39. "What is the matter now, Rosamond?" said her mother.

40. "I don't know, mamma."

41. "But try to find out, Rosamond," said her mother; "think and tell me what it is that makes you look so miserable; if you can find out the cause of this wo, perhaps you will be able to put an end to it.-What is the cause, can you tell?"

42. "The cause is-I believe, 'mammàbecause," said Rosamond, sobbing-" because I think to-day will be a-will be a day of a day of a day of misfortunes."

43. "And what do you mean by a day of misfortunes, Rosamond? a day on which you are asked not to put large pieces of bread into your mouth ?"

44. "No, mamma,' ," said Rosamond, half laughing, "but—————”9

66

45. But what?-a day when you cannot immediately untie a knot?""

46. "Not only that, mammà," answered Rosamond, "but a day when every thing goes wrong."

47. "When you time, for instance?"

do not get up in proper

48. "Yes, mamma."

49. "And whose fault was that, Rosamondyours or the day's?"

50. "Don't you think it was partly the day's fault, mamma, because it was so cold?-It was the cold that first prevented me from getting up:

and then my not getting up was the cause of my being in a great hurry afterwards, and of my losing my lace and my pocket handkerchief, and of my pulling the strings of my cap into a knot, and of my being cross to Laura, who was so good to me, and of your being displeased with me, and of all my misfortunes.'

51. "So the cold, you think, was the cause of all these misfortunes, as you call them; but do you think that nobody has felt the cold this morning, except yourself? Laura and I have felt the cold; and how comes it that we have had no misfortunes?

tunes.

52. "Oh, mamma!" said Rosamond; "but you and Laurà do not mind such little misforIt would be very odd indeed, mamma,' (and she burst out a laughing at the idea)—"it would be very droll, indeed, mamma, if I was to find you crying because you could not untie the strings of your cap."

53. "Or because I was cold," added her mother, laughing with her.

54. "I was very foolish, to be sure, mamma,” resumed Rosamond; "but there are two things I could say for myself, that would be some excuse."

55. "Say them, then, my dear: I shall be glad to hear them."

56. "The first is, mammà, that I was a great deal longer in the cold this morning, than any body else; therefore I had more reason to cry,

you know. And the second thing I have to say for myself, is

57. "Gently," interrupted her mother; "before you go to your second excuse, let us consider whether your first is a good one-How came you to stay longer in the cold, this morning, than any body else did?"

58. "Because, mamma, you sent Laurà down stairs, and told me I must untie the knot myself."

59. "And why did I send Laura down stairs, and say you must untie the knot for yourself?" 60. "Because I was cross to Laura, I believe."

61. "And what made you cross to Laura ?"

62. "I was cross, because I could not untie the knot that the strings of my cap had got into." 63. "Had got into, Rosamond! Did the strings get into a knot of themselves?"

64. "I mean, I pulled them into a knot?"
65. "And how came you to do that?”
66. "Because I was in a hurry."

67. "And how came you to be in a hurry?" 68. "Oh! I see, mamma, that you will say, it was my own fault that I did not get up in proper time-But now for the second thing I have to say for myself: the strings of my cap are a great, great deal too short; and this, more than the cold, was the cause of all my misfor

tunes.

69. "You and Laura might have felt the

cold, as you say, as much as I did; but you neither of you had short strings to your caps.

70. "But, I do not think that the cold, or the strings, were the real cause of my misfortunes. I don't think that I should have cried the first time, and I am almost sure that I should not have cried the second and third times, if it had not been for something else.

71. "I am afraid, mamma, to tell you of this something else, because I know you will say, that was more foolish than all the rest."

72. "But tell it to me, notwithstanding," said her mother, smiling, "because the way to prevent yourself from being foolish again, is to find out what made you so just now.

73. "If you tell me what you think, and what you feel, perhaps I may help you to manage yourself so as to make you wise, and good, and happy; but, unless I know what passes in your mind, I shall not be able to help you.'

74. "I'll tell you directly, mamma: it was my thinking that to-day would be a day of misfortunes, that made me cry the second and third times; and do you know, mamma," continued Rosamond, in a fâltering, mournful voice, "I don't know why-but I can hardly help feeling almost ready to cry when the same thing comes into my head again* now, mamma. Do you think to-day will be a day of misfortunes, mam

ma?"

*agen.

75. "I think, my dear," answered her mother, "that it will depend entirely upon yourself, whether it is or not. If you recollect, we have just discovered, that all your past misfortunes, as you call them, were

76. "Were my own fault, you are going to say, mamma," interrupted Rosamond; "that's the worst of it! That makes me more sorry, and not pleased with myself, nor with any thing else, and ready to cry again, because I can't help it all now.'

77. "Since you cannot help it all now," said her mother, "why should you cry about it? Turn your thoughts to something else. We cannot help what is past; but we can take care of the future."

LESSON XXVI.

THE OSTRICH.

1. THE Ostrich is a bird of great size, very strong, and having the finest and most beautiful feathers, black and white. Yet it is by no means a handsome bird, as it has very few feathers upon it, and a large part of the body is quite naked.

2. Ostriches live in the deserts of Arabia and