ON BEING PUNCTUAL.

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When the tradesman came, however, he was half an hour late. "Tell him to come at eight o'clock TO-MORROW morning," said the king. But the tradesman was late on the second occasion, and still the king refused to see him. He sent a message for him to come the morning after at the same time. He managed to be punctual this time, after failing twice, and the king TRANSACTED the business with him which he desired.

How many people perform useless journeys to railway stations, and find their train gone! They are only five minutes or ten minutes late, but the train will not wait for them. They have got into the bad habit of always being late, and they are punished for it by either having to go home again, or to wait for the next train.

How many servants lose their places by this bad habit of coming to their work behind their time! It would be just as easy for them to start ten minutes or a quarter of an hour before the time, as Lord Nelson used to do, as to depend upon a few minutes, and then find that they are late. There is nothing so important in a servant, except HONESTY, as this habit of being punctual. And, indeed, a servant can hardly be called honest, who does not give to the service of his employer all the time for which he is paid.

Those boys and girls, who are in the habit of coming late to school in the morning or in the afternoon, will find, unless they struggle against it, that they will get into this bad way when they go to work. But those who come to school a few minutes before the time will find it easy to ADOPT the same wise PRACTICE when they go to the warehouse or the workshop. Let us all, therefore, try our very best to ACQUIRE this good habit of being punctual !

EXERCISE.

To what did Lord Nelson think his success in life was due? Why would not George III. see the tradesman ? What are the reasons why we should be punctual in our attendance at school?

66

As the fair happened on the next day, I had thought ̈ of going myself to sell our COLT, and to buy us a horse that would do to carry two of us on Sunday to church. My wife, however, PERSUADED me that I had got a cold, and nothing could prevail upon her to let me go from home. No, my dear," said she, our son Moses is a DISCREET boy, and can buy and sell to very great ADVANTAGE. You know all our great BARGAINS are of his making. He always stands out and HIGGLES, and actually tires them till he gets a bargain.”

66

As I had some idea of my son's prudence, I was willing enough to entrust him with this business; and the next morning I saw that his sisters were mighty busy in fitting out. Moses for the fairtrimming his hair, brushing his BUCKLES, and cocking his hat with pins. The business of the TOILET being over, we had at last the satisfaction of seeing him mounted upon the colt, with a deal box before him, to bring home GROCERIES in. He had on a coat made of that cloth they call "thunder-andlightning," which, though grown too short, was much too good to be thrown away. His WAISTCOAT was

MOSES AT THE FAIR.

33

of GOSLING green, and his sisters had tied his hair with a broad black RIBAND. We all followed him several paces from the door, bawling after him, "Good luck! good luck!" till we could see him no longer.

When it was getting towards evening I began to be somewhat afraid, because Moses had not come back from the fair.

"Depend I'll warrant

"Never mind our son," cried my wife. upon it, he knows what he is about. we'll never see him sell his hens on a rainy day. I have seen him buy such bargains as would amaze one. I'll tell you a good story about that, that will make you split your sides with laughing. But, as I live, yonder comes Moses, without a horse, and with the box at his back."

As she spoke, Moses came slowly on foot, sweating under the deal box, which he had strapped round his shoulders like a pedlar.

"Welcome, welcome, Moses! Well, my boy, what have you brought us from the fair ?"

"I have brought you myself," cried Moses, with a sly look, resting the box on the dresser.

66

Ah, Moses," cried my wife, "that we know; but where is the horse?"

"I have sold him," said Moses, "for three pounds, five shillings, and twopence."

"I

"Well done, my good boy!" returned she. knew you would touch them off. Between ourselves, three pounds, five shillings, and twopence is no bad day's work. Come, let us have it then."

I have brought back no money," said Moses again. "I have laid it all out in a bargain, and here it is," pulling out a bundle from his breast. "Here they are a gross of green spectacles, with silver rims and SHAGREEN cases."

66 A gross of green spectacles !" repeated my wife, in a faint tone. "And you have parted with the colt, and brought us back nothing but a gross of green, PALTRY spectacles !"

"Dear mother,” cried the boy, "why won't you listen

C

to reason? I had them at a dead bargain, or I should not have bought them. The silver rims alone will sell for double the money."

"A fig for the silver rims!" cried my wife, in a passion. "I don't think they will sell for above half the money, at the rate of broken silver, five shillings

an ounce.

"You need be under no difficulty," said I, "about selling the rims, for I see they are only copper, varnished over."

"What!" cried my wife; not silver!-the rims not silver !"

66

"No," said I; "no more silver than your saucepan." "And so," returned she, we have parted with the colt, and have only got a gross of green spectacles with copper rims and SHAGREEN cases! The blockhead has been imposed upon, and should have known his company better."

"There, my dear," said I, 'you are wrong. He

should not have known them at all."

By this time the unfortunate Moses saw what a blunder he had made. He found that he had been deceived by a sharper, who, noticing his youth, had marked him out for an easy victim. He sold the horse, it seems, and walked the fair in search of another. A reverend-looking man brought him to a tent, pretending that he had got one to sell.

66 Here," said Moses, we met another man, very well dressed, who wanted to borrow twenty pounds upon these spectacles, saying that he wanted money, and that they were worth three times as much. The first person, who pretended to be my friend, whispered to me to buy them, and said that I ought not to let so good an offer pass. I sent for one of our neighbours, and they talked to him as finely as they did to me, and so at last we were persuaded to buy the two gross between us."

This story teaches us that we should be careful how we buy things that are offered to us as great bargains. Even if the spectacles had been worth as much as the horse, they were of no use to Moses. We should

the childreEN'S PARTY.

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never buy what we do not want because it seems to be cheap.

EXERCISE.

Why did Moses buy the spectacles when he did not want them? What lesson should we learn from his mistake? If Moses had not been expected to return with a great bargain, would he have been likely to fall into this trap?

FIVE merry, rosy faces were SEATED round a table. It was a birthday party, and Lizzie had invited Rose, and Nelly, and Charlie, and Willie.

Very happy they were for some time. They had played at several games, then had tea, and now they were seated round the table to play at some quiet game and rest themselves.

I cannot say what the game was, but they laughed a great deal, and seemed to enjoy it very much.

Lizzie WHISPERED something to Nelly. It might have been about their play; but, while she whispered, she looked at Rose, who thought at once they were talking about her.

She should not have been so hasty in forming an opinion of this kind, and thus judging her little

COMPANIONS.

A feeling of JEALOUSY came over her; and, instead of waiting to hear what their CONVERSATION was