IIE NORTIICROFT LILIES.

 cupboard to your heart's content-make a bonfire if
 you like; but, oh! do just look at these pictures--
 isn't it capital ?" and she held up her heap in triumph.
 "Why, it's you, papa!" and she sprang up and
 kissed him.
 Quietly, pussy, thore's baby moving!" but the
 young gentleman in the cradle thought better of his
 intentions, and went to sleep again. And what are
 you going to do with all these pictures ?"
 Oh, papa, I'll tell you. Effie thinks it would be
 nice to have a Christmas-tree for the infant-school
 children, and I am going to dress some dolls, and
 Lottie will help; and Effie is going to make these into
 scrap-books. And, oh! won't it be fun ?"
 Capital! And stay, Gertrude, I will give you
something for the tree."
 Oh, thank you, papa."
 "It is only one thing, and very little; but if you
do not like it you can give it me back," and he put in
his little girl's hand a bright new sovereign.
 Oh, you dear, good, darling papa! Oh, that is
nice! We can get a splendid tree, and no end of
dolls. I'll ask Effie to go out with me this very after-
noon, and buy them."
 Effio was quite willing, and from that day forward
it was wonderful how little the thought of c"that
horrid Northcroft" troubled Gertrude. But when
Christmas was over, and the tree, with all its delights,
had become a thing of the past, the dismantling and
packing began in good earnest, and once more the
little girl's heart failed her, and the spirit of discontent
kept her in chains again.
 February came, and towards its close Gertrude
Layto-: shed a good many tears, for she did not at all
like leaving her old friends; and when she went to