AUNT HARDING'S KEEPSAKES:
OR, THE TWO BIBLES
REVISED BY DANIEL P. KIDDER.
1851.
CONTENTS.
AUNT HARDING'S KEEPSAKES.
CHAPTER I: GUESSING.
"Can you guess," said Louisa to her sister, as they sat at their workin the summer-house, "can you guess what aunt Harding will give us, asa keepsake, before she goes away?"
"No, I have not thought about it," said Emma; "and aunt has latelygiven us so many pretty things, that we can scarcely expect any morefor a long time to come. There is my doll and its cradle, you know,and your baby-house and furniture, how much money they cost! No, I donot think aunt intends to give us anything else."
"But I am quite sure she will," replied Louisa; "for I was going pastmamma's dressing-room this morning, when the door was a little wayopen, and I heard aunt Harding say, 'I should like to give the deargirls something really useful, which they may value as they growolder.' I did not hear anymore, because mamma has always told us it isnot right to listen, and so I came away as fast as I could."
"Well, I wonder what the present will be?" said Emma, now quiteconvinced.
"What should you think of two handsome work-boxes—or, perhaps, as Iam the eldest, of a work-box for yourself, and writing-desk for me?"
"That would be charming!" said Emma; "and I would let you use mywork-box, and you could lend me your writing-desk sometimes."
"I will not make any promises," said Louisa; "you know you are verycareless, and I should not like my nice new desk to be stained withink, or, perhaps, scratched with the point of a pin."
"But mamma says I am growing more careful," said her sister; "and I donot think I am so heedless about other people's things, though I oftenspoil my own."
"Remember my wax doll," said Louisa, "which you left in the gardenthrough that heavy shower of rain, so that I could never play with itagain."
"O, that was such a very long time ago!" said Emma, looking a littlevexed.
"Perhaps it will not be a writing-desk nor a work-box that auntHarding will give us," said Louisa; "there are many other things whichwe should like. I wish she would ask us to choose."
"So do I," added Emma; "but there is nothing that I should like betterthan a work-box."
Louisa thought of many other things which she should be glad to have;for she was apt to indulge in a foolish habit of wishing for what shewas not likely to possess. It is a bad thing to give way to thisfailing; for by doing so we may often make ourselves unhappy, withoutany good or real cause. People who do so should think of the words ofSt. Paul: "I have learned, in whatsoever s