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grew suddenly worse that night, and I never saw her again. When she was laid in the grave, I felt as if nobody in the world loved

me."

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But God did, aunty," said Patty, under her breath.

"Yes, my darling, I know he did; and that these things happened to me was part of his tender care. I suppose I was so shy as to be disobliging. It would have been easy for me to be conceited and disagreeable. My dear mother was to be taken away, and it was well that I should learn, little girl though I was, that I could not live by trying to please everybody. After that I never thought of pleasing, only of doing right. You know the Professor and I have had a hard time in the world, and very often the memory of that night has kept my courage up."

୧୯

That was just the way Lincoln felt," said Patty.

CHAPTER III.

BRITTANIA.

TH

HE next morning Patty came down long before her mother. The urn was boiling. fast, and little Chloe, the fat, dumpy colored girl, looked out crossly from under her red turban. Everybody was keeping her waiting! Patty ran down to the terrace, and thought she would have a race with Gyp- the clumsy terrier-before mamma could get down. She had been playing only a little while, when a funny little wagon drove up to the door. It was black and scarlet, and would hold only two people.

Patty stopped playing to look at it. A very strange pony was harnessed into it- at least, Patty thought it must be a pony. A colored man was holding its head. He wore plain, dark-blue clothes, but on his right sleeve was

a bit of silver lace, and something that looked like a letter of the alphabet.

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He can't be a slave," said Patty, "for there are no slaves; but that looks like livery. English servants wear livery; so I suppose a poor freedman may; but I wish he didn't. I wonder who the funny pony belongs to!"

So Patty crept down the steps, and went round to the front of the little carriage.

"What a pretty pony!" said she, out loud. The colored man took off his cap, and said, "It be only a donkey, little missy."

"A donkey!" said Patty; "I thought donkeys were ugly and stupid; but he is a beauty." So she stood fondling the bright creature, and smoothing his dark, glossy coat.

"What bright eyes he has, and how his ears move!" she said at last; "and how polished his hoofs are! Do you paint them, as General Washington used to?"

The colored man shook his head. "Dat was in de ole time," said he. "Miss Brittania too poor now."

"Does he belong to Miss Brittania?" said Patty.

"He belong to little missy to-day," said the man, bowing; "he come to carry her away!"

At this moment Patty caught a glimpse of her mother at the window, and she darted into the house to speak to her.

Mrs. Gray stood at the dining-room door, ready dressed for her drive. Her sweet face looked out so rosy and fresh from the black and gray garments she wore, that it was not very strange her eager little daughter should spring toward her, throw her arms about her, and cry

out,

ee

Oh, mamma! how I do love you!"

"Do you?” said Mrs. Gray, without stooping to kiss the loving child. "Patty, when I love anybody, I always try to do what they ask me."

Patty's eyes drooped under her mother's keen glance, and as they fell she saw that she had wet her feet on the frosty terrace, and the dust of the road had clung to them, while she stood petting the donkey. On aunt Anna's white velvet carpet were two muddy prints of the little girl's feet.

"Oh, mamma!" said Patty, in dismay.

The Professor's wife loved the little girl, and

she forgot for a moment that a loving mother must sometimes pain a loving child.

"Don't mind, Sophie," she said; "kiss her all the same. It is cruel to keep her waiting. Chloe can wash it up."

"Cruel!" exclaimed Patty, who had never heard her mother blamed in her life, and thought this was the worst thing of all. "Cruel! Why aunt Anna, it is only what Jesus says! If I loved her enough, you know, I never could forget."

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"Patty and I understand each other," said Mrs. Gray, cheerfully. Wipe your feet now, Patty, or there will be some more of those shocking marks, and then come for your bread and milk."

As soon as Patty had eaten her bread and milk, her mother took her by the hand, and they went out to the donkey-cart. Mrs. Gray shook hands with the colored man, whom she called Lundy, and asked for Miss Brittania.

Then Patty was surprised to find, from some directions that her mother gave Lundy, that they were starting for Mount Vernon, and that they would not see Washington again until they came back from Richmond.

She looked back at the

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