Peter’s wish was accomplished before he had time to repent of it: he was put to work at the blacksmith’s: in due time he learned the business well; and got the character of being a clever and industrious workman. When he was in business for himself, he used to say, “I found all my good fortune in an empty box.”
II.
PHEBE’S VISIT.
“My love, I think I have something to say that will please you;” said Phebe’s Mamma to her, one day.
“O dear, have you, Mamma,—pray tell me directly,” said Phebe; “I cannot think what it is.”
“Why, my love, Mrs. Mason has been here this morning, and she was so kind as to ask me to let you spend a few days with her; so I told her, that if you were a good girl you should go on Tuesday.—Shall you like it, Phebe?”
“O dear, yes, Mamma; how very much delighted I am;—what a good girl I will be;—but what a while it is to wait,—Friday—Saturday—Sunday—Monday—Tuesday: I wish it had been sooner;—I shall be so happy.—I suppose Mrs. Mason’s house is not at all like ours, is it, Mamma?”
“No, my dear; I believe that you will find many things at Mrs. Mason’s quite different from what you see here.”
“Dear, how glad I am of that,” said Phebe; “and then, besides all the fine things I shall see there, I shall not have my lessons to learn, nor be called to do a great many tiresome jobs that hinder me so when I am at play; and I shall not have William to tease me; and that will be a great comfort.”
“So you really think that you shall be happier without poor William, do you Phebe? I am sorry for that;” said her Mother.
“O, I like to have him with me sometimes, Mamma; and so I should always if he would not tease me so much; but it was only the other day that he came into the nursery, when I had drest my doll in a clean white frock, and it was looking so pretty; and instead of praising it, as I expected, he held it up by one foot and laughed at it, and said he wondered what pleasure I could take in making clothes for a log of wood.—And he did what was worse still, last night, Mamma; for he took up my wax doll, and really held one of its hands to the candle, because he said he wanted to seal a letter to cousin Thomas; only Papa was in the room and reproved him for it, (which I was very glad of,) and said he wondered how he could tease the poor child so; and then William said he did not really intend to do it, because it was not the right sort of wax; but I dare say he would if Papa had not been there. Now was not it very wrong of him, Mamma?”