It is not possible to describe the joy of the good woman when she saw her husband return safe and sound.  The little one clapped her hands and laughed with delight when she saw the toys her father had brought, and he never tired of telling of the wonderful things he had seen on his journey and at the capital.

“To you,” he said to his wife, “I have brought a thing of wonderful power, that is called a mirror.  Look and tell me what you see inside.”  He handed her a little flat box of white wood, and when she opened it she saw a metal disk.  One side was white as frosted silver and ornamented with birds and flowers raised from the surface; the other side was shining and polished like a window-pane.  Into this the young wife gazed with pleasure and astonishment, for from the depths she saw looking out at her a smiling face with parted lips and animated eyes.  “What do you see?” repeated the husband, charmed by her amazement and proud to prove that he had remembered her in his absence.

“I see a pretty young woman, who looks at me and moves her lips as if talking, and who wears—­what a wonderful thing! a blue dress exactly like mine.”

“Silly one!  What you see is your own sweet face,” replied the man, delighted to know that his wife did not recognize herself.  “This circle of metal is called a looking-glass.  In the city, every woman has one, although here in the country no one has seen one until to-day.”

Enchanted with her gift, the woman passed several days in wonderment, because, as I have said, this was the first time she had seen a mirror, and consequently the first time she had seen the image of her own pretty face.  This wonderful jewel she thought too precious to be used every day, and the little box she guarded carefully, concealing it among her most precious treasures.

Years passed, the good man and his wife living happily through them all.  The delight of his life was the child, who was growing into the living image of her dear mother, and who was so good and affectionate that everybody loved her.

The mother, remembering her own passing vanity over her beauty, kept the mirror hidden, to protect her daughter from any chance of vanity.  As for the father, no one had spoken of the glass, and he had forgotten all about it.  Thus the child grew up frank and guileless as her mother wished, knowing nothing of her own beauty or what the mirror might reflect.

But there came a day of terrible misfortune to this family, till then so happy.  The devoted and loving mother fell sick, and although her daughter watched her with affectionate and tender devotion, the dear woman grew worse and worse each day.

When she knew that she must soon pass away, she was very sad, grieving for husband and daughter that she must leave behind on earth; and especially was she anxious for the future of her loving daughter.  Calling the girl to the bedside, she said: 

[Illustration:  Her greatest pleasure was to look into the mirror]