Mamma opened her eyes when she saw the little weeping girl coming, and then Minnie told her the miserable story.

“I was awfully naughty, mamma, but I did want the custard pie so bad, and so I ate it up, ’most a whole pie, and then—­I—­I—­I—­Oh, I don’t want to tell, but I ’spect I must; I shut kitty in the pantry to make you think she did it.  But I’m truly sorry, mamma.”

Then mamma told Minnie that she had known all about it.  But she had hoped that the little daughter would be brave enough to tell her all about it herself.

“But mamma,” she asked, “how did you know it wasn’t kitty?”

“Because kitty would never have left a spoon in the pie,” replied mamma, smiling.

—­Selected.

HOW ROBBIE HELPED.

Little Robbie Denham was a good boy, though very active and full of play.

Aunt Abbie Peyton had been spending a few days with the Denhams, and one afternoon as she sat talking with Robbie, she said: 

“Do you do something to help someone each day, Robbie?”

Robbie laid Nab, the kitten, down and sat in deep thought for a moment, after which he answered: 

“I pick up kindlings for mamma and run errands for her.  Is that what you mean, Aunt Abbie?”

“It is a part of what I mean.  You should be very kind and helpful to the dear ones at home.  But I was hoping you could find some way to help someone outside of your own home.  Of course, you are a little boy, but you can do some small thing for an aged or helpless one.”

“I don’t know of anything now, auntie; but I’ll keep on the watch to see.”

“That is right.  We should be on the lookout to see what work there is for as to do.”

The next morning as Robbie was having a fine run with his dog Rover, he saw Granny Dorn, who was lame, hobbling along to get her cow, which had gone down the lane to eat grass.

[Illustration:  Robbie was playing with Rover.]

“I could do that kind of work for granny,” said Robbie, “but it’s such a pretty morning, and Rover does play so nice!” Then he walked along slowly for a moment, until a bright thought came to him.  “Why, I can run with Rover after the cow, and come back slower, so as to be rested for another run.”  Away he went until he overtook granny, and said: 

“I’ll get your cow every night and morning, if you wish.  Just see how fast I can go!  But I’ll be careful and not run the cow, ’cause my papa says they will not give so much milk if you do.”

“That is a good boy,” said the old woman.  “I’m going to bake some seed-cakes, to-day, and I’ll give you a couple.”

“But I do not ask anything.  I just wanted to help you a little.  Auntie Peyton told me to try to do something to help folks, ’cause that’s right.”

When Robbie had driven granny’s cow into the yard, he ran home and told Aunt Abbie: