LILY'S ENEMY.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 24, 5 November 1898, Page 8

LILY'S ENEMY.

'".Mother, there is Buch & disagreeable .-■girl at school ; she jralled ray hair this morning and called me a cry-baby," said Lilly, looking up with tearful eyes into her mother's face. " Oh, you cannot i think what a horrid girl she is; nobody .likes her. I wish Mrs Marshland would .send her away from our school"; and Lily's iron came to a standstill. "What is the name of the dreadful 'igirl, and where does she live 5" asked Mrs Eushton; putting her arm round iier little daughter in token of sympathy. ".She is called Dora Hilton, and lives an Grange Eoad, with her grandmother. SL think her father and mother are dead." " Poor child 1" said Mrs Eushton. " Mother, why do you -call her ' poor <ohild ?' " cried Lily excitedly, " she is

my enemy." " Isil't she a poor child if she has no parents? Now suppose yoa were to try to turn this enemy into a friend ?" ■" Gh, mother, I couldn't." " Have you triad ?" asked Mrs Kushton, gravely. " When Dora pulled your hair and said rude things, what ■ did you do? 1 ' " I—lI — I made faces at her," stammered Lilly, ashamed at the recollection. " That was not very kind. Well, now, to-morrow try a different plan. Watch for an opportunity to help Dora in some way, and if she speaks rudely, answer pleasantly." Lilly thought this advice very hard to follow, but resolved to try. The ver^ next day came an opportunity. Dora had forgotten her spelling book, and tried to borrow one, in order to look oyer her lesson before the class. But none of the girls would lend her a book, for they all disliked Dora, Lilly hesitated a momont and then went quietly to her. " You may have my book," she said, pleasantly- " I know my lesson." Dora looked very much surprised, but iook the book without even saying, ■" Thank you," and Lilly felt just a little mortified. For several days Lily continued to do little kindnesses for her disagreeable school-fellow, whenever she found an opportunity, but without much apparent result. One afternoon, as she was walking home from school, she heard a voice calling: " Lily — Lily Eushton, wait forme, I want to speak to you." It was Dora, who came up breathless with the haste she had made. " Tell me why you have been so pleasant to me this week ?" she began abruptly. "Because I want to make you my friend instead of my enemy,", answered Lilly, quaintly ; then seeing that Dora looked puzzled, she told her what Mrs Eushton had advised. " I would like very much to be your friend," cried Dora. " I will never tease you again." >. ,