The Fairy Godmothers. 39

Aurora, with fuch a motto.” “ My dear, fhe has
had it, fhe told me, fome months in her pocket
fecretly, for the purpofe you mention, but fhe can-
not ever fatisfy herfelf that Aurora has got the
fpirit of real induftry in her, and to bribe her to
carn the thimble is not her object, fo you fee it has
accidentally fallen to your fhare.”

And as fhe faid this, Hermione’s mother turned
round to leave the room; but before fhe had
reached the door, her little girl ftopped her—
‘¢ Mamma, do turn back.”

“¢ What is the matter, Hermione ?”

“ [’ve fomething I want to fay to you.”

“ [ am all attention, my dear, particularly as
your face looks fo unufually grave.”

“¢ Why, you and my Governefs are always call-
ing me good for doing my leffons well, and now
you are rewarding me for being good and all that,
and I don’t fee that I am good at all.”

“¢ Upon my word this is a very ferious matter,
Hermione; who or what has put this into your
head?”

“ [ read in a ferious book lately, that nobody
could be good without practifing felf-denial ; and
that, to be really good, one muft either do fome-
thing that one does not like, or give up fomething
that one does; fo that I am quite fure I cannot be
good and deferve a reward when I do French and
mufic and drawing and work well, becaufe I am
fo very fond of doing every thing I do do, that
every thing is a pleafure to me. And there is no