8
“A SISTER TO BE PROUD OF!”

 

 

HEN Harry Matthews discovered that it was. _
a frosty morning, he was nearly wild with
delight. ‘ Here’s a treat, Nell!” he said briskly
to his sister, who was crouching over the fire.
“ There'll be skating on the squire’s pond to-day.
I say, Nell,’ he went on, “ don’t you wish you
could skate?” “Of course I do, but I can't;
so what’s the use of wishing?” said Nell
gloomily.. ‘I’ve never even once had on the skates Uncle
John gave me a year ago.” Harry was silent for a minute.
Then he said, “Look here, Nell—I’ll teach you to skate!”
“Oh, will you?” cried Nellie delightedly ; “ really, Harry?”
“Why, yes!” said Harry, surprised, and, if it must be
confessed, a little bit ashamed to notice how his sister's face
brightened. For he did not devote to her nearly as much
of his time as he might and ought to have done.

After breakfast they started out, and on arriving at the
pond found a crowd of skaters already enjoying themselves.
Amongst them was Tom Morris, a school-friend of Harry's;
and he good-naturedly offered to help Nellie. The two boys
took the greatest pains with their pupil, and by dinner-time she
could really manage fairly well. ‘She is a pupil to be proud
of,” said Harry, who now found for the first time that Nellie
was a far nicer playmate than many of his school-boy friends.

That first skating lesson was the beginning of a better
understanding between Nellie and her brother; and it was
not long before Harry was heard to say—and to a boy, too |—
“T tell you, Tom Morris, my Nell is a sister to be proud of!”
And Tom agreed !