When they went home, Fanny was as happy as ever again, for she found that her heart was very much lightened by sharing her troubles with her brother.

The next day when they went to school, Mary Day was not there, and during the forenoon, Miss Norton received a note from Mary’s mother, saying, that she had been thrown from a carriage, and one of her limbs broken.  Fanny felt so sorry for her, that she forgot all the unkind things which she had said the day before, and as soon as school was out, she hurried home, and taking down her cage, she started for Mr. Herbert’s, without saying any thing to her grand-parents, or to Frank.  She was almost breathless when she reached the parsonage.  Mr. Herbert was gathering some grapes in the garden, and as soon as Fanny saw him, she said,

“Please, Mr. Herbert, let me give my linnet to Mary Day, her Canary is dead, and she has broken her leg, and she wants this very badly, and I can spare it, for I can go in the woods and hear the birds sing, while poor Mary has to lie in bed, and if I should get very home sick often, dear Linny, I can go and listen at her windows, and hear him sing.”

Little Fanny chatted so fast, that Mr. Herbert could not help smiling, although he was very sorry to hear of poor Mary’s misfortune.  He told her that she might give it to Mary to keep while she was sick, if she thought it would cheer her any; but he said, that he should wish Fanny to have it again, after Mary should recover; for he felt more confidence in her, that she would take good care of the little bird.  Then he put his hat on, and went to Mr. Day’s house, and told them how she had wished to give the bird to Mary, but that he had only consented to her lending it.  They all thought that she was a very good girl; and Mary told Fanny that she might take home any of her play things.  But Fanny did not wish for them, and Mary thought it very strange that she should be willing to give her the bird, when she was so fond of it.  It was great company to Mary, during her confinement to the house, and when she was able to go to school again, the bird was returned to Fanny willingly, for Mary had learned to love her very much, and she often felt sorry that she should ever have hurt the feelings of so good a girl.

Mr. Herbert always spoke of Frank and Fanny with a great deal of love, for he thought them the most affectionate and dutiful children that he had ever known.

He foretold that they would become useful and respectable when they should grow up; and in this respect he was perfectly right.  Frank owns a very large farm, purchased with the wages of his own industry; and Fanny is the happy, busy, and industrious little wife of worthy Farmer Baldwin’s only son.

Good children are always beloved, for they make every one happy around them, and they are happy themselves.

I hope those who read this little tale, will try to be kind and forgiving, like Frank and Fanny Lee.  A kind, friendly disposition, and a willingness to forgive rather than resent injuries, is one which cannot fail to make us happy and beloved by our friends in this world; and without it we can not be happy in the world which is to come.