Just then the door opened and there stood twelve little boys and girls.

[Illustration]

Each one was carrying a plant with a pretty, bright blossom.

They marched in singing “Mistress Mary,” and little Mistress Mary laughed, and cried, and clapped her hands, all in one minute.

Then the children put the plants on a table near the window where Mary could see them.

There were geraniums, and pinks; a sweet heliotrope, and a rose-bush with a pink rose.

Alice brought the heliotrope, and Jack brought the rose-bush.

How bright and cheerful the plants made the room look!

The children stayed an hour and played games with Mary.

They played “hide the thimble” and one or two guessing games, because
Mary could not run around the room with them.

Then they had some little cakes and cookies which Mary’s mother had made for them.

When it was time to go home they left a very happy little girl.

“Good-bye,” said Mary, “I hope you will come very often.

“Thank you for the lovely plants.  My table looks like a flower garden.”

“Yes, Mistress Mary,” said Jack, “we’ll come to see how your garden grows.  You ought to have some silver bells and some cockle shells.”

In a few weeks Mistress Mary, as every one called her now, came back to school.

She could run and play as well as any of the children.

But she did not forget her garden, and she often brought some of her flowers to school.

When the spring came she made a garden out of doors for her plants.

And what do you think she put all around the flower bed?

She put a splendid row of little white shells.

  Little Tommy Tucker,
    Sings for his supper. 
  What shall he eat? 
    White bread and butter. 
  How can he cut it without any knife? 
  How can he marry without any wife?

TOMMY TUCKER

One summer Mary went to make Grandma Hall a visit.

Grandma’s little girls were all grown up now, and Grandma and Grandpa lived alone on the farm.

Mary liked to go there to visit because Grandma could tell such splendid stories, and there were always so many things to do.

It was Saturday and Mary had been busy all the morning helping Grandma make cookies, and pies, and cakes.

After dinner Grandma and little Mary took their sewing and sat out under the old apple-tree in the garden.

Grandma was making a cap, and Mary was making a white apron for her mother.

They had been sitting there only a little while when Mary saw a ragged boy coming down the road towards the house.

Running along close behind him was a ragged little dog.

The boy had a violin in his hand.

When he saw the little girl and her grandmother he stood still and began to play.