From this time Fanny began to amend; at first she found it very difficult to restrain her temper, but the more she tried, the easier she found the task: and though during the first few months of her residence at Mrs. Benson's she frequently forgot the good resolutions she had formed, yet she was always sincerely sorry for her faults, and endeavoured to make amends by doing whatever she thought would restore her to her aunt's favour.
Thus Mrs. Benson had the satisfaction of seeing a child whom she had formerly known so undutiful and ill-tempered, become by degrees quite amiable and obliging: the alteration in her was so great, that when at the end of a year Mrs. Benson carried her to pay a visit to her family, they could hardly trace any resemblance between Fanny such as she now was, and the naughty little girl who had given them so much trouble. She staid in London three weeks, during which time the cloud of ill-humour scarcely once ruffled her brow. At the end of that time Mrs. Benson wished to return home, and Fanny begged to accompany her, fearing that if deprived of her aunt's counsel before her good habits were entirely fixed, she might relapse into her former errors.
Several years are now past since these events happened. Fanny has been constantly improving, she is now the delight of her family, and the favourite of all who know her.
Let the history of Fanny teach all little girls that to be good is to be happy!
"What an interesting story," said Anne, as she shut the book: "now I find what a silly thing it is to be naughty, I will always try to be good."
Mrs. Harley. Do my dear child, and you will be sure of success. It gives me pleasure to see you so attentive to the instructions contained in the stories you read.
SECOND LESSON.
Mrs. Harley. We talked about letters yesterday: to-day I will explain figures or numbers to you, the following is a list of them: those letters which stand for numbers are called numeral letters.