“Oh! here is something from Aunt Fanny, which looks extremely interesting,” said the little mother one evening.

“Read it, do, please!” cried the children with sparkling eyes.  “We will work at our mittens harder than ever, for anything so very nice.”

So the kind mother began as follows: 

MY DEAR CHILDREN —

I must tell you what happened to me this morning — not for the first time, to be sure; but as it always makes me just as happy, I might as well call them all “first times.”

I was very busy writing a ridiculous story for you about the Honorable Mr. Kite, when a barouche full of ladies drove up to the door.  As I was sitting at the window, I could see them getting out.  With them was a lovely little girl.

“Oh!” said I to Sarah, my daughter, “what a darling little child is coming here!  I never saw her or the ladies before, and I am afraid they have stopped at the wrong house.”

But the front door bell rang, and a moment after the servant handed me two cards.  One was quite large and almost square.  It had the name of a lady upon it.  The other was such a dear little card that I must give you the exact pattern.  Here it is —

name and all; and when Maria handed it to me, she said, “Oh, ma’am! if you could only see what a sweet little girl is down stairs!  She took this card out of a silver card case of about the same size as this, and she smiled and skipped into the house as if she was so pleased!”

You may be sure I was not long in going down to the parlor.  I had hardly got in the door when two little arms were round me, and a sweet voice said, “Aunt Fanny;” and when I stooped down, I think I got at least twenty kisses.  Then one of the ladies took my hand, and told me how her little daughter loved me, and, above all, loved “Lame Charley,” because she, like him, had been very ill for a long time, and his patience and sweetness had helped her to be patient and sweet.  “But my darling is better now,” she continued; “and when we came to New York, she begged me to bring her to see you.”

I came very near crying.  A thankful prayer rose in my heart, that God had permitted me to add to the happiness of this little one, whose pale, delicate face showed that she had passed through much suffering.  It does grieve me so, to know that children must sometimes spend hours and days in pain!  And I stooped again and kissed this tender little blossom, and felt sure, as I looked at the soft, loving expression of her large dark eyes, that Jesus, our Saviour and Friend, had loved and comforted her all through her illness.

The other lady was her aunt — a gentle, lovely person, for whom I seemed to feel an affection at once:  indeed, we all talked together like old friends, and I could hardly bear to have them go away.  I had a strange feeling, as if I must have known them all before, in some far off time.  The mother’s voice especially had a charming, cordial tone, which I shall always remember.

They could not stay very long, they said, because they had left a lady in the carriage who was an invalid.  Then I wanted to run out and bring her in; but they said they must go; and my dear little new friend left me, with kisses, and promises to come some time and see me again.

This visit put me in mind of a story about little Annie, which I meant to have told you before.  If you will please to forgive me, I will tell it to you now.  I shall call it “Ilken Annie,” because that is her own name for herself.  By “ilken” she means “little.”