l; but she
worked from no regard to Duty, and whenever she felt a little tired, she
threw down her spade, and went to amuse herself with touching her new
tambourine, or blowing bubbles of Fancy with Folly. Yet, upon the whole,
Matty's garden was fair and pleasant to behold.

Nelly, who was lame, and had little strength for hard work, found
gardening a serious task. It took her long to lay out the plots, long to
plant the box hedges; and watering the cities, and keeping the ground
clear of weeds seemed an endless business to Nelly. Yet cheerfully and
bravely she worked, while, perched on a bush beside her, the beautiful
bird Content poured forth enlivening lays. The harder she laboured, the
louder sang he; and whenever she glanced up from her task, she saw the
gleam of his silver wing reflecting the sunshine from heaven.

"Oh, dear little bird!" cried Nelly, "with what a song will you welcome
my mother, who will soon return to us now. How she will stroke your soft
feathers, and delight in your cheerful lay! Then, perhaps, thoughtful
Duty and sweet Affection will come and remain as my guests, and fill my
home with peace and with gladness when chill winter darkens around. Oh,
how happily shall we all then gather around our blazing Christmas fire!"

It seems strange that so kind and gentle a child as Nelly should ever
have an enemy; but she was certainly an object of envy and dislike both
to Miss Folly and Pride.

"I hate that sober, sensible little minx, who is always thinking of
Affection and Duty," said Miss Folly one day to Pride, as they were
walking in a thicket together, just as the damp evening mist was
beginning to fall.

"I hate her heartily," muttered Pride between his clenched teeth; "for
she not only shuts her own door against me, but tries with all the power
that she has to weaken my influence with her brothers and sister. She
has not succeeded, and she shall not; but I never forget a wrong, and
I'd give anything in the world to be able to spite and vex her."

"It drives me wild to hear that bird of hers always singing so gaily!"
cried Folly.

"Could we not wring its neck?" exclaimed Pride.

"We dare not so much as touch it without her leave," said Miss Folly,
shaking her peacock plume with vexation; "and yet I'd rather make myself
a head-dress of its feathers than of those of any other bird of the
air."

"We'll get hold of it, and kill it without mercy!" cried ugly Pride,
grinding his teeth as he s