arrived at the stable door, the pony, a beautiful little cream-coloured creature, soon drew their attention from other subjects. Ada was impatient for a ride. Margaret

stood by and admired.

"Margaret must have the first ride, she is the eldest," said Mr. Craven, drawing her forward as soon as the side saddle was adjusted, but Ada endeavoured to mount, and said that she would have the first. "I don't mind, papa," said Margaret, as her father attempted to pull Ada down. "I can have a ride afterwards."

"Aunt Ellen all over," murmured Mr. Craven to himself, but he allowed Ada to have the first ride nevertheless.

When they returned to the house Mrs. Craven was down and waiting breakfast for them. She kissed Margaret, and after asking her how she liked the new pony, bade her and Ada stand up together that she might see the difference in their height.

"Ada is nearly as tall as you, Margaret," said she, "although she is more than a year and a half younger. I am afraid you have a

habit of stooping, you have not begun dancing I can see."

Margaret replied that she had no dancing master at her aunt Ellen's, upon which her mother said that Ada had learned some time, and could already dance very well. "You must begin too," said she; "your new governess will be here next week: she is a very accomplished lady, and I hope you will both of you be good girls, and make the most of her instructions."

After breakfast, Ada, who seemed to delight in being of importance, took Margaret all over the grounds, then into the different parts of the house. "And now," said she, "we will go upstairs, and I will show you all my frocks and pretty things, and afterwards, when Susan has unpacked your boxes, I can see yours."

The room was soon strewn with articles of dress of every description. Ada evidently took great pride in displaying her finery; Margaret remarked that she thought some of her frocks were very pretty.

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"Yes," said Ada, "those are what I wear

E

when there is company, and I go in to dessert after dinner; you will have to go as well now, but I suppose you haven't any frocks so handsome as these."

"No," replied Margaret; "aunt Ellen never wears such smart things herself, so she did not buy them for me. I always used to wear white in the evening, if aunt had any friends."

"Ah! but you won't now; mamma likes to see people nicely dressed, and of course you will have the same things that I do," said Ada, in a patronizing way.

"Shall we fold all these up now, and put them away again?" said Margaret, who really began to feel quite tired of looking at so many dresses.

"Oh, no! Susan can do that," said Ada; "I never fold up my own things."

"But she is unpacking my boxes,” replied Margaret; "besides, Ada, we pulled them all out to amuse ourselves, and it is not fair that she should have to put them away again."

"Why not?" said Ada; "she's my ser

vant our servant, at least," she added, correcting herself; "what's the use of her

This was quite a new style of things to Margaret, and Ada shortly after going down stairs, she took the opportunity of asking Susan if she could assist her in taking the things out of her trunks.

"Thank you, Miss," replied Susan, “if you would come to these drawers and show me how you like your things put, it would save me the trouble of altering them afterwards; Miss Ada is so very particular about hers."

"I am very sorry, Susan," said Margaret, as she helped to place some of her things in the drawer, "that you will have the trouble of putting away all Ada's things, for she only got them out to show me; I would fold them up myself only I do not exactly know how she would like them done."

"I don't think it will ever be a trouble to me to do anything for you, Miss Margaret," said Susan. She would have added,

thought she had better leave the words unsaid. Margaret thanked her for her kindness, and then said, "Shall you want this little top drawer for anything, Susan ?"

Susan thought not; upon which Margaret added, "Then I think I should like to keep my books in it; Ada says that there is a book case in the school-room, where I can put them, but I would rather keep some of them here-my Bible, and Prayer Book, and Hymn Book, and a few other little books; they will be easier for me to get at; my Bible, you know, I shall want every night."

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Every night, Miss?" said Susan, in a tone of slight astonishment.

"Yes," said Margaret. "I always read a chapter, or part of one, to my aunt Ellen every night before I went to bed, and she used to explain it to me; but she said, that as she thought mamma might very often be engaged, and not able to hear me, I had better make it a rule always to read to myself now, for fear of missing sometimes."