seemed to be a sort of elf herself, happy, gay, and good, with
the power of making every one love her as she went singing and smiling
through the world. She wrote songs that people loved to sing, told tales
children delighted to read, and found so much wisdom, beauty, and music
everywhere, that it was very plain she understood the sweet language of
bird and flower, wind and water, and remembered all the lessons the
elves taught her.

V.

SUNSHINE, AND HER BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

[Illustration: Sunshine was a sweet creature, and a great comfort to her
mother.--PAGE 92.]

Once upon a time there was a very wise old spirit called Mother Nature,
who lived in a beautiful place, and had a large family of children, whom
she found it rather hard to manage. When they obeyed her, all went well;
but when they played pranks or quarrelled, everything was in confusion,
and all sorts of trouble came.

Sunshine, the eldest girl, was a sweet creature, always good, and a
great comfort to her mother at all seasons. So were South and West Winds
nice little girls; but Lightning, Thunder's twin sister, was very
naughty, and liked to do mischief. Snow, the fourth daughter, was a
cold, quiet spirit, fond of covering up the world with the nice white
sheets she kept folded away in the sky. Rain was always crying, East
Wind sulking, Thunder and Hail scolding and growling, and North Wind,
the biggest of the boys, went roaring and blustering about so fiercely
that every one ran before him, though his wholesome breath freshened the
world, and blew away much rubbish, which his gentle sisters could not
manage as they kept house.

"Now, my dears, I'm very tired and going to take a nap, so be good
children; do your tasks nicely, and wake me in March," said Mother
Nature, one November day, when her summer work was over, and her time
for rest had come.

"Yes, mamma," said Sunshine, as she tucked her up with a kiss. "I will
do my best to keep the girls busy and the boys in order. Have a good
sleep, and I'll call you in time for the spring work."

Then the old lady tied her night-cap over her ears, and dozed off quite
comfortably, while her good daughter, after a last smile at the frosty
world, went to her spinning, that there might be plenty of sunshine for
the next summer.

"It's my turn now, and I'll cry as much as I like, for mother isn't here
to stop me, and Sunny can't," said Rain; and down came floods of tears,
while his brother, Ea