At this Elinor herself began to cry.
“You are so, s-o-o g-o-o-o-d,” she exclaimed.
“Good! Not at all!” said Mrs. Brooks; and by way of proving how far from good she was really, she hopped up like a bird, and was at the bedside in a minute, smoothing out the pillows and kissing Elinor’s pale forehead.
“I’ll take my first lesson to-morrow afternoon,” she said, “if you have no objections; and your kind mother here, can begin to profit herself at once by your labor, and send over to our meal-bag and dairy as often as she pleases.”
[CHAPTER II.]
“MELINDY.”
Mrs. Brooks fulfilled her promise, and so faithfully did she work in the good cause, that a dozen little pupils were engaged for Miss Milly’s school before preparations were fairly made to open it. These did not take long, however, as Miss Felix, the teacher, who was going away, sent to Mrs. Harrow’s house two long forms of desks and benches, with her compliments and best wishes to Milly for her future success.
Milly fairly began to dance around the room, in the new joy of her heart, on receiving this, to her, valuable present.
“Everybody,” she said, “must not be so kind to us, or I shall have a sickness brought on by too much happiness.”
Poor Milly! she had so long had a “sorrow-sickness,” that the present good fortune was almost too much to endure.