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NCE upon a time there lived, near a great city, a very worthy gentleman, with a handsome amiable young lady-his wife. They loved each other tenderly, as married people should do; and they had not been wedded very long before there was a pretty little baby girl in the nursery; so both the parents were very happy. But their joy did not last long the young mother fell ill of a fever, and died, while her child was still a dancing, crowing little baby, far too young to feel the loss of its kind parent.

The poor husband was at first dreadfully grieved at his loss; but as time wore on his sorrow became less violent, and when two years had passed away he began to feel very lonely in his great house. This set him upon thinking of another wife; and at last he made up his mind to marry again.

Unhappily, the choice the gentleman made this time was not a good one. The lady whom he now married was proud, haughty, and deceitful. She had a very bad habit of always wanting her own way; and as the husband was a good-natured, easy kind of man, she usually contrived to get it.

There was another disadvantage about this marriage. The new wife was a widow, and she brought with her into the house two great rude girls, whom she had wisely kept out of her husband's sight until after he had married her. These girls were nearly ten years older than the gentleman's own pretty little daughter, and the poor child soon began to lead a very dreary life among her new relations. They slighted

NOTE.-The story of "Cinderella," so far as its chief incident is concerned, appears in very various forms, the main idea in all being the same-that of patient endurance of wrong for a time, followed by recognition of merit. Thus the old nursery story of "Catskin," in which the heroine, after acting as a scullion in the royal kitchen, goes to the Prince's ball incognito, is another version of "Cinderella," and is paraphrased in the tale of "Allerleirauh" in Grimm's collection.

her and teased her at first; and when they found the poor child bore it patiently, they went on from bad to worse—from contempt and mocking to downright ill-treatment.

But, you will ask, why did not the gentleman look after his

daughter? The fact was, he had not the strength to do so: he was so disappointed in his new wife, and so disgusted with the rude girls, who would not listen to him, and who were encouraged by their mother in their naughtiness, that he soon fell sick. For six or seven months he lingered on, getting very little satisfaction from his home, where his wife neglected him, and his step-daughters cared for nothing but their own pleasure and amusement. Often the thought came upon him, what would become of his own little girl, when he was no longer there to protect her? Therefore it was no wonder he became

weaker and weaker; and then he died, and his poor little daughter was left, it seemed, without a friend in the world.

After her father's death, the poor little girl's life was a very hard one. As she grew up, she became very pretty; and the prettier she became, the more the sisters seemed to hate her. She was treated quite like a servant, and made to help in all the drudgery of the house; so while the two elder sisters flaunted in silks and satins, the younger one went about in a garb that was in very strong contrast to her step-sisters' gay attire, and which reflected no credit on those who made her wear it. But fine clothes will never make up for a want of kindness and good-nature, and on the other hand, cheerfulness and good-humour will show in the plainest garb; and the youngest sister was charming in her

plain cotton gown, but with a look of kindness and modesty in her face which no money could purchase for the bold, harsh daughters of the widow.

When her household drudgery was over for the day, the poor young girl would go into the kitchen, and sit down quietly in the chimney-corner among the cinders. This habit procured for her the name of "Cinder-wench" from that illnatured girl, her eldest sister; while the younger, a little more polite, called her "Cinderella "-certainly the prettier name

of the two.

Years went on, and Cinderella became prettier, and her step-sisters more unkind than ever. They were never weary of tormenting the poor girl, and had not even the sense to see that every one disliked them for it. They would dress themselves out in great state to go to balls and parties, and were not ashamed to ask Cinderella to help them to dress. Then, when she had taken the greatest pains with them, these unkind girls would say some harsh word or other to her, as they went down stairs. And I wish every one who reads this story (especially every little girl) to reflect what harm is sometimes done by unkind words hastily uttered. Never allow yourselves to be harsh in your speech, and even give up the last word rather than disregard this piece of good advice.

One day the two sisters received a little note on scented rose-coloured paper, which made them hold their heads up higher than ever, and become more insolent and rude to everyone in the house; so that even their mother, who doted on them and foolishly indulged them in every whim, began to think they were really rather disagreeable, and that it would be a good thing if they were married and out of the way; for that their manners were becoming unbearable. Indeed, this note made them more haughty to every