"Yes!-then she is moping, and dreaming, and just like a mute; no, indeed, I do not intend my grand-daughter to be a bookish miss.”

"Then she must go on wearing and tearing, just as she does," replied old nurse, doggedly, "a disgrace to be seen."

"Which," resumed the reasoning and unreasonable grandmamma, "is entirely your fault, Martin. Look at Miss Caroline Price-at all the little Prices indeed-always neat, never a pin out of place, and their bonnets-very well thought of indeed!—pray what has become of that good, new Dunstable bonnet, with the handsome lilac ribbon at twenty pence a yard, that I bought Miss Julia only a fortnight since ?"

"Why, ma'am—”

"Well? some misfortune, I suppose?"

"Why, ma'am, Miss called it her babe-in-thewood bonnet-but I really think it is not quite spoiled-only the looks to be sure-but if I must tell the truth, why, ma'am, Miss filled it with blackberries yesterday."

At this moment the missing culprit entered the drawing-room, where the foregoing colloquy happened to be held, but with the air of one who is

unconscious of deserving or being about to receive

reproof.

"Dear Miss Julia, love, why didn't you just answer when you heard us all calling out for you?" “Because I did not hear you, nurse; I was up in the great apple tree—”

"A pretty place for a grand-daughter of mine, indeed! and pray-oh you naughty, naughty girl! -and pray what took you there?"

The child coloured, and seemed ashamed to speak. “So, so; -more mischief I perceive-why could not you wait till the apples were ripe ?" "The apples! O grandmamma, just as if I

cared for them!"

"Don't speak so scornfully, if you please, of my golden pippins, the finest tree in the country; but tell me at once what you were doing there-and be so good, child, as to bring that hand from behind your back."

The child obeyed slowly, and with evident reluctance produced a book.

"Shakspeare, as I live! Well to be sure !"

"Mercy upon us, Miss! but heathen play-acting books are not for babes like you."

“And you have absolutely, and positively, and

up in my golden-pippin apple tree, been reading this book ?"

pony

"Yes, grandmamma.* Oh, don't take it from me, dear, dear, grandmamma! I will promise not to spoil (sobbing), not to spoil any thing any more, and I will be so good; I will never ride the without a saddle, or, or, (sobbing increased) paint the jackdaw into a parrot any more; or get up into the apple tree any more, if you will only leave me this book, and let me read it in the parlour-oh, do let me know what becomes of Macbeth at last!"

"Well, indeed! a pretty pass is this world come to! There, Martin, take this book,-but stay a moment-whose is it?-Robert Mortimer-so, so! -a pretty companion indeed is Miss Annette Mortimer for you-lending her father's books."

"She is much better than I am, grandmamma,and I begged, and prayed, and teazed her, to lend me that book, or she never would."

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Very well; Martin, this must go to its right owner; but go you and lock up every single scrap of a book about the house, except-except you understand the large bible and the receipt book.—

* Fact of a child seven years old, a year younger than Julia.

So I

Come here Julia, give over crying now, and listen like a good girl. I am not going to punish you, you are come to an age to understand reasonshall reason with you my dear. In the first place, I am your grandmother, and the only one left to take care of you; and you will have a very large fortune sometime, more money than you could count; and God Almighty has taken away your own dear mother-don't cry, child, for I love you just as well as she did, and that makes me so anxious to do my duty to you: your father is dead too, but we need not talk about him, books and such like did him a great deal of harm indeed—injured his health-made him poor-but, however, God Almighty has taken him too, and will be very angry if I do not, as I was saying, bring you up in a way proper for one who will have twenty thousand pounds—ah, you may stare, child; but perhaps it may be even more; now I never saw any good come of people being bookish, and learned, and clever. I intend you to learn to dance though, and to paint, but above all, to be notable, and to know how to manage your house and servants, that you may make some show with your money, and not be imposed upon; therefore, you see, my dear, I do my duty when I take Shakspeare

from you, for he would only fill your head with nonsense."

"Then would you please, grandmamma, let me have some books that will not fill my head with nonsense?"

66

My dear, don't I hear you your spelling every day?—and I am going to speak to old William the clerk about teaching you to write and cypher; and in time I shall send you for a couple of years to Miss Shackleton's boarding-school; be a good child, and you shall have an excellent educationonly you must first learn to be notable-there now, give me a kiss, and go and dress that large new doll I bought for you yesterday."

"I don't care for dolls though-I hate them." "Oh, fie!—and I gave a golden guinea for that doll, and it will open and shut its eyes. Well then, you may come in the kitchen, and sit by me while I make the lemon cheesecakes that you are so fond of.”

No answer: but an indignant and contemptuous glance intended for the cheesecakes.

"Very well, Miss Julia, very well, Miss; but if you are so sulky, and sit kicking the staves of my new rose-wood chairs, I can tell you one thing