o6 BE TRUE.

“My dear child,” replied Mrs. Page,
“you need not be anxious about
learning what the world calls tact.
Be kind and obliging ; be patient and
faithful; but never fear to be true:
do right, my Laura, and fear nothing.”

Poor child! thought the*good wo-
man, how gladly would I adopt her
as my own! But this thought was
vain. Mrs. Wingate, notwithstand-
ing Laura’s want of tact, could on no
account be prevailed on to part with
her. The faithful services of such a
child were of no small importance
in an establishment like hers, She
knew that Laura could be trusted
where her own daughters could not.
Laura was not often permitted to
spend an evening at home; it was
her nightly task to remain at the store
till the last tardy customer had taken