."

"Oh dear, I don't like to! I s'pect you think I don't try to be good;
but, mamma, I do! I try real hard. But," said the little girl, patting
her chest and her side, "there's something in me that's naughty clear
through."

The tears had come now and were dropping over the little fat hands, for
in spite of her queer way of talking, Flaxie felt really unhappy about
her bad conduct; though perhaps nobody but her mother would have
believed it.

These two good friends had a long talk,--the kind mamma and her little
daughter who meant to do better,--and when Ninny came to call them to
dinner, Flaxie said, joyfully,

"O Ninny, I'm going to begin new, and you mustn't 'member I ever was
naughty."

That was the way Mrs. Gray forgave her children; she put their
naughtiness far off and never talked of it any more. Is that the way God
forgives _his_ children?

After this, Flaxie was one of the most charming little girls you ever
saw for two whole months. She said it was because Mrs. Prim was gone;
but of course it was simply because she tried harder to be good; that
was all. Toward the last of the winter, Uncle Ben Allen, Milly's
father, passed through Laurel Grove on business, and spent the night at
Dr. Gray's.

"When I go home to-morrow," said he, "I'd like to take one of these
little girls. Have you one to spare?"

Now he knew very well which he wanted, but it wouldn't have been polite
to say so; he wanted Julia. He had always admired her gentle ways, and
her sweet patience with her trying sister Flaxie, and had often told his
wife that he loved Julia because she was "like a little candle." Perhaps
you will know what he meant, for I dare say you have learned these lines
at Sabbath school:

"Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light,
Like a little candle burning in the night;
In this world of darkness so we must shine,
You in your small corner, and I in mine."

But just because Julia _was_ such a beautiful little candle, her mother
couldn't spare her from home just now; it was much easier to spare
Flaxie.

Uncle Ben tried to look delighted when he heard Flaxie was going; but it
was not till her valise had been packed and she stood by the window
prepared for the journey, that he happened to remember it wasn't a good
time to take her to Hilltop, for Milly was gone!

This was a blow! Flaxie winked hard, trying not to cry.

"That is," said Uncle Ben, "perhaps she is gone. When I left home, a
w