15. When she went to bed, she called her mother, and told her the whole truth. Her mother was very sorry; but she forgave her.

16. The next day her mother gave her another. thimble, but laid away the other things for another month.

17. Clara never forgot what had passed. She became very neat and orderly. At the end of another month, the scissors and case, the silver thimble and needle-book, were given to her, and Clara Lee never again tried to deceive her mother.

LII. ALWAYS RESIST TEMPTATION.

gär'den se'cret-ly of-fèen'ceş

cu-ri-os'i-ty ac-cöûnt' own'er

no'bod-y sig'ni-fy

con-ver-sa'tion con-tin’ūe

prob'a-bly strongly en-a'bled
ca-rēēr' temp-ta'tion re-şist'

1. EDWARD and Henry were one day passing a garden, the gate of which stood open. They had the curiosity to look in, and saw some plum trees, covered with ripe fruit.

2. "See," said Edward, "what nice plums! There is nobody in the garden; let us help ourselves to some of them."

3. "No," replied Henry," that would not be right, for the garden is not ours."

4. "What does that signify?" said Edward; "if we take a few plums, the gardener cannot miss them from so many."

5. "Still it would be wrong to do so," rejoined Henry; "for it is a theft to take away secretly any thing that belongs to another, be it ever so trifling. Shall I tell what my father said a few days since, when he was giving an account of a thief who was led by our house with his hands tied together?"

you

6. "Yes," said Edward, "I should like to hear."

7. "He said that this man probably began his career in vice by taking little things which did not belong to him, and that those who begin with small offences too often finish with great ones. Now," continued Henry, "these plums do not belong to us; and, although the owner of them does not see us, you know there is One who always sees us."

He had

8. Edward became thoughtful. been strongly tempted to do wrong; but when he thought of God, who sees all things, he was enabled to resist the temptation. At length he said, "You are right, Henry. We will not take the plums. Let us go on."

9. The owner of the garden had overheard the conversation, unseen by the boys; but he came forward and gave them a whole pocketful of fruit, and encouraged them, with kind words, to continue to resist temptation.

pus'sion-ate con'se-quence when-ev'er ruth'er thêre'fōre ǎs-cer-tain' an-ôth'er speak

1. CHILDREN should always speak the truth. James was sent by his father to the post office

with a letter relating to a matter of importance. On the way he met Joseph, with some other boys. Joseph was quarrelsome: James was passionate; and on this occasion a quarrel began, because neither of them would move out of the other's way.

2. In the heat of the dispute, James dropped the letter, and treading upon it, made it so dirty, that the direction could not be read, and the letter was torn in two or three places.

3. What was he to do? If he should go home and confess what had happened, he might expect punishment; for his father was strict, and had particularly charged him to be careful. At length he came to the determination to tell a falsehood. He therefore returned home, and told his father that he had put the letter into the post office. But his heart smote him as he told the lie.

4. Some days having passed, and no answer having arrived, James's father wrote a second letter, which he himself put into the post office. In a few days he received an answer, stating that his first letter had not been received. The loss which he had suffered in consequence was heavy, but he felt more

heavily the lie which his son had told him; for he soon ascertained that James had not put the letter into the post office.

5. James was much ashamed, but at length confessed every thing. His father promised to forgive him, if he would speak the truth; and his mind was relieved by the confession and his father's forgiveness; but he firmly resolved never to tell another lie, and to suffer any pain rather than resort to a falsehood.

6. James kept his resolution; but he did not soon regain his entire confidence. He was much grieved whenever he saw that he was not trusted; but he owned that any person who had once told a lie could not justly complain if he was not believed when he spoke the truth.