THE FARM-YARD.
When Kate's Aunt made a promise, she always took care to perform it; and now for many days she looked about to find a place for Belle. At last, she went to a farmer's, where she and the girls were much pleased to see the farmer's wife feeding the pigs. They looked over the rails, and saw the fat grunters feeding away, all in a row, whilst milk and barley were poured into their wooden trough. A farm-yard had many charms for Kate and Blanche:—the cows, lowing amid the clean deep straw, and the young calves standing at their sides;—the sheep feeding on the short sweet grass of the home field, and the pretty lambs skipping and jumping about;—the great mastiff, chained to his house, growling at each stranger;—the threshers, in the barn, threshing out the corn;—the thatcher on the cottage roof mending the thatch: then the pretty garden, full of peas and beans, and leeks, and carrots; with one corner, gay with flowers, such as stocks, and pinks, and roses:—all seemed so pleasant and pretty about the farm, that they were quite glad to hear the farmer's wife say, she wanted a maid, and would be glad to try Belle. "How happy Belle will be in this charming place!"—"That must depend upon herself," said the Aunt. "My dear girls, it does not matter how many blessings fall to our lot, if we do not make the best of them. I agree with you, that Belle has a fair chance of comfort here; she will have much to do, and much to enjoy."—"That you often tell us is the best chance to be happy," said Blanche, "to have much to do, and much to enjoy."—"I can enjoy nothing when I am idle," cried Kate. "Because you have been taught to be busy, Kate," said her Aunt; "and it is perhaps happy for you, that you are forced to employ yourself; your state in life demands it. Those, whose fate does not oblige them to work, are often wretched, because they are idle; this is one of the evils of wealth; so, you see, all states have their evil and their good. Let us be thankful for our share of good; let us be willing to make others the sharers of our blessing. 'To enjoy is to obey.'"