Mary could not help laughing at the figure which Henry cut; but thinking him sufficiently punished, she called off the dog, who obeyed rather unwillingly, and ever after manifested his dislike to Henry by growling angrily whenever he appeared.

One morning about two weeks afterwards, Mary was in the meadow gathering cowslips for dinner, when she heard some one calling her name; and looking up, she saw Jenny hurrying towards her, her sun-bonnet hanging down her back as usual, and her cheeks flushed with violent exercise.  As soon as she came up, she began with, “Oh my, ain’t I hot and tired, and I can’t stay a minute either, for I run away.  But I had such good news to tell you, that I would come.  You are going to have a great deal better home than this.  You know where Rice Corner is, the district over east?”

Mary replied that she did, and Jenny continued:  “We all went over there yesterday to see Mrs. Mason.  She’s a real nice lady, who used to live in Boston, and be intimate with ma, until three or four years ago, when Mr. Mason died.  We didn’t go there any more then, and I asked Rose what the reason was, and she said Mrs. Mason was poor now, and ma had ‘cut her;’ and when I asked her what she cut her with, she only laughed, and said she believed I didn’t know any thing.  But since then I’ve learned what it means.”

“What does it?” asked Mary, and Jenny replied:  “If a person dies and leaves no money, no matter how good his folks are, or how much you like them, you mustn’t know them when you meet them in the street, or you must cross over the other side if you see them coming; and then when ladies call and speak about them, you must draw a great long breath, and wonder ’how the poor thing will get along, she was so dreadful extravagant.’  I positively heard mother say those very words about Mrs. Mason; and what is so funny, the washwoman the same day spoke of her, and cried when she told how kind she was, and how she would go without things herself for the sake of giving to the poor.  It’s queer, isn’t it?”

Ah, Jenny, Jenny, you’ve much of life yet to learn!

After a moment’s pause, Jenny proceeded:  “This Mrs. Mason came into the country, and bought the prettiest little cottage you ever saw.  She has lots of nice fruit, and for all mother pretends in Boston that she don’t visit her, just as soon as the fruit is ripe, she always goes there.  Pa says it’s real mean, and he should think Mrs. Mason would see through it.”

“Did you go there for fruit yesterday?” asked Mary.

“Oh, no,” returned Jenny.  “Mother said she was tired to death with staying at home.  Besides that, she heard something in Boston about a large estate in England, which possibly would fall to Mrs. Mason, and she thought it would be real kind to go and tell her.  Mrs. Mason has poor health, and while we were there, she asked mother if she knew of any good little girl she could get to come and