Many of them were much younger than she was, and they loved to ramble about in the woods around Mary Erskine's house, and to play along the bank of the brook.

Mary used to show them too, every time they came, the new articles which Albert had made for her, and to explain to them the gradual progress of the improvements.

Mary Bell herself was very fond of going to see Mary Erskine,--though she was of course at that time too young to go alone.

Sometimes however Mrs.Bell would send her out in the morning and let her remain all day, playing, very happily, around the door and down by the spring.

She used to play all day among the logs and stumps, and upon the sandy beach by the side of the brook, and yet when she went home at night she always looked as nice, and her clothes were as neat and as clean as when she went in the morning.