Mary’s scholars were all very still and attentive while she was reading to them about Anne Lyle, and when she had finished it, she asked Harry if he did not think Anne Lyle was a useful, happy, little girl? She waited on her mother, and walked in the garden with her blind, old grandfather, and put away his hat and cane for him, and kept her little brother quiet; and she was a kind little girl too, for she took something good to the sick cook, and saved some of her pennies to buy shoes for a poor beggar. Harry said, “Yes: and if I knew how, I would like to be useful too.” Mary reminded him that one of his school-mates had lost her sponge, and when she wanted to rub from her slate some crooked strokes that she had made, she asked Harry for his sponge, and he had refused to lend it to her, because he wanted it himself. “You might have been useful, then, Harry,” said Mary, “but you did not choose to be so.” Harry hung his head and looked ashamed; but presently he ran away to his desk, and brought out his sponge, and gave it to Lily Forester; (for that was the little girl’s name who had asked him for it.) Lily said, “Thank you, Harry,” and she cleaned her slate off nicely with it, and gave it back to him. His teacher stroked Harry’s hair with her hand, and said, “Now, has not my little boy of four years old learned to be useful?” Harry hid his curly head behind Mary’s apron for a few moments, and then he peeped up into her kind face, and she knew he meant Yes, though he did not say any thing. “Oh,” said Mary, “my little Harry has discovered that he can be useful; and that when he is useful, he is happy.” Harry scampered off, and sat close by Lily Forester till school was out. In the afternoon, Mary’s scholars were all collected around the school-room door before she arrived. As soon as they saw her coming, they ran to meet her, and Susan Field brought a bunch of beautiful flowers for her. Mary was very fond of flowers, and she thanked Susan, and said she would keep them in water for her little scholar’s sake. Then she took a china vase which she kept for flowers, and allowed all her scholars to go with her down to the spring for fresh water; and she filled the vase with water and arranged the flowers, and then she said, “Now we will all go to school, and enjoy them together.” Three afternoons in the week Mary taught her scholars to sew, and knit, and work samplers on canvas. She thought every little girl should know how to use the needle, and cut out garments. Then, when she grew up to be a woman, she could keep her own wardrobe neatly, and be _helpful_ in her family besides; and if she had leisure, after doing her share of the family sewing, she could teach poor little children, and make garments for the sick and old, who were not able to help themselves.