42 The Fairy Godmothers.

the affiftance of her Governefs, recommenced the
unlucky grey ftocking, and was working affidu-
oufly at it when her young friends arrived.

It was a curious fight to the Fairies to fee two
of their god-daughters together, as they now did.
But the conviction was forced upon them, that,
for the prefent at leaft, Hermione had the balance
of happinefs in her favour. Whatever their amufe-
ments were,—whether looking over curiofities,
' playing with dolls, or any of the numerous games
invented for the entertainment of the young, Her-
mione’s whole heart and attention were in the
matter, and fhe was as much engrofled as over
learning at other times, and quite happy. With
poor Aurora it was not fo; the childifhnefs of the
play every now and then annoyed her; there was
no food for her vanity, in playing with children ;
they cared nothing about her beauty; the gayeft
and moft good-natured face has always the moft
charms for them, and this did not fuit Aurora at
all, and ever and anon her thoughts wandered, and
her wifhes too. |

For ever ftraining into the future |!

“I cannot make out your Fairy gift at all,
Ambrofia,” faid Euphrofyne, and I begin to fuf-
pect you have not given her one.”

“¢ We are all growing philofophical, I perceive,”
faid Ambrofia, fmiling. ‘ Who could think you
would have gueffed that my happy child has had
no Fairy gift at all. But the has, I aflure you.
What do you fay to the Philofopher’s Stone? It