th blue flowers all over it, and the other with pink
ones. Jessie thought them both perfectly lovely, and while they were
being chosen she slid off her chair and went and leaned against her
grandmother. She did not feel at all afraid of her now; she felt
that she wanted to kiss her for all her kindness, and to tell her how
grateful she was. She did not do that, she was still too shy, but
Mrs. Dawson seemed to understand, for she put her arm very fondly
about her, and drew her very close.

"Now, if only you could sew," she said, "you'd be able to help me
finely with all this, but I s'pose I shall get it done somehow. I
must let other things go for the time."

Jessie longed eagerly to be able to help, but she couldn't sew at
all, she had never even tried. She thought, though, that she might
be able to do some of the other things granny mentioned, and she made
up her mind to do her best. She wouldn't say anything to any one,
but she would try, and she grew quite excited at the thought.

"I wish mother knew," she sighed presently, when the assistant had
gone off to get the boots for her to try on. "Mother tried to get me
a new hat, but she hadn't got any money. She would be so glad to
know what lots of nice new things I am having." Then, as she saw the
girl approaching from a distant part of the shop, she put up her arm
to draw her grandmother's head down to her own level. "Mother cried
when she sent me away," she whispered solemnly, "because she couldn't
get me any new clothes."

When the assistant reached them again, with her arms full of boots,
she found Mrs. Dawson rubbing her eyes and nose violently with her
large white cotton handkerchief.

"You haven't got a cold, I hope," the girl asked sympathetically, but
Mrs. Dawson reassured her.

After the boots had been fitted, a pair of felt slippers was brought
and added to the collection; then sundry yards of calico and flannel,
and brown holland, some stockings, and what Jessie thought the most
wonderful of all, a pair of cotton gloves and some little
handkerchiefs with coloured borders.

By the time all this was done both Mrs. Dawson and Jessie felt that
they had had enough shopping for one day. "And if I have forgotten
anything, well, Norton isn't so far off but what we can come again,"
laughed Mrs. Dawson, refusing to listen to anything the
pleasant-faced girl tried to tempt her with.

"Shawls, umbrellas, caps, sheets--"

"No, none of them, thank