NOTHING

OTHING can be more natural and pleafing than to fee young children fond of their parents. The birds of the air, and even the wild inhabitants of the foreft, love and are beloved by their young progeny.

Little Anabella was fix years old, very fond of her mamma, and delighted in following her every where. Her mother being one day obliged to go to market, wifhed to leave her little daughter at home, thinking it would be too fatigu

troublefome to herself; but the child's entreaties to go, were fo carneft and preffing, that her mother could not withstand them, and at last confented to her request.

The cloak and bonnet was foon on, and the little mifs fet off with her mamma in high spirits. Such was the badnefs of the paths in fome places, that it was impoffible for them to walk hand in hand, fo that Anabella was fometimes obliged to trudge on by herself behind her mamma; but these were fuch kind of hardships as her little fpirit was above complaining of.

The town now appeared in fight, and the nearer they approached it, the more the paths were thronged with people. Anabella was often feparated from her mamma; but this did not at prefent much difturb her, as by skipping over a rut, or stepping between people as they paffed, fhe foon got up again to her mother. However, the nearer they approached the market, the crowd of courte increased, which kept her eyes in full employment to spy which way her mother went; but a little chaife drawn by fix dogs having attracted her attention, fhe ftopped to look at them, and by that means loft fight of her mother, which foon became the caufe of much uneafinefs to her.

Here, my little readers, let me paufe for a moment to give you this neceffary advice. When you

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walk abroad with your parents or fervants, never look much about you, unless you have hold of fome part of their apparel. And I hope it will not be deemed impertinent to give fimilar advice to parents and fervants, to take care that children do not wander from them, fince, from fuch neglect, many fatal accidents have frequently happened. But to proceed.—

Little Anabella had not gazed on this object of novelty for more than a minute, before she recollected her mamma, and turned about to look for her; but no mamma was there, and now the afflic tions of her heart bagan. She called aloud, " Mamma; mamma; but no mamma anfwered. She then crawled up a bank, which afforded a view all around; but no mamma was to be feen. She now burst into a flood of tears, and fat herself down at the foot of the bank, by which people were paffing in great numbers.

Almost every body that paffed faid fomething or other to her, but none offered to help her to find her mother. "What is the matter with you, my little dear, faid one, that you cry fo fadly? "I have loft my mamma!" faid Anabella, as well as the grief of her heart would permit her to speak. Another told her never to mind it, fhe would find her again by and by. Some faid, "Do not cry fo, child, there is nobody that will run away with you."

Some pitied her, and others laughed at her; but no one offered to give her any affistance.

Such my little pupils, is the conduct of moft people. When any misfortune brings you into trouble, you will find enough ready to pity you, but few who will give you any material afftance. They will tell you then what you know yourfelves, that you should not have done fo and fo; they will be forry for you and then take their leave of you.

Little Anabella, however was foon relieved from her prefent terrible anxieties. A poor old woman with eggs and butter in a basket, happened to be that day going to the fame market, whither Anabella's mother was gone before her.

Seeing Anabella in fo much diftrefs, ftill crying as if her little heart would break, she went up to her, and asked her what was the cause of thofe tears that fell from her little cheeks. She told her that she had loft her mamma. "And to what place, my dear, cried the old woman, was your mamma going when you loft her?"-" She was going to the market," replied Anabella. "Well, my fweet girl, continued the old woman, I am going to the market too, and if you will go along with me, I make no doubt but we fhall find your mother there. However, I will take care of you till you do find her."

She then took Anabella by the had and led her along the road.

The good old woman put her hand in her pocket, and pulled out a piece of nice plum-cake, which he gave to Anabella, who thankfully accepted of it; but her little heart was too full to permit her to think of eating at that time. She therefore put it into her pocket, faying, that the would eat it by and by, when fhe had found her mamma, which he hoped would be foon."

As they walked along, the good old Woman endeavoured to amufe Anabella oy telling her pretty ftories, and enquiring of her what books fhe read. "I very well know, faid the old woman, that you young children are too apt to be fond of hiftories of haunted houfes, witches, ghosts, and apparitions, which tend only to fill you with idle fears and apprehenfions, and make you afraid even of your own fhadows." But when Anabella told her that her books were all bought at No. 88 Chesnut-street, the feemed perfectly fatisfied.

They had hardly entered the market, when the little rambling eyes of Anabella caught fight of her mamma. She shrieked with joy, and like an arrow out of a bow, darted from the old woman, and flew