“I had plenty then:  a good husband, a happy home, and never thought that I should come to poverty.”

“What is this from?” asked Alice, touching the silk lining at the bottom of the box.

“O that was always in the box, Alice.  It was there when my husband received it, and must be a piece of India silk.

“Is any thing the matter with it?” continued Mrs. Reed, as she noticed Alice picking at one corner of it.

“O nothing is the matter,” replied Alice; “it only seemed to me to be a little loose.”

“Let me look,” said Mrs. Reed.  “I don’t think it can be loose, or I should have seen it when I was lining the box.”

“It is actually quite loose,” said Alice, as she examined it further, and picked up one corner with, a pin; “and here is a little piece of paper underneath it.”

“That is remarkable,” said Mrs. Reed, as she put on her spectacles and drew up her chair a little closer to Alice.

“And there is some writing on it too,” said Alice, as she drew it from its hiding-place and handed it to Mrs. Reed.

“Why, it’s my husband’s writing!” exclaimed Mrs. Reed, as she closely examined the faded letters.  “What can it mean?  I never saw it before.  Read it, Alice; your eyes are younger than mine.”

Alice read:  “‘Look and ye shall find,’ and underneath this,” continued Alice, “is a picture of a mantel-piece, and underneath that, it reads:  ‘A word to the wise is sufficient.’”

Mrs. Reed again took the paper.  Her hand trembled and her face became a little pale.

“Alice,” said she, “this is a picture of the old tile mantel-piece in the other room.  There is some mystery about this.  What can it mean?”

“Yes,” said Alice, “the tiles in that mantel have quotations on them.”

In an instant, Alice was on her feet and sprung into the other room, leaving Mrs. Reed in a state of wonderment.

Hastily examining the tiles in the mantel, Alice cried out:  “O Mrs. Reed, do come! here is a tile with exactly the same words on it!”

Mrs. Reed hurried into the room, and had scarcely passed the threshold, when the tile fell to the hearth and broke into a dozen pieces.

* * * * *

Directions for Reading.—­Point out breathing-places in the last paragraph.

Pronounce carefully the following words:  fortunate, adjoining, clothes, hearth, sitting-room, wedding-dress.

* * * * *

Language Lesson.—­Let pupils use other words to express the meaning of the following sentences.

    Alice received a warm welcome.

    Mrs. Reed stepped into the adjoining room with a light heart.

    Her face lighted up with joy.

    Those things remind me of happy days.

    “A word, to the wise is sufficient.”

Change the statements given above to questions.