"I wish I did too, mamma."

"Well, Caroline, I will teach you the names of all you will bring me; and in a few more years you shall learn botany."

"What is botany, mamma ?”

"It is the study of plants; that is, learning to know their names and properties, and to class them in right order."

“Do you mean of trees too, mamma, or only of flowers?"

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Of the whole vegetable kingdom, Caroline ; that is, of every kind of plant, from the majestic oak which grows in the wood, to the little lichen. on that stone.”

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Dear, mamma, I never knew before that those pretty black and yellow marks on stones were plants which grew."

"But they are so, my love, though they are so small that we can tell very little about them without a magnifying-glass."

"I shall like to learn botany very much, I am sure, mamma, when I am old enough."

"And I shall like to teach you very much; and now let us go home."

Caroline took hold of her little sister's hand, and they ran and played by the side of their mother, whilst she walked quietly towards home. When they arrived there, they divided their flowers, and with their mamma's help planted them in their gardens, then watered them well, and went up stairs to be dressed for dinner.

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CONVERSATION VII.

ABOUT Six o'clock in the evening, Caroline heard a carriage drive up to the door; and upon looking out of the nursery window, she saw a lady and a little girl get out of it. The sight of them recalled to her mind her mamma's conversation with her in the morning respecting her behaviour to this little girl; and she went into a room by herself, and knelt down, and prayed to her Heavenly Father to enable her to behave in such a way as to please her mamma; and to make her kind and good to little Sarah. In about half an hour the bell rang, and the servant came to tell Caroline that her mamma wanted her. Upon entering the parlour, she saw a lady sitting by her mamma, and a little girl nearly a head taller than herself standing be

tween them. The lady held out her hand to Caroline, who went up to her with a smiling face, and made a pretty little courtesy when she gave her her hand. The lady kissed her, and asked her several questions, which Caroline answered very properly. She then said to her: "I have brought my little Sarah to see you, Caroline, and I hope you will love each other very much;" and she drew Sarah from behind her chair, where she had retreated when Caroline entered the room.

Caroline felt very shy, and the colour came into her face; however, she took hold of Sarah's hand, and would have kissed her, but Sarah pulled her hand from her, and turned rudely away.

Then Caroline's mamma, whose name was Mrs. M―, began to converse with her friend Mrs. Green; and Caroline stood quietly beside them till her mamma said to her: "6 Perhaps, Caroline, Sarah would like to go up stairs with you, and look at your books and playthings." Caroline went timidly up to Sarah, and holding out her little hand to her, said: "Will you

come with me, Sarah?"" No," answered Sarah, sulkily, and again turned from her. Caroline felt rather vexed at first, but she thought, perhaps, Sarah did not like to leave her mamma, as she was going away the next morning; so she ran up stairs, and soon returned with her favourite doll in her arms, and a few of her prettiest books, which she put down on a chair by the side of Sarah, and then went and stood by her mamma again.

After a little time, Sarah took up first one book, and looked at the pictures in it, and threw it down, and then another, till she had looked at them all: then she took the doll, and began to play with it very roughly; presently she pretended it was naughty, and beat it. This vexed poor Caroline very much, for though she knew her doll was not alive, and had no feeling, yet she loved it almost as if it was her own baby, and could not bear to see it ill used; however, she stood still watching Sarah, though she felt ready to cry. At last Sarah said to the doll, "You are a nasty little thing," and threw it upon the ground. Caroline could bear it no

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