a,
why do you come in so often with a light? you _invaluably_ wake me up
when you do."

Her mother rushed out of the room, light and all, to have a laugh over
the long word "invariably," which her little Sallie had heard somewhere,
and altered so comically, then returning, she kissed the little rosy
cheek, and said she really would not disturb her again if she wanted
anything ever so much; and with a kiss on the other cheek, as Sallie
said, to make it "_valance_," she bade her good night.

THE NEW LITTLE FRIEND.

"Oh! here is something from Aunt Fanny, which looks extremely
interesting," said the little mother one evening.

"Read it, do, please!" cried the children with sparkling eyes. "We will
work at our mittens harder than ever, for anything so very nice."

So the kind mother began as follows:

* * * * *

MY DEAR CHILDREN--

I must tell you what happened to me this morning--not for the first
time, to be sure; but as it always makes me just as happy, I might as
well call them all "first times."

I was very busy writing a ridiculous story for you about the Honorable
Mr. Kite, when a barouche full of ladies drove up to the door. As I was
sitting at the window, I could see them getting out. With them was a
lovely little girl.

"Oh!" said I to Sarah, my daughter, "what a darling little child is
coming here! I never saw her or the ladies before, and I am afraid they
have stopped at the wrong house."

But the front door bell rang, and a moment after the servant handed me
two cards. One was quite large and almost square. It had the name of a
lady upon it. The other was such a dear little card that I must give you
the exact pattern. Here it is--

[Illustration: Miss Annie Louisa Beckwith]

name and all; and when Maria handed it to me, she said, "Oh, ma'am! if
you could only see what a sweet little girl is down stairs! She took
this card out of a silver card case of about the same size as this, and
she smiled and skipped into the house as if she was _so_ pleased!"

You may be sure I was not long in going down to the parlor. I had hardly
got in the door when two little arms were round me, and a sweet voice
said, "Aunt Fanny;" and when I stooped down, I think I got at least
twenty kisses. Then one of the ladies took my hand, and told me how her
little daughter loved me, and, above all, loved "Lame Charley," because
she, like him, had been very ill for a long time, and his