger ought to give up to the littler. That's what I
can't understand. In the history books they never do it. The strong
always whip the weak."

"Well," said Miss Simms, "I'm not much of a scholar, and I've never read
many history books, as you call them, Master Johnnie; but I've read my
Bible, and I get my learning out of that. I'll tell you some of my
verses, and you can see what you make of them.

"'Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee
turn not thou away.'

"'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.'

"'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of
God.'

"'All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even
so to them, for this is the law and the prophets.'

"There," finished Miss Simms, "if that is the law and the prophets,
Johnnie, oughtn't you to give up to Mabel and Edith, once in a while?"

"I don't ask him to very often," said Edith.

"Well, I do!" said Mabel.

"Yes, Miss Simms, I believe I ought to, more'n I have," said Johnnie,
quite earnestly. "I'm bound to be a gentleman; and a gentleman is always
polite to the ladies. I've seen that with father