heart went out
toward this hard-worked, womanly little thing. It seemed so pitiful
that so young a child, who ought to be still at play, should already
know about hard times, and have begun to fight the battle of life. A
year ago she had thought of taking just such a girl to save steps, and
for the sake of having somebody in the house; but it never could be
more out of the question than now. "What made you come to me?"

"Mr. Rand, at the post-office, told aunt that perhaps you might want
me: he couldn't think of anybody else."

She was such a neat-looking, well-mended child, and looked Miss
Catherine in the face so honestly! She might cry a little after she
was outside the gate, but not now.

"I'm really sorry," said Miss Spring; "but you see, I'm thinking about
shutting my house up this summer." She would not allow to herself that
it was for any longer. "But you keep up a good heart. I know a good
many folks, and perhaps I can hear of a place for you. I suppose you
could mind a baby, couldn't you? No: you sit still a minute!" as the
child thanked her, and rose to go away; and she went out to her
dining-room closet to a deep jar, and took out two of her best
pound-cakes, which she made so seldom now, and saved with great care.
She put these on a pretty pink-and-white china plate, and filled a mug
with milk. "Here," said she, as she came back, "I want you to eat
these cakes. You have walked a long ways, and it'll do you good. Sit
right up to the table, and I'll spread a newspaper over the cloth."

Katy looked at her with surprise and gratitude. "I'm very much
obliged," said she; and her first bite of the cake seemed the most
delicious thing she had ever tasted.

Yes, I suppose bread and butter would have been quite as good for her,
and much less extravagant on Miss Catherine's part; but of all the
people who had praised her pound-cakes, nobody had so delighted in
their goodness as this hungry little girl, who had hardly ever eaten
any thing but bread all her days, and not very good bread at that.

"Don't hurry," said Miss Spring kindly, "you're a good girl, and I
wish I could take you,--I declare I do." And, with a little sigh, she
sat down by the window again, and took up the much-neglected sewing,
looking up now and then at her happy guest. When she saw the mug was
empty, and that Katy looked at it wistfully as she put it down, she
took it without a word, and went to the shelf in the cellar-way where
the cream-