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Page 53
Mrs. Reed stepped into the adjoining room, and with a light heart and
an expression on her face that no one had seen for many a day, took up
the little work-box she had prepared for Alice.
Returning again to the sitting-room with the box in her hand, she
approached Alice and said;
"Here, my dear, is a little Christmas present I have for you. I
sincerely wish it were something better. It will be useful, I know, and
I hope it will please you."
"O how beautiful!" exclaimed Alice, as she caught sight of the curious
carvings on the outside of the box. "And a work-box, too!" she
continued, as she took it in her hands and lifted the cover; "is it
really for me?"
"For no one else, I assure you," replied Mrs. Reed, as her face lighted
up with joy, at seeing Alice so happy.
"O how can I ever thank you enough!" exclaimed Alice, as she threw her
arms around Mrs. Reed's neck and kissed her again and again.
Then taking a seat by Mrs. Reed, Alice began to examine the contents of
the new work-box, lifting out the articles one by one, and placing them
in her lap.
She then admired the beautiful lining which. Mrs. Reed had put in the
box, asking her where she got such pretty pieces of silk.
"That piece of silk at the top, Alice, is a bit of my wedding-dress; and
that on the sides, is a part of my wedding-sash. Those remind me of
happy days, Alice.
"I had plenty then: a good husband, a happy home, and never thought that
I should come to poverty."
"What is this from?" asked Alice, touching the silk lining at the
bottom of the box.
"O that was always in the box, Alice. It was there when my husband
received it, and must be a piece of India silk.
"Is any thing the matter with it?" continued Mrs. Reed, as she noticed
Alice picking at one corner of it.
"O nothing is the matter," replied Alice; "it only seemed to me to be a
little loose."
"Let me look," said Mrs. Reed. "I don't think it can be loose, or I
should have seen it when I was lining the box."
"It is actually quite loose," said Alice, as she examined it further,
and picked up one corner with, a pin; "and here is a little piece of
paper underneath it."
"That is remarkable," said Mrs. Reed, as she put on her spectacles and
drew up her chair a little closer to Alice.
"And there is some writing on it too," said Alice, as she drew it from
its hiding-place and handed it to Mrs. Reed.
"Why, it's my husband's writing!" exclaimed Mrs. Reed, as she closely
examined the faded letters. "What can it mean? I never saw it before.
Read it, Alice; your eyes are younger than mine."
Alice read: "'Look and ye shall find,' and underneath this," continued
Alice, "is a picture of a mantel-piece, and underneath that, it reads:
'A word to the wise is sufficient.'"
Mrs. Reed again took the paper. Her hand trembled and her face became a
little pale.
"Alice," said she, "this is a picture of the old tile mantel-piece in
the other room. There is some mystery about this. What can it mean?"
"Yes," said Alice, "the tiles in that mantel have quotations on them."
In an instant, Alice was on her feet and sprung into the other room,
leaving Mrs. Reed in a state of wonderment.
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