package arrived at Springfield, directed to our little friend Ben.

"What can it possibly be?" thought Ben, when it was put into his hands.
"Who can have sent me such a great square package as this?"

On taking off the thick brown paper which enveloped it, behold! there
was a paint-box, with a great many cakes of paint, and brushes of
various sizes. It was the gift of good Mr. Pennington. There were
likewise several squares of canvas such as artists use for painting
pictures upon, and, in addition to all these treasures, some beautiful
engravings of landscapes. These were the first pictures that Ben had
ever seen, except those of his own drawing.

What a joyful evening was this for the little artist! At bedtime he put
the paint-box under his pillow, and got hardly a wink of sleep; for, all
night long, his fancy was painting pictures in the darkness. In the
morning he hurried to the garret, and was seen no more till the dinner-
hour; nor did he give himself time to eat more than a mouthful or two of
food before he hurried back to the garret again. The next day, and the
next, he was just as busy as ever; until at last his mother thought it
time to ascertain what he was about. She accordingly followed him to
the garret.

On opening the door, the first object that presented itself to her eyes
was our friend Benjamin, giving the last touches to a beautiful picture.
He had copied portions of two of the engravings, and made one picture
out of both, with such admirable skill that it was far more beautiful
than the originals. The grass, the trees, the water, the sky, and the
houses were all painted in their proper colors. There, too, where the
sunshine and the shadow, looking as natural as life.