only to lift his hand, to take, and eat. The temptation was sore to a starving child; he raised his hand, and was just about to seize a roll, when a still, small voice within him whispered, "Thou shalt not steal." "Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law," he murmured half aloud, and turning round, found another way out of the crowded market-place to the manufactory. As he walked slowly along, he spied in the corner of some area rails a heap of cold potatoes, which had been turned out of the bag of some beggar, to whom they had been given in charity, as not worth the trouble of carrying away, These the famished boy knew he might take, and, darting upon them, he seated himself on the ground, and was beginning his cold and cheerless feast, when a gentleman who had observed the action, came up to him, and said, "Poor child! art thou very hungry?"

"Yes, Sir," answered the boy as distinctly as his mouthful of potatoes would allow him.

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Well," said the gentleman, putting his hand in his pocket, and throwing down a shilling, “take that, and get thyself a good dinner," and as he turned away, he quickly brushed James had scarcely time for

away a tear,

thanks, his kind benefactor was so quickly gone; but he picked up the shilling, and put it carefully in his pocket, feeling that he had now a resource for many days.

But the worst of James's trials was yet to come. His aunt, who had long been addicted to drinking, a habit which daily increased upon her, grew daily more irritable and tyrannical in her temper. Everybody around her suffered from it, but no one so much as poor little James, who was the object of her extreme dislike, perhaps because the mildness and gentleness of his character, and the patience with which he bore all her cruelties, formed so strong a contrast to herself. Even the other inmates of the house, though little better in their general habits and conduct, could not help sometimes remonstrating with her on her behaviour to this poor, unoffending child. Often did James, as he lay on his wretched bed, weeping bitter tears, wish to run away from this home of misery, and return to his dear sister, by whom he sometimes feared he was quite forgotten, such a weary length of time did it seem since she left him alone in this unhappy place..

Late one Saturday night he had retired to his miserable hole, and lay watching his aunt, who

was the only other person left in the house, as she bustled about, already half intoxicated, and in her endeavours to set things to rights, only making the confusion worse confounded. After some time, she too went out, and James's eyes rested on the fire, which by its gentle flickering noise and blaze, soothed and lulled him, and he was just sinking into a dreamy doze, when he was startled by the door's suddenly opening. His aunt entered in a hurried manner, and, as he guessed by her appearance, in one of her most furious passions. She stood, apparently in thought, before the fire for some time; then, as if she had suddenly adopted her resolution, James saw her take a chair, and reach from the very top of a corner-cupboard, something which a sudden blaze from the fire shewed him to be a small old teapot. She took this in her hand, and, kneeling down before the fire, appeared to be busily engaged in taking something out of it. As her back was turned towards him, he could not see what it was, but he thought he heard the jingling of money. She soon replaced the teapot in the cupboard, and, going out again, quiet was restored in the house, and James, happily for himself, fell into too sound a sleep to be aware at what time, or in what

F

state, the rest of the inhabitants returned home.

The circumstance was not recalled to his mind till some time afterwards; but one morning, before his uncle went out to his work, James heard him say in his usual gruff voice to his wife, "Kitty, reach down the teapot; Morgan will call for the rent to-day." His wife started slightly on hearing these words, but hastened to obey. She had scarcely taken the old teapot in her hand, when, with well acted surprise, she screamed out, "It's empty!"

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Empty!" shouted her husband, as he rushed forward to seize and examine it--" then we've been robbed," muttered he, gloomily. His wife continued to scream, and covering her face with her apron, appeared to burst into a passion of crying.

"Hold foolish noise, woman, your can't you!" growled her husband," and let us try to find out who has done this."

"He's done it, I'll warrant," exclaimed Mrs. Mason, taking the apron from her eyes, and casting a look of fury at poor little James, who was sitting cowering by the door, trembling with fright, for the recollection of all that he had seen came full upon his mind; "there sits

the thief, depend upon it; I always said you would repent bringing such beggars into the house."

"I will soon find out whether he is the thief or not," said Mason, seizing hold of a thick stick, and going towards the boy, "I'll beat him till he has not a whole bone in his skin, unless he will confess the truth about it. Come here, you little vagabond," continued he, catching him by the collar, and dragging him into the middle of the room, while he swore a dreadful oath, "did you take my money?"

The unresisting child raised his frightened eyes to the heavy stick uplifted over him, but in the midst of his terror,-for he knew too well, how surely and how heavily it would fall, -he found voice to say, "Indeed, uncle, I never touched the money."

"O, you never did, did you? I'll soon see whether I cannot make you tell a different tale, -take that, and that, and that," and at each word the stick fell with fearful violence on his back and shoulders. He screamed with fright and pain, but his screams only added to his brutal uncle's rage, till at last tired with his own blows, he paused to say, "Now then, perhaps you will tell me what is gone with my money?"