KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



283 



taking, which was a very lengthy affair, since, 

 beside the Campbells, they found themselves 

 shaking hands and kissing many whom they had 

 never seen before that evening. " It had been 

 the most delightful visit in the world," was the 

 report given by all the party on their return 

 home. " Never had they in their lives so enjoyed 

 any evening ;" and their father and mother were 

 nearly stunned by the burst of talk that assailed 

 them, as, at the late hour of ten, the four visitors 

 came in and interrupted their quiet reading. 



All that had been done or said during the 

 evening was of course related, and each had to 

 give his or her own particular adventures, poor 

 little Margaret's being of course the most im- 

 portant. It was with some difficulty that the 

 excited talkers were at last quieted down and de- 

 spatched to bed ; and when once in bed, it was a 

 comfort to the rest of the family that downright 

 fatigue soon stopped the talking, and lulled them 

 to sleep. 



The children's party at the Campbells' left a 

 very deep impression on the minds of Fanny and 

 Margaret ; and although they looked back to it 

 with great delight, yet from that time there 

 found their way into their minds some feelings of 

 discontent that had never been there before. 

 They had made the discovery, in the first place, 

 that Alice and Jessie Campbell's papa and 

 mamma were richer than their own. Of course 

 they knew before that there were plenty of people 

 in the world richer than their father, and they had 

 seen before that Mr. Campbell's house was larger 

 and more beautifully furnished than their own ; 

 but still their own attachment to their happy 

 home made them feel no wish to exchange with 

 the Campbells, for where papa, and mamma, and 

 baby were, must be, after all, the best ; and there 

 had been times even in that delightful evening — 

 one or two moments, when a sort of longing to be 

 at home passed through their minds — with 

 Fanny, for instance, when, during one of the 

 dances, she was left up in a corner for want of a 

 partner, and with Margaret when shut up in the 

 greenhouse ; but without wishing exactly to be 

 in Alice Campbell's place, Fanny in particular 

 found herself wishing very much for several things 

 which Alice Campbell had, and which she could 

 not help thinking she might have, even though 

 her father was not so rich as Mr. Campbell. 

 What a sweet little writing-desk, for instance, 

 Alice Campbell had had given her on her birth- 

 day ! How strange that none of her relations had 

 ever thought of giving her one ! and what beau- 

 tiful little workboxes she and Jessie had! and 

 those were things that were quite useful and 

 almost necessary. She should be quite ashamed 

 for Alice to see the shabby little cedar-wood box 

 that she had for keeping her thimble and scissors 

 in, now that she compared it to Alice's beautiful 

 rosewood one lined with blue satin ! 



But after all, it must be confessed that the 

 things that had most of all aroused her envy, 

 amongst the possessions of Alice and Jessy Camp- 

 bell, were certain pink sashes that they wore with 

 their white frocks the evening of the party. Such 

 sweet pretty ribbons were they, and it had oc- 

 curred to her for the first time how much better 

 a frock looked with a sash — in fact, it would ap- 

 pear as if it were almost necessary, for nearly all 



the little girls wore them who were there — indeed 

 she was nearly sure that Alice had looked with 

 surprise at herself and Margaret on seeing them 

 without sashes. " Ribbon was not so very dear, 

 but what her papa might afford to give them 

 sashes, after all," thought Fanny. The matter 

 rested on her mind for some days — then was for- 

 gotten again ; but it revived in full force on her 

 mother suggesting, some time after their visit to 

 the Campbells, that she should like them to ask 

 their young friends to come and spend an evening 

 with them — if, as she said, they could contrive to 

 afford them some amusement. Fanny and all the 

 children were delighted at the idea of this; but as 

 they found that the Campbells were going to the 

 sea-side for a few weeks, the visit must be post- 

 poned until their return. In the meantime, they 

 should have time enough to plan what was to be 

 done for their entertainment. 



Fanny decided at once, that it must be what 

 she called " a party ;" and as her mamma had no 

 objection to some of their cousins from town being 

 invited, these, with little Ernestine and the three 

 Campbells, would make a party quite large 

 enough for their means of amusing them. Other 

 matters, though, entered into Fanny and Mar- 

 garet's thoughts ; and it made them rather 

 unhappy to think how very far short of the 

 evening they spent at the Campbells their own 

 party would be. Amongst other things, they 

 would have no sashes, and again Alice and Jessie 

 would wear theirs and wonder that they had 

 none. 



"If I thought mamma would not mind, I think 

 I could save up money enough to buy one myself," 

 thought Fanny ; and after some consultation with 

 Margaret, she ventured at last to speak to her 

 mottier on the subject. The following conver- 

 sation took place. 



Fanny. " Mamma, do you like sashes ? " 



Mother. " Yes, my dear, I think they are very 

 pretty sometimes." 



Fanny. "Alice and Jessie Campbell wear pink 

 ones, which look so pretty with their white frocks. 

 I do not think Margaret or I ever had any sashes 

 in our lives." 



Mother. " No, my dear ; I have always thought 

 that they would be an unnecessary expense ; 

 you know your papa is not as rich as Mr. Camp- 

 bell." 



Fanny. " Yes, mamma, I know ; but supposing 

 we could save up money to buy sashes ourselves, 

 should you mind our wearing them ? " 



Mother. " No, my dear — you may do as you 

 like with your money — only do not spend it until 

 you are quite sure that the sashes will give you 

 as much pleasure as you expect." 



Fanny considered this as quite encouragement 

 enough on the part of her mother, and as their 

 pocket-money for two or three weeks was still 

 unspent (her own and Margaret's allowance was 

 only threepence a week each, I ought to state), it 

 was hoped that enough might be saved up by 

 the time of the Campbells' return, to enable them 

 to buy sashes nearly as wide and as long as those 

 of Alice and Jessie. 



The very next time that nurse went into the 

 village, Fanny and Margaret begged leave to ac- 

 company her, that they might inquire the prices 

 of ribbons, in order to calculate how much money 



