The flower of the family.

"THE baby is crying, Lucy; won't you come down and take him a few minutes ?" said a voice from the ot of the stairs.

Lucy sighed heavily, and threw down upon the ble before her, with a gesture of impatience, a ook on which she had been intent.

"He's always crying, I do believe," she said to erself, as, casting a farewell glance at books and apers, she went slowly down to soothe the cries, rom which her sensitive ear shrank as from the ound of a trumpet.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, dear," said her mother, "but baby will not be still any longer, and here are my hands in the bread. Just take a minute, and I will soon be ready for

un

"And we are so poor; and the boys are so noisy; and I can't go to school; and a new baby comes so often; and it tires me when I think it will always be so."

The mother sighed and kneaded the dough with

vish I could shield you from these troubles, my hild; but I cannot. By and by, as the children et older-then-but I don't know, I can't see far head myself."

"As fast as the children get older, some more teep coming," said Lucy, despondingly.

"Yes, I know," said her mother; "but they'll get over that by and by; and you shall have more ime to study than you've had lately. Rebecca shall tay home and help me."

"That won't do," returned Lucy. She walked o the window, and stood looking out, in gloomy ilence.

Her mother finished her work in silence equally rofound, took off the clean checked apron in which = had been performed, and approaching the winow, offered to take the child.

But the child, pleased with its new position, hung ack, smiling, and clasping its little arms closer round Lucy's neck.

"How the little fellow loves you," cried her other. "It's such a pity he isn't fond of Rebecca. wonder, by the way, where the child is, and

to be home, I'm sure. But this is always the way! Just because I want to study."

"You can study now," said her mother gently and taking the baby from her.

"No, I can't; it's time to get tea," returned Lucy. "And it's Rebecca's week to get tea. But she's taken herself off, no body knows where."

Ungracious in word, but not in deed, Lucy went now and filled the tea-kettle, and arranged the fire.

"I would n't do that, dear," said her mother. "If Rebecca finds she can depend on you to do her work for her, there'll be no end to the trouble."

"But father will be in, next news, wanting his supper. Besides, I see the boys coming up the road, and they'll be hungry too."

She hurried about, cutting bread, skimming milk, and arranging plates and knives with neatness and precision.

"She's worth a dozen of Rebecca," thought her mother. "Where can that child be? It's too bad! Now, baby, you must sit in the cradle awhile, and let mother help sister Lucy."

She seated the child snugly amid pillows, gave him a tin plate and pewter spoon for his amusement, and hastened to relieve Lucy. Baby began forthwith to raise a noise suited to his peculiar taste, by

COMFORTABLE TROUBLES.

18

ns of a series of irregular thumps of the spoon n the plate. While he pursued this pastime

great energy, the boys rushed in from school. There you go!" shouted John to his books, as threw them down, "and good enough for you, 1 old plagues! Is supper ready? I hope so, for 1 as hungry as three bears."

One bear will do," said his mother, smiling, and tting his shoulders. "But where are the girls?" "Why, Rebecca is creeping along on the road me where. She'll get here by midnight, I dare y. And Hatty had to stay in. She blotted her iting-book, and then went and got angry about and so she's got to stay in till she's learned a apter in the Bible."

“Why, Rebecca!" said her mother, as this young dy came leisurely in; "where have you been?"

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Why, no where, mother: I came straight home om school."

"But you should have been home in time to get a. Here 's Lucy has had to do it for you." "I came as fast as I could, mother," said Rebecca. Susan Turner and I, we came along together. I ouldn't come running up the hill as the boys did. nd Lucy needn't have went and got tea. She new I was coming."