mates, were the fears of Mabel at all likely to be
realised, as instead of having to listen to a sermon, or details of old
and sick people, she and Clara were walked off by Robert and Edith
Newlove, to see the rabbits, and the ringdoves, and the poultry in their
respective habitations.

'How beautiful they are--- how very beautiful!' said Clara, speaking of
the ringdoves; 'and so gentle too--they don't fight and squabble like my
hens do over a few grains of wheat.'

'Oh, they can peck one another sometimes,' said Edith; 'but they are
not noisy about it like the fowls.'

'And my rabbits are not at all noisy either,' said Robert; 'but the buck
can be very cruel, for if we don't take care he makes nothing of eating
up one or two of the little ones.'

'Horrid creatures!' said Mabel. 'I shall never like rabbits again; it is
quite shocking.'

'It would indeed be quite shocking if they knew better,' replied Robert;
'but they don't, so we must try to prevent them from acting cruelly. And
after all,' he added, 'it is not half so bad as boys and girls doing
wrong when they know better; yet we should not say of them that we
should never like them again, should we, Miss Mabel?'

'No, I suppose not,' said the conscience stricken girl, as she found
herself standing before the fowls' house, which was the very model of
Clara's, and indeed had been made by the same industrious hands, namely
those of poor Simmons, who was now, and had been for months, lying on
the bed of languishing.

'You see the fowls are all gone to roost,' said Edith; 'the dear little
chicks are under their mother's wing. I do wish you could have seen
them; there are ten such beauties!'

'Oh, I have got twelve,' cried Clara; 'and in a few days' time I expect
we shall have twelve more, if Dame Partlet is as fortunate as Netty. Do
come and see them, Edith dear, next week. Think what a family I, or
rather Aunt, will have to provide for--twenty-four!'

This was indeed not only counting the chickens before they were hatched,
but not counting on misfortunes to those that were already hatched, and
Mabel did not feel at all comfortable at the turn the conversation had
taken; she was not sorry, therefore, when the servant came to say that
Miss Livesay thought it time to go home.

Of course the summons was immediately obeyed, and with very kind adieus,
the friends, old and young, separated; Aunt Mary observing that 'they
must walk rather quicker in returning home t