94 THE COUSINS. .

found her churning the butter, and when that
was done, she told them she was going to sew
till dinner-time, and after dinner her mother had
promised to take them all into a wood where
there were a great many blackberries. Nothing
could be more delightful in the children’s eyes,
and back they ran to Mrs. Lovett with the report.
It did not seem to her quite so unobjectionable
as to them. Their clothes, she thought, would
be torn to pieces by the blackberry-briers, and
their thin summer slippers seemed very unsuit-
able for walking in a wood where the ground
could scarceiy fail to be damp.

‘“‘T wish I had some clothes like Clara Nye’s,”
said Mary; ‘her father says her clothes were
made on purpose to wear in the country.’ Lucy
turned away with a pouting lip, thinking, per-
haps, that not even the pleasures of a black-
berry-gathering could repay her for wearing such
clothes.

“That is a very wise wish, Mary,” said Mr.
Lovett; then, turning to his wife, he added, ‘‘ We
should have thought of this before; the country
will be of no service to them unless they can be