I did as he desired, and then my grandfather, looking at me with comical gravity, took out a leathern purse, and dived with his fingers among the contents. "When I was a little boy, as old as you, nobody gave me any money."

Encouraged by his returning good humour, I drew closer, and peeped into the purse. There were as many as six or eight sovereigns in it. I thought what a rich man my grandfather was, and when he took out a small coin and laid it on my palm, I could scarcely believe it was for me.

"Do you know what that is, child?"

"A half-sovereign, grandpapa."

"Well, do you think you could spend it?" "O yes, grandpapa."

"O yes!' and she opens her eyes! Ah, child! child! that money was worth ten shillings when it was in my purse, and I would'nt give sixpence for anything it will buy, now it has once touched your little fingers."

"Did you give it me to spend exactly as I like, grandpapa." "To be sure, child-there take it-it's worth nothing to you, my dear."

"Nothing to me! The half-sovereign worth nothing to me! why, grandpapa ?"

"Nothing worth mentioning; you have no real wants, Orryyou have clothes, food, and shelter, without this half sovereign."

"Oh, yes; but grandpapa, I think it must be worth ten times as much to me as to you, I have only this one, and you have quantities; I should'nt wonder if you have thirty or forty half sovereigns, and a great many shillings and half crowns besides, to spend every year."

"I should'nt wonder."

"And I have only one; I ca'nt think, grandpapa, what you do with all your money, if I had it I would buy so many delightful things with it."

"No doubt! kaliedescopes and magic lanterns, and all sorts of trash. But unfortunately you have not got it, Orry; you have only one half-sovereign to throw away.

"But, perhaps, I shall not throw it away; perhaps I shall try and do some good with it."

you

"Do some good with it! Bless you, my dear, if do but try to do some good with it, I shall not call it thrown away."

I then related what I had been reading, and had nearly concluded, when the housemaid came in. She laid a crumpled piece of paper by his desk, and with it a shilling and a penny, saying, "There's the change, sir, out of your shoemaker's bill.”

My grandfather took it up, looked at it, and remarked that the shilling was a new one. Then, with a generosity which I really am at a loss to account for, he actually, and on the spot, gave me both the shilling and the penny.

There they lay in the palm of my hand, gold, silver, and copper; he then gave me another kiss and abruptly dismissed me, saying that he had more writing to do, and I walked along the little passage with an exultation of heart that a queen might have envied, to show this unheard of wealth to my mother.

I remember laying the three coins upon a little table, and dancing round it, singing "There's a golden opportunity! and there's a silver opportunity! and there's a copper opportunity!" and having continued this exercise till I was quite tired, I spent the rest of the morning in making three little silk bags, one for each of them, previously rubbing the penny with sand-paper to make it bright and clean.

Visions and dreams floated through my brain as to the good I was to do with this property. They were vain-glorious, but not selfish, but they were none of them fulfilled, and need not be recorded. The next day, just as my lessons were finished, papa came in with his hat and stick in his hand; he was going to walk to the town, and offered to take me with him.

It was always a treat to walk out with my father, especially when he went to the town. I liked to look in at the shop windows, and admire their various contents.

To the town therefore we went. My father was going to the Mechanics' Institute, and could not take me in with him, but there was a certain basket maker, with whose wife I was often left on these occasions: to this good woman he brought me, and went away promising not to be long.

And now dear reader of the Youths' Magazine, whoever you may be, I beseech you judge not too harshly of me; remember I was but a child, and it is certain that if you are not a child yourself, there was a time when you were one. Next door to the basket maker's there was a toy shop, and in its window I espied several new and very handsome toys.

"Mr. Miller's window looks uncommon gay," said the old basket maker, observing the direction of my eyes.

"Uncommon,” repeated his wife, "those new gimcracks from London is handsome sure-ly."

"Wife," said the old man, "there's no harm in missy's just taking a look at 'em-eh?"

"Not a bit in the world, bless her," said the old woman, "I know she'll go no further, and come back here when she's looked 'em over."

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"O yes, indeed I will; Mrs. Stebbs, may I go?"

The old woman nodded assent, and I was soon before the window.

Splendid visions! O the enviable position of Mr. Miller! How wonderful that he was not always playing with his toys, showing himself his magic lanterns; setting out his puzzles; and winding up his musical boxes. Still more wonderful, that he could bear to part with them for mere money!

I was lost in admiration, when Mr. Miller's voice made me start.-"Wouldn't you like to step inside Miss ?"

