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18 THE SILVER LAKE STORIES,

““Do you know who this lady is to
be, Jane ?’

“No, indeed, I know nothing about
her,’ said Jane. ‘Some young high-
flyer, I Suppose; they always give
themselves great airs. f had a step-
mother once myself, and a pretty life
She led me, to be sure |’

“And in this way Jane talked to us
every day, entertaining us with stories
of the cruelty of step-mothers, till we
really thought that the greatest calam-
ity which could happen to a family
would be the entrance of such a being
into it. | |

At length, I received a letter from