LITTLE GOODY TWO-SHOES.

I

AM going to tell you the history of a very good and useful little girl named Margery Meanwell. But as she was better known by the title of Goody Two-shoes, I shall call her by the last name; and I will tell you directly how it was that little Margery Meanwell came to be called by such a funny name.

Farmer Meanwell, the father of little Margery and of her brother Tommy, was for many years a rich man. He had a large farm, and good wheat-fields, and flocks of sheep, and plenty of money. But his good fortune forsook him, and he became poor, and was obliged to get people to lend him money, to be able to pay the rent of his house and the wages of the servants who worked on his farm.

Things went on worse and worse with the poor farmer. When the time came at which he should pay back the money lent him, he was not able to do so. He was soon obliged to sell his farm; but this did not bring him money enough, and he found himself in a worse plight than ever. This is how

There are some people who never know what it is to have pity on the poor and the unfortunate; and such persons make no difference between those who have fallen into misfortune by no fault of their own, and those whose idleness and extravagance have brought them to poverty. With such people it was Farmer Meanwell's fortune to meet.

Among the men who had lent money to Farmer Meanwell were two very hard-hearted and cruel persons. These were Sir Thomas Gripe and a farmer named Graspall. Sir Thomas Gripe was known as a very rich man indeed, and Farmer Graspall had more money than he could possibly use; but they were greedy, covetous people, and could not forgive the poor farmer who was not able to pay them. Just as we sometimes see a greedy boy, with a basket-full of apples, afraid to give one away, so these men, who had boxes full of money, were afraid of losing a few pounds each. Farmer Graspall was content with abusing Farmer Meanwell, and calling him bad names. But the rich Sir Thomas Gripe was more cruel and covetous than even Farmer Graspall, perhaps because he was very much richer, and greedy men who love money become more hungry after it the more they have, and never really enjoy anything, because they are always craving for more. Thus though Farmer Graspall was angry with his poor debtor, Sir Thomas Gripe was more unreasonable

still, and wanted to throw the poor debtor into prison, because he was not able to pay. So poor Farmer Meanwell was obliged to hasten away from the place where he had lived many years, in order to get out of the power of these bad, greedy men. He went into another village, and took his wife and two

little children with him. But though he was thus safe from Gripe and Graspall, the trouble and care he had to bear were too much for the poor ruined man. He fell ill, and worried himself so much about his wife and children, whom he was unable to supply with food and clothing, that he grew worse and worse, and died in a few days. His wife could not bear the loss of her husband, whom she loved very much. She tried hard to be comforted, and to cheer up for the sake of her two poor little children; but the blow was too heavy, and she could not get over it, and she wept without ceasing.

This continued grief was more than her strength could endure. She could not control her sorrow, and very soon was obliged to take to her bed; the poor heartbroken mother

fell sick too, and in three days she was dead. So Margery and Tommy were left alone in the world, without either father or mother to love them or take care of them. The parents were buried in one grave; and when the funeral was over, there seemed to be no one but the Father of the orphans, who dwells beyond the sky, to pity and take care of the desolate, helpless little orphans whose home had thus been broken up by the death of the parents who loved them.

But there were several people in the village who had known and respected the parents of little Tommy and Margery. Farmer Meanwell had always borne a good name; those who had long respected him were sorry for the

homeless children, who were thus left alone in the wide world. But though you would have pitied their sorrow, it would have done your heart good to have seen how fond these two little ones were of each other, and how, hand in hand, they trotted about. The poorer they became, the more they seemed to love one another. Poor enough they were, and ragged and forlorn. Tommy, indeed, had two shoes, but Margery had but one. They wandered about houseless and hungry; they had nothing to eat or drink but the berries they picked from the hedges, or the scraps they got from the poor people; and when night came, they crept into a barn to sleep.

Their relations took no notice of them. No, they were rich, and ashamed to own such a little ragged shoeless girl as Margery, and such a dirty little curly-pated boy as Tommy. These relations were selfish people, who loved to gain money and land better than to show kindness. They were very bad and wicked for despising the children because they were ragged and poor. But people like these, though they may grow rich, are not happy; for no one loves the hard-hearted, and, indeed, they do not deserve to be loved.

Now, Mr. Smith, the clergyman of the village in which the children were born, was not a person of this sort, but a kind, good man. He was not rich himself, and could not give them money; so he set his wits to work to devise some plan to assist poor Farmer Meanwell's orphans; and this is how he managed to help them :

He thought that above all things it was requisite the children should be taught something by which they could in time earn their own living; and this was easier to do for Tommy than for Margery. But though he could do little for them himself, Mr. Smith soon managed to find out some one who could do more.