He said this so affably, that I felt myself quite welcome, and was beguiled into entering. In an instant he was behind the counter. "What is the little article, I can have the pleasure Miss?"

"O," I replied, blushing deeply, "I do not want to buy anything this morning, Mr. Miller."

Indeed, Miss, that's rather a pity. I'm sorry, Miss, I confess, on your account. I should like to have served you, while I have goods about me that I'm proud of. In a week or two," and he looked pompously about him—"I should say in less time than that, they'll all be cleared out."

"What, will they all be gone? all sold?" Iexclaimed in dismay. "Just so, Miss, such is the appreciation of the public;" and he carelessly took up a little cedar stick and played 'The blue bells of Scotland' on the glass keys of a plaything piano.

"This" he observed, coolly throwing down the stick, and taking up an accordion, "this delightful little instrument is half-a-guinea-equal to the finest notes of the hautboy." He drew it out, and in his skillful hands it "discoursed" music, which I thought the most excellent I had ever heard.

But what is the use of minutely describing my temptation. In ten minutes the accordion was folded up in silver paper, and I had parted with my cherished half-sovereign.

As we walked home, I enlarged on the delight I should have in playing on my accordion. "It is so easy, papa: you have only to draw it in and out; I can even play it at dinner time if you like, between the meat and the pudding. You know the queen has a band, papa, to play while she dines, and so can you."

My father abruptly declined this liberal offer; so did my grandfather, when I repeated it to him; but I was relieved to find that he was not in the least surprised at the way in which I had spent his present. This, however, did not prevent my feeling sundry twinges of regret when I remembered all my good intentions. But alas! my accordion soon cost me tears of bitter disappointment. Whether from its fault, or my own, I could not tell; but draw it out, and twist it about as I might, it would not play the blue bells of Scotland,' or any other of my favorite tunes. It was just like the piano, every tune must be learned; there was no music inside which only wanted winding out of it, as you wind the tunes out of barrel organs.

My mother coming in some time during that melancholy afternoon, found me sitting at the foot of my little bed holding my accordion, and shedding over it some of the most bitter tears that shame and repentance had yet wrung from me. She looked astonished, and asked What is the matter, my

child?"

"O mamma," I replied, as well as my sobs would let me, "I have bought this thing which wo'nt play, and I have given Mr. Miller my golden opportunity."

"What, have you spent your half-sovereign? I thought you were going to put poor little Patty Morgan to school with it, and give her a new frock and tippet."

My tears fell afresh at this, and I thought how pretty little Patty would have looked in the new frock, and how I should have put it on for her, myself. My mother sat down by me, took away the toy, and dried my eyes. "Now you see, my child," she observed, "one great difference between those who are earnestly desirous to do good, and those who only wish it

lightly. You had what you were wishing for a good opportunity; for a child like you, an unusual opportunity, for doing good. You had the means of putting a poor little orphan to school for one whole year-think of that, Orry! In one whole year she might have learned a great deal about the God who made her, and who gave His Son to die for her, and His Spirit to make her holy. One whole year would have gone a great way towards teaching her to read the Bible; in one year she might have learned a great many hymns, and a great many useful things, which would have been of service to her when she was old enough to get her own living. And for what have you thrown all this good from you and from her?"

"I am very, very sorry. I did not mean to buy the accordion; I forgot, when I heard Mr. Miller playing upon it, that I had better not listen; and I never remembered what I had done till it was mine, and folded up in paper."

"You forgot, till it was too late ?"

"Yes mamma; but O, I am so sorry, I am sure I shall never do so any more."

"Do not say so, my child; I fear it will happen again, many, many times."

Many times? Oh Mamma! I will never go into Mr. Miller's shop again."

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My dear child, do you think there is nothing in the world that can tempt you but Mr. Miller's shop?"

"Even if I do go there," I sobbed in the bitterness of my sorrow, "it will not matter now, for I have no half-sovereign left to spend; but if I had another, and he were to show me the most beautiful toys in the world, I would not buy them after this, not if they would play of themselves."

My dear, that may be true; you, perhaps, would not be tempted again when you were on your guard: but you know, Orris, you do not wish for another toy of that kind. Are there no temptations against which you are not on your guard ?"

I thought my mother spoke in a tone of sorrow. I knew she lamented my volatile disposition; and crying afresh, I said to her-"O mamma, do you think that all my life I shall never do any good at all?"