The empty basket was now brought in, and the servant said, If you please, Sir, this case was thrown in the basket amongst the dead leaves.

It was Anna's morocco case, and on opening it I found the picture within.

You saw this picture yesterday, Jane?
Yes, Sir.

That young lady has forgotten it; what will she do now to remember her father?

She can remember her father without it, Sir. If you please, may I take my baskets, Sir? Are you in a hurry, Jane?

Yes, Sir, if you please to excuse me, my mother wants me back as soon as I can.

I immediately took out the fruit, and giving her back her baskets, said, Make haste then, my little girl.

She dropped a curtesey as she said, Yes, Sir, thank you, Sir; and I saw her from my window running homewards, looking neither to the right hand nor the left; and I could not help saying, Certainly, Mary is right in calling this little girl a dear little girl.

The morocco case seemed to point out an opportunity, and as there was still time, I put it in my pocket, intending to take it to its owner; and on my way called on Maria to accompany me in my visit; her parents cheerfully granted her to my care, and we proceeded.

We found Anna deeply engaged with her mother in examining a box of curious things, which seemed to be a new possession, and she

called us to the table to examine them with her. As she unwrapt the several articles she said,

Papa was disappointed that he could not reach home so soon as he expected, and he has sent me all these things to please me till he does come; see, Maria, what pretty things they are. She ran on for some time in terms of admiration; but she was evidently looking for some other thing, which did not meet her eye; at last, in a pouting disappointment, she struck the side of the box with her finger, saying,

Provoking papa! he has not kept his word.

Maria was engaged in examining some shells, and appealed at that moment to Anna, This is a very beautiful shell; do you know its name?

O, never mind the shell, she answered, I have no pleasure at all now in any thing; it was very provoking of papa to forget what he promised. Perhaps he will bring it with him, Maria answered.

I shall not care about it then.

No, you

will have your papa himself. Anna threw herself down in her chair; O, I don't care for any thing now.

No, but you will then, Anna.

No, I shan't; I dare say he has forgotten it altogether.

Maria looked somewhat shocked, and as if to recall good feelings, she said, Oh! you had better look again at your beautiful picture, and when you see those eyes, and that mouth that

smiled so sweetly, you will think of nothing but your dear papa!

Anna rather started, My picture! O that's true, my picture! what have I done with it? You have it in your breast, most likely, said Maria.

My breast! no. What have I done with it? It will be very ridiculous if I get the chain and have lost the picture; what can I have done with it? She emptied her work-box, turned over her writing-desk ;-all in vain. What can I have done with it? I will go and look in my drawers; and she went out in great haste.

Poor Anna! exclaimed Maria, what will she do if she has lost her papa's picture: I wish I could help her to find it ;-and addressing herself to Mrs. Aston, said, Would you give me leave to follow Anna, to help her to search?

Certainly, my love; you know the way. Mrs. Aston and I were now left alone. She had a countenance of painful anxiety, and sighing, said to me,

Anna is a very good child on the whole, but there is a disposition in her I cannot correct. We can never obtain her obedience to our desires for her instruction, but by some artifice in the way of a bribe; promise to give her any thing, and she will then do any thing; and having now found our anxiety by our indulgence, she fails not to make her advantage of it. That picture she seems to have lost, was given to bribe her to apply her mind to overcome a

difficulty she met with in arithmetic; no persuasion could prevail to make her try to work out a sum in long division, until she extorted the promise; and the gold chain was to be given in order to induce her to learn a piece of music of which her father is extremely fond. I begin to think our system is a bad one; and as she has not perfected herself in the music, I requested her father not to send the chain; he has complied with this, but you perceive he has endeavored to soften the disappointment by a profusion of other presents; and I do think, if the truth were known, that he did not like to return without the chain, and encounter the refractory behavior of his own child. The tears flowed from her eyes as she spoke, and a bitter sigh expressed the feelings of her heart at the thought of her child's disobedience.

At this moment the two girls returned.
I can't find it any where, mamma.

I am sorry for it.

What shall I do?

Perhaps if you wait a little patiently, you may remember where you last had it.

Do you think papa will bring the chain?
I do not know.

How vexatious! well, never mind, she continued, with an air that expressed her determination to shake off the disagreeable recollection, when papa sees me so very sorry, he will buy me something else to hang upon it; perhaps a garnet cross; Amelia had a beautiful garnet

cross.

O, said Maria, that would not be papa's pic ture! The chain would be good for nothing without the picture of your papa; if you do not find the picture you will not want the chain.

I do not know that, Maria: a gold chain is a pretty thing of itself, and you know it is always ready for any thing.

Anna! for any thing! Well, I had rather have this lock of my papa's hair, wrapt up in this bit of paper, taking it out of her breast, and kissing, and then returning it, than I would have any thing on a gold chain.

Anna was silent, and looked rather ashamed. I thought it a good opportunity to prolong the present interview, by proposing to Mrs. Aston to accompany me and Maria as far as her home; adding, I think it will help to dissipate the melancholy Anna feels from the loss of her papa's picture.

Anna felt that I had a meaning not favorable, but was glad to put it off by readiness to be of the party; and Mrs. Aston seemed to meet the proposal as an alleviation of the oppression which weighed upon her own mind.

The evening was fine, and the breeze refreshing after a hot day, and we were soon at Mrs. Bennet's; who was strolling in the grounds, waiting for the return of her daughter, and we all sat down on a rural seat that was near.

The young people did not seem desirous to leave us, for they had somehow lost the feeling of congeniality; and Anna had evidently not risen in the estimation of Maria, of whose cha