so on were such nice, useful gifts. And perhaps I should
have mentioned before, that godmother did not forget the little people
at Northclough Vicarage at Christmas, something useful was sure to come
then, for she was great aunt to them all as well as godmother to one.

But before nurse had time to speak, the door opened and the children's
mother came in. They were at breakfast in the day nursery by this time.
She had a bright smile on her face and a small parcel in her hand.

"Good morning, darlings, to you all," she said, "and many, many happy
returns to my Pansy. Papa told me to kiss you for him too, he won't be
in till dinner-time I'm afraid. There now, a kiss for him and one for
myself," Pansy was in her mother's arms long before this, "_and_ a
present from godmother."

Mamma sat down on the nursery rocking-chair as she spoke, and laid the
parcel on her knee, and Pansy, stooping down beside her, began to undo
the string which fastened it.

"Is it not a useful present this time, mamma?" she asked, for certainly
it did not look like a hat or a frock, or a hamper of china.

"I hope you will think it so," said her mother smiling, "and pretty
too."

"A _book_," exclaimed the little girl, "and oh, yes, it _is_ a very
pretty one. And oh, mamma, it's _two_ books, in a 'loverly'"--Pansy
still said some words rather funnily--"case, all red leather, and, oh!
my own name, 'Pansy,' _how_ nice! What can they be? A prayer-book and a
hymn-book, with such beautiful big letters, and 'reds' in the
prayer-book. How I wish it was Sunday, for me to take them to church."

She was truly delighted--her little face all rosy with pleasure. Mamma
could not resist giving her another kiss.

"You will take the greatest care of them, I know, dear," she said. "And
now I have only a very tiny present from papa and me," and she held out
a bright new shilling. "You may buy _anything_ you like with it, dear."

This was delightful news. What between her pride in her beautiful
"church books," as she called them, and thinking over what her shilling
would buy, the little girl had hard work to eat her breakfast that
morning, even though, in honour of the birthday, it was an extra nice
one.

[Illustration]

You will think I am a very long time getting to _the_ "pansy," which
gives its name to this little story, but we are coming to it now.

There was a great consultation held in Pansy's room, and this was what
the children decided; sixpence s