CINDERELLA;

Or,

THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER.


There once lived a gentleman and his wife, who were the parents of a
lovely little daughter.

When this child was only nine years of age, her mother fell sick.
Finding her death coming on, she called her child to her and said to
her, "My child, always be good; bear every thing that happens to you
with patience, and whatever evil and troubles you may suffer, you will
be happy in the end if you are so." Then the poor lady died, and her
daughter was full of great grief at the loss of a mother so good and
kind.

The father too was unhappy, but he sought to get rid of his sorrow by
marrying another wife, and he looked out for some prudent lady who might
be a second mother to his child, and a companion to himself. His choice
fell on a widow lady, of a proud and tyrannical temper, who had two
daughters by a former marriage, both as haughty and bad-tempered as
their mother. No sooner was the wedding over, than the step-mother began
to show her bad temper. She could not bear her step-daughter's good
qualities, that only showed up her daughters' unamiable ones still more
obviously, and she accordingly compelled the poor girl to do all the
drudgery of the household. It was she who washed the dishes, and