The Adopted Daughter: A Tale for Young Persons

le, and found her busily employed at needle-work, and two or three little girls of the village with her, to whom she was distributing several articles of cloth

left the farm; but now they saw her white frock and yellow shoes, and remembe

rl like yourselves, and if it had not been for a good uncle and aunt, and Mrs. Meridith's kindness,

d Bella; "every body loves you, and

rd Anna speaking, "if it will keep her mindful not to give more trouble than she can help; and I should be sorry she should forge

, "for they are all my old playfellow

s going to clothe them also, and she heard her give directions for more things t

as you are to them. But how much more kind to take me as your own! And why was it me? why not one of them? they are better little girls than I have

y dear," returned Bella, who

d Mrs. Meridith, "who are all obliged to do something towards supporting themselv

id, and she sat down to dinner with her wi

n together, she told them all about the torn frock which she had vainly endeavoured to mend. "You told me," said she to William, "that these fine clothes did not make me happi

reverted to her former state, in conversation with Mrs. Meridith, and her uncle and aunt, while the latter always endeavoured to imprint on her mind the sense of her

ntiful meal was provided every day, but nothing superfluous; and her barrels of home-brewed ale were tapped, that all might have their allotted portion. In short, from her extensive fortune and her earnest endeavour to make these poor people happy, there was not a family in Downash who had not at least one of their children apprenticed to some useful trade, while the others worked in the fields;

n carrying her generosity too far, had she not possessed so ample a fortune, with no near relation to inherit it after her death, and those she had were all in a state of affluence. She therefore gratified herself by thus obliging two worthy families, and convincing them that the kindness of their mother to her in infancy was not forgotten. All who heard of these acts of kindness, rejoiced that they were shewn to men so deserving of them, except the other farmer in the village, whose name was Ward: he could not see what the Campbells had done to merit such a recompense, nor bear that they should be the owners of their farms while he only rented his. At market, or wherever they met, his envy was apparent; and yet he could attach no blame to either of the brothers, since they were both ig

on as more than a mother, though often the circumstance of the torn frock was reverted to by her uncle, and he reminded her that

"and these," said her attentive uncle, "you ought to be assiduous in learning, that you may be able to amuse Mrs. Meridith as her

h to play, or sing, after your masters have left yo

sing to them.-A song, or a concerto on the piano will not satisfy the calls of hunger, or still the pains of sickness; and the poor in the village will not thank you for sitting whole hours at your instrument, if it leads you to neglect them; and may you recollect my

her their account of how they had been relieved; and the praises of good Mrs. Meridit

called to know why his daughter was not at school the week before; "they are as good masters to wor

us all reason to rejoice that she came t

"now you speaks of that, your poo

ke," answered Anna, "

if he deserved to be called so

e is," said she, not expecting

e, "but I did hear a little while ago that some one see

eagerness, half afraid yet anxious to he

it was somewhere beyond sea; but it was at farmer Ward's my daughter heard it, and the reason, Ma'am, she

I thought they would have had some

ry handy, and knows how to do a great many things. But here she comes, and Nancy Ward with her, I declare." Anna looked out and saw them coming towards the little wicket, she therefore would not leave the house till they entered it; and as it was at farmer Ward's that something had been heard of

he, "I hope you are well? You

ink,-the farmer Campbells are quite gentlemen now, and Miss Meridith, or Miss Camp

red Anna, with rather a haughty air; but it was immediately humbled when the in

r!" retu

e now; and it would be a good thing for him if he

if he needed and deserved it, he would not have lon

I only think that if he knew how generous Mrs. Meridith is to all w

an't talk better than that, you should hold your tongue; you may be

have suffered for the faults of mine; till now

nna Eastwood, or Campbell as she was called, is so proud since she has become Mrs. Meridith's d

ve nothing to be proud of; but I hope I shall never be insensible to the kindness of Mrs. Meridith, or my uncle and aunts; and as for what that lady has done for them, it was because their mother was her f

eridith herself; and it is a rare thing to see ladies like her with so little, and remember former kindnesses and

the envious girl, "when she ha

med her anger. "My uncles had not laboured so long, nor my grandfather before them, not to be able

well as them, I fancy," replied

ll your father's to another person if he wished to have it." Nancy Ward now looked half ashamed, and Anna turning from her, said something to the other girl (who had stood by in evident distress during