eir service, and the excellence of Sam.
There was certainly a charm in her manners, for Ethel forgot her charge
of ingratitude, the other sisters were perfectly taken with her, nor
could they any of them help giving credence to her asseverations that
Jenny and Polly should come to school next Sunday.

They soon formed another acquaintance; a sharp-faced woman stood in
their path, with a little girl in her hand, and arrested them with a low
curtsey, and not a very pleasant voice, addressing herself to Flora,
who was quite as tall as Richard, and appeared the person of most
consequence.

"If you please, miss, I wanted to speak to you. I have got a little girl
here, and I want to send her to school, only I have no shoes for her."

"Why, surely, if she can run about here on the heath, she can go to
school," said Flora.

"Oh! but there is all the other children to point at her. The poor thing
would be daunted, you see, miss; if I could but get some friend to give
her a pair of shoes, I'd send her in a minute. I want her to get some
learning; as I am always saying, I'd never keep her away, if I had
but got the clothes to send her in. I never lets her be running on the
common, like them Halls, as it's a shame to see them in nice frocks, as
Mrs. Hall got by going hypercriting about."

"What is your name?" said Richard, cutting her short.

"Watts, if you please, sir; we heard there was good work up here, sir,
and so we came; but I'd never have set foot in it if I had known what a
dark heathenish place it is, with never a Gospel minister to come near
it," and a great deal more to the same purpose.

Mary whispered to Flora something about having outgrown her boots, but
Flora silenced her by a squeeze of the hand, and the two friends of
Cocksmoor felt a good deal puzzled.

At last Flora said, "You will soon get her clothed if she comes
regularly to school on Sundays, for she will be admitted into the club;
I will recommend her if she has a good character and comes regularly.
Good-morning, Mrs. Watts. Now we must go, or it will be dark before we
get home." And they walked hastily away.

"Horrid woman!" was Ethel's exclamation.

"But Flora," said innocent Mary, "why would you not let me give the
little girl my boots?"

"Perhaps I may, if she is good and comes to school, said Flora.

"I think Margaret ought to settle what you do with your boots," said
Richard, not much to Flora's satisfaction.

"It is the same," she sa