CHARITABLE INDUSTRY.
It was a winter's night—but the fire blazed cheerfully in the Rectory parlour. Four little girls were seated, round a table, working with their mother spinning at their side.
"The hum of that wheel is quite musical this evening!" exclaimed Emily, one of the merry little party. "And to me," said Mary, "it seems as if the fire burnt more bright than usual."—"I was just going to say," cried Helen, "that our candles were certainly superior to those we had last night."—"I suppose it is all these pleasant circumstances together," interposed Lucy, "that makes me feel more comfortable than I ever before felt." The attentive mother smiled; and, stopping her busy wheel, said: "My dear children, I readily believe you all feel more than usually happy this evening. But, begging pardon of all your wise heads, I do not think the excellence of the fire, the goodness of the candles, the charm of my humming wheel, or even the united merits of all these, produce your present content."—"What then, dear mother?"—"Your employment, my children."
The whole party paused, and reflected. The table was covered with shreds and patches—silk—ribbons—calico—muslin. The girls were making bags, pincushions, needle-cases, and other trifles. Their worthy old neighbour, Dolly, was too ill to work; and they were too poor to give her as much money as she needed: so they employed their leisure in making such articles as she could readily sell in the village. The things were so neatly made, and so cheaply rated, that old Dolly sold them as fast as she obtained them.
After a short silence, the whole party assented to the truth of their mother's remark "Yes!" cried they, "it is very true! Our employment gives a charm to all about us; for we think we are doing good."—"And thus it is, my dear children," said the tender mother, "that we ourselves are the sources of our own content, and, in many cases, of our own happiness."
The Lottery Ticket.
Pubd. May 1, 1831, by J. Harris, St. Pauls Church Yard.