has never been gifted either
with quickness or strength, I have every reason," observed Mr. Learning,
"to be satisfied with what she has done."

"And what a beautiful bird; and how tame!" cried Dame Desley, as
Content, recognizing a friend, hopped lightly down to her finger.

"That was the gift of my dear friend, Duty," said Nelly.

"A friend whom you cannot prize too much, or follow too closely,"
observed her mother.

"Here she comes herself!" cried Nelly in joyful surprise, "and sweet
Affection behind her! They have doubtless come here to-day to welcome
home my dear mother."

The meeting was a very joyous one. Duty and Affection had for many years
been the valued friends of Dame Desley.

After the first words of greeting had passed between them, Affection
inquired whether the dame had seen the gardens of her daughters, and
looked at their needlework plants.

"Not yet, but I am going to examine them," replied the mother.

"Let us all come together!" said Duty.

With a very low bow of respect, Mr. Learning offered his arm to the
noble maiden; Affection rested one hand on Dame Desley's, and, smiling,
held out the other to Nelly; Lubin and Matty followed behind--the boy
somewhat sulky and sad, but the girl with reviving spirits. Matty was a
little jealous of the praises which her sister had received; but she
expected in the garden, if not in the cottage, to be found far superior
to poor, lame Nelly.

The gardens of Nelly and Matty were divided from each other only by a
box-hedge, which was scarcely three inches high. The party, though
entering from Nelly's back-door, went immediately into the garden of her
sister, as Dame Desley thought that it was right to attend first to that
of the elder.

Both gardens won a fair meed of praise. Matty, as has before been
mentioned, happened to be fond of geographical flowers; and while the
arrangement of the two gardens was equally neat and correct, Matty had
certainly a larger number of countries and capitals to display.

"I should not wonder," whispered Matty to Lubin, "if I were to win the
silver crown of Success after all."

Lubin's only answer was a sigh; for he knew that he had lost all chance
of getting the prize.

"And now for the needlework plants," said Dame Desley, approaching the
garden-wall.

Every one uttered an exclamation of pleasure on beholding Matty's
beautiful creeper. Ripe fruits, with rosy down like that upon the peach,
hung on its twining boug