Little Alice's Palace; or, The Sunny Heart

								

things around me.  O Maddie, there isn't anything on earth so beautiful
as what God has made!"
"Do you stay out here always?" asked Maddie.
"Oh no," said Alice; "that would be idle.  When mother has work I stay at
home to help her.  I've learned to sew nicely now, and can save mother
many a stitch.  To-day's my holiday, and I can play with you as long as
you please.  I've brought some dinner, and we'll set a table in my dining-
hall."  And she took from her pocket a little parcel, and led Maddie from
the bower to a hollow near the brook, where was a flat rock, and there
she spread her frugal fare.
There were two pieces of homemade bread and a small slice of cold bacon,
which she put upon leaves in the middle of the rocky table; and gathering
some violets, she placed them in bunches here and there, till the table
was sweet with their delicious fragrance.
Just as the children were about to help themselves to the food, there
came some little tired feet over the grass; and a more forlorn figure
than Maddie's stood a few yards off, looking shyly, but wistfully, at
them.
"Now, Lolly, you may just run home again as quick as you can," said
Maddie sharply.  "We haven't enough dinner for Alice and me.  Go, now!"
And she went towards her and gave her a slight push, at which the child
cried, but without turning away or making a step towards home.
"Is that your sister?" asked Alice, going up to Maddie.
"Yes; she's always running after me," returned Maddie, with an
ill-natured frown.
"Poor little thing!" said Alice.  "I wish my sister Nellie had lived.  I
shouldn't be cross to her, I know.  Come here, Lolly: you shall have some
of my dinner."  And she led the little grateful child to the wild
table, that seemed to her like a fairy scene, with the fresh leaf-plates,
and the pure sweet flowers breathing so delightfully.
"Mother makes capital bread--doesn't she, Maddie?" said Alice, as she ate
her small portion with evident relish, while she shared the remnant with
her guests.
"Now, Maddie," said she, as they finished the repast, "you clear the
table and wash the dishes, and Lolly and I'll go to my mirror to make
ourselves nice to sit down, and then I'll tell you the story my teacher
told me the other day, if you would like to hear it."
Maddie gladly agreed to this; and Lolly gave herself up to the gentle
hands of her new friend, who took her to the brook and washed her face
until the dirt all vanished and her cheeks were like two red roses.  Then
she took her pocket-comb, and, dipping it into the water, made the
child's hair so smooth that Lolly didn't know herself when she looked
into the brook, and asked, "What little girl it was with such bright eyes
and fresh rosy cheeks?"  And when Alice told her that it was herself, she
laughed with delight, and said "she would come every day to dress herself
by Alice's mirror if she could look so nice."  And then Alice and Maddie
and Lolly went to the bower for the story.