The Little Nightcap Letters. Fanny Aunt

and love my dear brothers and sisters who are so kind to me, and please bless my darling mother, and if I die before another year, may we all meet again in heaven, I pray, for Jesus' sake. Amen."

      The tears came into my eyes as I listened to this little prayer – and I bent my face down and kissed Charley's white forehead to hide them – and whispered to him that I would tell it to the children outside in the world, and perhaps this little prayer might be learned by some other sick child – and it would comfort them, and I would also give them the new stories – at which he smiled and said: "Oh, yes, do!" and all the rest said: "Do, Aunt Fanny; and stay to-night – and see the magic lantern – then you can tell them about that, too, you know; they'll be so glad, they won't know what to do."

      So I staid; and pretty soon there was a great scampering, and bustling, and climbing up on chairs, to fasten a large sheet over the opening of one of the doors, and then the grandest of the company – which consisted of Charley, the tremendous DOG, and myself – were put, with a great many polite speeches, into the best places in front; and the rest shook, and jumped, and tumbled themselves into seats behind us – and all the lights were put out, and everybody was in a perfect state of delightful expectation, as they shouted: "Here we are, mamma, with all our eyes staring at the sheet ready for the show."

      Then the little mother went into the next room with the magic lantern, and lighted a lamp inside, and placed it close to the sheet. In a moment, a large, bright circle of light appeared on the sheet – and in a moment more, we saw a splendid picture of Daniel in the Lions' Den; the lions with their fierce-looking mouths wide open, and their sharp claws spread out as if they would snap up Daniel the very next instant – upon which the children raised such a shout that I thought my head was coming off – and it was quite fortunate that the picture was changed to one of Moses in the Bulrushes, which delighted the children beyond every thing; but when there came a picture of little Samuel praying – a low murmur of – "Oh! how lovely! what a good little Samuel! how I love him!" sounded softly through the room.

      There was one picture of a cross old school ma'am, with a great hook nose, and a long whip, looking so savage at three poor little children that did not seem to know their lessons – that Minnie cried out:

      "Oh! see the poor chillens! they don't know their A, B, C. Ah! I so sorry for them!" and then all the children said: "Poor things! why don't they run away – I would! Because she looks so cross! let's scratch a smile on her face with a pin, and make her look pleasant."

      But the best picture of all was Noah's Ark. First the ark came on alone – then a plank seemed to be put down – then came the great elephants, lions, tigers, and bears, marching up the plank two and two into the ark – and after them all the rest of the animals in the world, getting smaller and smaller, until little wee monkeys, and kittens, and mice, and robins, and grasshoppers, and blind beetles, and big spiders, and tumble-bugs, ran and hopped, and skipped, and crawled up the plank in such quantities, that it was quite a wonder they were not all suffocated in such a crowd. But didn't the children clap their hands and cry: "Look! look!" when Noah and his wife, and his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japhet, and their families, marched gravely past, looking straight before them, and went into the ark, and the ark sailed slowly off! It was perfect! they wished they could have gone into the ark, too, to put apples into the elephant's trunk, and play with the monkeys, and count all the animals – George guessed there must have been at least a thousand – while Annie thought a million went in. How many do you think, you dear little darling?

      The magic lantern was a great success, and Minnie said: "the magic nightcat was the bestest of all."

      After the show was over, I kissed everybody, and went home quite happy in the promise of my new stories – and you may be sure, you dear little poppet, that Kitty, and you, and all the darling children shall have them as fast as the printer can print them. If you like them, just go to Mr. Appleton's, and coax him to tell you where I live; and then run up to my house on your dear little feet, and give one real good kiss to your loving Aunt Fanny.

      INTRODUCTION

      One evening the little nightcap mother said: "Children, I have had a most charming present. It is a copy of some letters and stories that were written and told to your little friend, Bella Curtis. They are a kind of baby stories, for children like Minnie. Do you think you shall like them? Do you Charley?"

      Then the children all shouted out "Certainly! Of course! the baby stories are the best! no, not the best, but just as good as the old stories – yes, mamma, do read them. Letters! why that is something new – how very nice."

      "But I don't want to hear A – B – C," cried little Minnie, who was just learning her letters, and thought it very hard work – "I don't like letters a bit."