"Well, mamma, Carrie Ransom had a copy-book with a blue cover, and I had one with a pink one, and Carrie liked the pink one best, and I said I would change with her; but it was not a very great thing to do, for I did not care much about the colour."
"But you did it because Carrie cared, and you wanted to be kind to her, did you not, dear?"
"Yes, mamma."
"And Jesus put it into your heart to do it; so was it not His work?"
"Yes, I believe so, mamma; and I remember now grandmamma said it was not so much what we did for God, as how we did it, and why we did it, that made it His own work."
A pleasant surprise awaited Maggie and Bessie that afternoon, while they were out with the other children and their nurses. Baby Annie was taking her first walk upon the pavement, led by her two proud little sisters, each holding a hand, while Mammy followed close behind.
The little one, enchanted with her new performance, was chattering away in her own sweet language, not in the least disturbed by the fact that no one but herself understood it; and Maggie and Bessie were watching and listening to her in delighted satisfaction, when a pleased voice exclaimed, "Oh, there they are! and a nice baby with them!" and Belle Powers came running up to them. She scarcely looked like the sad child of the morning, so glad was she to see them; and you may be sure she had a kind welcome from her young friends.
"I was just telling Daphne about you," she said, looking round at the old coloured woman who followed her, "and there you came. Was it not funny?"
The other children also thought it a rather remarkable circumstance, but a very pleasant one; and nurse, now saying that baby had walked far enough, took her up in her arms, and Belle took her place between the two little girls; old Daphne, delighted to see a smile on the sad face of her young charge, coming on with the other nurses.
Belle was soon told of mamma's invitation, and readily promised to ask her papa's permission to go home with Maggie and Bessie on Wednesday after school.