“There are none there, mother.”

“I am very sorry, Judy, that I have not an egg for you, but our hens have not yet commenced laying, except Sissy’s little bantam,” said Mrs. Ford.

Now Cornelia had a little white banty, with a topknot on its head and feathers on its legs, which was a very great pet, of course; and Sissy had resolved to save all banty’s eggs, so that she might hatch only her own chickens.  “For,” said she, “if she sets on other hen’s eggs, when the chickens grow big they will be larger than their mother, and then she will have so much trouble to make them mind her.”

Now, when she heard her mother wish for an egg, the desire to give one to Judy crossed her mind, but it was some moments before she could bring herself to part with her cherished treasure.  Soon, however, her irresolution vanished, and she ran quickly to her little basket, and taking out a nice fresh egg, she laid it in Judy’s hand, saying,

“There, Judy, it will make you strong.”

Mrs. Ford marked with a mother’s eye the struggle going on in the mind of her daughter, but determined not to interfere, but let her decide for herself, unbiased by her mother’s wishes or opinions.  And when she saw the better feeling triumph, a tear of exquisite pleasure dimmed her eye, for in that trifling circumstance she saw the many trials and temptations of after life prefigured, and hoped they would end as that did, in the victory of the noble and generous impulses of the heart.

When the basket was ready, and Aunt Judy regaled with a nice cup of tea, one of the boys volunteered to carry it home for her, a proposal which was readily assented to by Mrs. Ford, whose heart was gladdened by every act of kindness to the poor and needy performed by her children, and who had early taught them that in such deeds they obeyed the injunction of our Saviour:  “Bear ye one another’s burdens.”

CHAPTER II.

Several weeks had passed away since Judy’s visit, when, one day, as Cornelia stood leaning her little curly head against her mother’s knee, she said: 

“Mother, who is Judy?  Has she a husband or children?”

“I do not know of any, my daughter.  She may have some living; but you know Judy was a slave, and they have probably been sold away from her, and are still in slavery.”

“In slavery, mother! and sold?  Why, do they sell little children away from their mothers?”

“Yes, Cornelia, there are persons guilty of such a wicked thing; mothers and children, and whole families, are often separated from each other, never, perhaps, to meet again!”

“So Judy was a slave, mother?”

“Yes, Cornelia, she was:  and from all I have learned of her history, I am sure she has led a very unhappy and sorrowful life.”

“O! now I understand what you meant when you said that she had a thorny path through life.  Have you ever heard her history, mother? if you have, won’t you tell it to us?”