Page:Memoir of Elizabeth Jones, A Little Indian Girl (1838).djvu/18

 16 thing, and kept every thing in its place." By this means she preserved her little gifts, which were highly prized. Not like many children, who are never at rest till they have destroyed them, Elizabeth took great delight in keeping them neat and clean: and if children knew how much of their happiness and comfort depended on habits of order, they would be more particular in cultivating these good qualities.

When I first took the entire charge of Elizabeth, she could only spell words of three letters; but such was her natural quickness, and laudable ambition for improvement, that in a few weeks she could read several little stories. Having a good ear and retentive memory, she soon spelt words of three syllables, learned Watts's First Catechism, and many of his beautiful hymns for children, with a number of others that were commonly sung at the chapel. She took great delight in hearing Bible stories, and often asked me to tell her about good children: their example had a most desirable influence over her. When reading, she would seldom pass over a word that she did not understand without asking its meaning; and in this interesting way she was continually adding to her little store of knowledge: and it was encouraging to find that what was told her was not soon forgotten. On the contrary, she would often draw