ying in her cot, the doll always lay there too, for it was
the only thing which seemed to please her, all the time that she was
ill.

[Illustration]

One day, when I wanted to go into her room as I had been used to do,
they told me she was dead. I saw her when she was laid in her little
coffin. She was pale, and so very cold. There were some flowers lying on
her pillow, and a rose-bud in each little hand. The soul of the dear
baby was gone to God; and her body was laid in a grave, under the yew
tree in the churchyard.

_Ellen._ Oh! dear mamma, how sad you must have felt! What should I do if
our dear baby were to die?

_Mamma._ I did indeed feel sad, and after that time I could never bear
to play with my pretty doll, for the sight of it seemed to bring back my
grief again. So my mamma put it by with great care, and all the frocks
and other things that I had made. But only think, Ellen, what pain I
should have felt, if I had been unkind to my little sister when she
wished to have my doll. Should not all little girls try to be kind to
each other?

_Ellen._ I will try, mamma; and I am glad that I was not cross with
baby when she threw my doll upon the floor.

_Mamma._ I have not yet done with the story about my doll. It was put by
safe in a drawer, and lay there a great many years, and when I was grown
up, I used to look at it now and then. My mamma never gave it away. Can
you guess where it is now? And should you not like to see my pretty
Jessie?

_Ellen._ Yes, mamma, I should like to see her, indeed.

_Mamma._ Then after dinner we will take a walk, and pay a visit to
grandmamma, and we will ask her to show us the doll that came from the
fine old city so many long years ago.

_Ellen._ Thank you, mamma, that will be very nice. And may I play with
Jessie a little while, and walk with her round grandmamma's garden?

_Mamma._ You may, my love. And since baby, who did not know any better,
has broken your doll's face, it shall be put among her toys for her to
play with. And we will ask grandmamma to let Jessie come home with us.
You have been a kind little girl; and so, as I like to see you happy,
you shall have her for your own.

THE SHORT TEXT.

Have you ever seen a book of Short Texts in Short Words? It is a book
for a little child, and there is in it a very short and easy text for
every day in the year. A text means some words taken from the Bible,
which is God's own book, that he has given to teach u