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ed by the mouse. At last, she looked at
her arms. She was not able to perceive
the least redness there; and, in fact, there
was no evidence that she was at all hurt,
in any part of her body. So she was
obliged to acknowledge her mistake, and
could not help laughing at her own folly.
Then she resolved that she would throw
away those childish fears, which had ren-
dered her the object of ridicule so long.
Madame Melval, too, tried harder than
ever to cure her daughter of these fears.
One day, when Laura came, according
to her custom, to bid her mother “ good
morning,” she perceived a mouse running
about in the room. A cry of fear escaped
her. But what was her surprise to see
this little creature climb up on the dress
of her mother, mount on her shoulders
and her head, and run down again almost
as quickly as lightning, and hide under
her handkerchief! She perceived that the
mouse was white, and that he had around
his neck a silken collar, on which there
was an inscription. But what astonished
her most was, that when her mother called
the little fellow—“ Charley, Charley”—
he went out of his hiding-place, seated
himself on the hand of his mistress, in a
most familiar manner, and performed a
hundred cunning little feats, in order to get
the morsel of sugar which she held be-
tween her fingers, and which Charley took
at last, with the utmost caution and grace.
Nor was this all: While Laura was looking
at the white mouse, she saw him, at the
command of her mother, lie down and act
exactly as if he was dead, and then, after-
ward, start up, all at once, and, standing
upon his hind feet, seize a little broom with
his fore feet, and sweep with it in the most
comic manner imaginable, the dress of his

mistress. Then he mounted on the head

 

THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

of the lady, passed down and up again on
her ringlets, and at last, after performing a
great, many such capers, he came and seat-
ed himself upon the shoulder of his mis-
stress, as if waiting for further orders.
“What!” exclaimed Laura, “is it pos-

sible that those little animals, which I was

so much afraid of, can be so well trained”
And, though with some trembling, she

stretched out her hand toward Charley,

but immediately drew it back again, when
the little fellow showed some signs that

he wanted to make her acquaintance. If
it had not been for this fear, with what
pleasure would she have offered the white

mouse a piece of sugar, to see how he

would take it out of her hand.

There was one thing about Charley,
which excited Laura’s curiosity a good
deal. It was the inscription on the collar
around his neck, The letters in which it

was written were so small, and the mo-

tions of the mouse were so rapid and

constant, that she could not make out to
read the words. At last, however, after
having hesitated a long time, she ap-
proached the little pet, and, by degrees,
she became accustomed to his gambols,
so that she was not afraid of him. One

day, he had gone through a multitude of

his antics, and among the rest that of
feigning death. Laura was so delighted,

that, in spite of some remains of fear, she
allowed these words to escape her :—
“Charley! Charley!” In a moment the
white mouse ran up her frock, mounted
to her head, then ran down to her shoul-
der, seated himself there, and commenced
washing his face with his fore paws. It
was then that Laura, for the first time,
was able to read the inscription engraved
on the collar of the mouse. It was m
these words: “I belong to Laura,”