38 THE CINDERELLA FROCK.

‘¢ Fault! why, ’tis a lie to begin with.”

‘¢ QO, well, we all know it’s a fairy story,
Rovina; but then, the little girl is so good,
and so beautiful.”’

‘¢ Beautiful! O, yes, beautiful! that’s the
grand thing, too, in all these story charac-
ters. Beautiful! you like them, to be sure,
and well you may, Miss Alice,—you! yes,
you can be a very Cinderella yourself if you
like, with your handsome face. But I,—
they’re pretty things for me to read. J may
make believe ever so, and after all, [’m just
one of the hateful sisters-in-law, homely
creature, as I am. No wonder every body
hates me.”’

Alice did not laugh. Indeed, when she
looked into the little sour face, at that mo-
ment so particularly soured, her own grew
very grave, for she thought,—who knew but
all this bitterness had grown up from poor