friend to a pew, at the door of which she
met her sister face to face. There was a sudden exclamation of joy on
Mary's part, and an attempt to throw her arms around Ella's neck, but
the little girl drew back, and merely offering her hand, said, "Oh,
it's you, isn't it? I didn't know you, you looked so queer."

"Heavens! what a head-dress! Big as our carriage top any day!" was the
next exclamation which reached Mary's ear, as Rose Lincoln brushed
past. Glancing from her sister to Rose, Mary half determined to tear
the bonnet from her head and trample it under her feet, but Jenny
softly squeezed her hand, and whispered, "Don't mind what Rose says; I
love you, and so does Billy Bender. I saw him in the village
yesterday, and asked him if he didn't, and he said he did."

It required more than Billy Bender's love to soothe Mary then. Her
sister's cool reception, so different from what she had anticipated,
had stung her heart; and sitting down near the door, she burst into a
passionate fit of tears. Jenny, who was really distressed,
occasionally pressed her hand in token of sympathy, at the same time
offering her cloves, peanuts and sugar-plums. There was a brighter
flush, too, than usual, on Ella's cheek, for she knew that she had
done wrong, and she so jumbled together the words of her lesson, that
the teacher made her repeat it twice, asking her what was the matter.

By the time Sabbath school was over, Mary had dried her tears; and
determining to make one more advance towards her sister, she said,
"Won't you go to mother's grave with me? I want to tell you about
little Allie. I have taught her to call your name most as plain as _I_
can."

Ella looked down at her embroidered pantalets, and hanging her head on
one side, said, "Oh, it's so dusty. I'm afraid I'll get all dirt,--and
hot, too. Mamma doesn't like to have me get hot."

"Why not?" asked Jenny, who always wished to know the reason of
things.

"'Cause it makes folks' skin rough, and break out," was Ella's reply.

"Oh, pshaw!" returned Jenny, with a vain attempt to turn up her little
bit of a nose. "I play every day till I am most roasted, and my skin
ain't half as rough as yours. But say, will you go with Mary? for if
you don't I shall!"

"I guess I won't," said Ella, and then, anxious to make Mary feel a
little comfortable, she added, "Mamma says Mary's coming to see me
before long, and then we'll have a real good time. I've lots of pretty
things--two si