had not counted upon that. 'What's a simple body?' says he,
turning over to the first page of a book that was near him. 'A simple
body,' says I; 'why, that is my sister Matty, for she's hand and glove
with Miss Folly.'"

"O Dick, how could you speak so?" cried Matty.

"I set the old fellow laughing, and then, of course, I got everything my
own way. I told him that I did not want science but fireworks, and that
I knew that he had them in lots. I wished something that would go
hissing, and fizzing, and whizzing, and astonish and dazzle beholders.
To make a long story short, I carried off all that I wanted; and I
invite you both this evening to see my grand firework display."

"It will be delightful--quite charming," cried Matty; "and my darling
Miss Folly to be there!"

"Miss Folly and Pride too," said Dick; "but what makes our Nelly so
solemn and grave?" he added, clapping the lame girl on the shoulder.

"O Dick, I should like much--very much--to see your fireworks, but I
cannot--indeed, I cannot--go to meet Folly and Pride."

"What nonsense!" exclaimed Dick, impatiently; "if they're good enough
company for us, they're surely good enough company for you."

"Both my dear mother and Duty have warned me against such companions; I
may not go where they go."

"Stay at home then--no one wants you!" exclaimed Dick, who, puffed up as
he was by self-confidence, could not endure the slightest opposition.
"Set yourself up for a model child--lame, plain, and stupid as you are."

Poor Nelly's heart swelled as if it would burst at such undeserved
rudeness from her brother. She returned, however, no angry word, but
silently and quietly quitted the place. Her eyes were so much dimmed by
tears, that she could scarcely see her way back to her own little
cottage.

"It was a shame in me to speak so to Nelly," exclaimed Dick, who
repented of his unkind speech almost as soon as he had uttered it.

"You had better tell her so," said Matty, who, though frivolous and
careless, was not an ill-natured girl.

Dick turned to follow Nelly, and would doubtless have made all things
smooth with his sister, had he not met dark Pride at the door.

Ah, dear reader, have you never been stopped by Pride when going to beg
forgiveness of one to whom you knew that you had done a wrong, and
especially when that injured party was younger and less clever than
yourself?

Dick would not _demean_ himself, as he called it, in the presence of
watchful