ore she was to start. Miss Abigail had finished
all that she had to do; she had bidden Ruby good-by, with a long
lecture upon how she ought to behave when she was at school, so as to
set a good example to her school-mates, and reflect credit upon her
father and mother and the training they had given her, and then she had
concluded by giving Ruby something that I am afraid she valued much
more than the advice,--a pretty little house-wife, of red silk, which
she had made for her, with everything in it that Ruby would need if she
wanted to take any stitches.

When Ruby saw it she was sorry that she had twisted about so much, and
showed so plainly how impatient she was growing of the long talk which
preceded it.

Then Miss Abigail had tied on her large black bonnet, and Ruby had
watched her going down the road with a sense of relief that there would
be no more fitting of dresses, with cold fingers and still colder
scissors, and no more lectures upon good behavior. However, she was so
pleased and surprised by the pretty gift that she felt more kindly
towards Miss Abigail than she would have believed it possible.

Ruby's old dresses had been made over until they looked just like new
ones, and the last stitches had been taken in her new ones, and little
white ruffles were basted in the necks, so that they were all ready to
put on. Everything had been carefully folded up and packed in her
trunk,--not only her clothes, but the little farewell gifts that her
friends had brought her.

She had a nice pencil-box, filled with pencils and pen-holders, two
penwipers, as well as a box of the dearest little note-paper, just the
right size for her to write upon, with her initial "R" at the top of
the paper.

Orpah had brought her a mysterious box, carefully tied up in paper,
which she had made Ruby promise that she would not open until she
unpacked her trunk at school; so that gave Ruby something nice to look
forward to when she should reach her journey's end.

Ruby had fully intended to take her kitten with her, and she was very
much disappointed when Aunt Emma told her that that was one of the
things she would have to leave behind her.

Ann promised to take the very best care of Tipsey, and that promise
comforted Ruby somewhat, although she still wished that she might take
her pet with her.

It was not until the last evening came that Ruby fully realized that
she was going away to leave her papa and mamma the next day. The