et the prize, I did not trouble myself much bout the matter; but Susan Price was as dustrious as a little bee. The Scripture roofs were to be found by us when we ere at home; but if the rest had acted ke me, they would not have looked for one f them till the last day.

"Time flies away very rapidly, whether it e improved, or whether it be wasted; and oon the day came when Mother Barnes had o decide which of us, taking our conduct altogether, ought to be considered the best scholar in the school.

"Though I had cared little about the matter before, I felt ashamed, when we all met at the school, that I had taken so little pains to obtain the prize; and especially when I saw how careless some of my schoolfellows had been for at one time it struck me, that if I had only exerted myself, I should certainly have got the reward.

"Caroline Hawker, as usual, had overdone her part; she had learned three hymns instead of one, found a dozen texts of Scripture, and worked her sampler and hemmed her handkerchief in half the time that we had employed in doing ours, just to show how clever she was; but then her hymns were not repeated perfectly, her texts of Scripture were

een.

nny Perks had been too full of fun proper attention to what she had her hymn was not half learned, ly one Scripture text had she brought

er.

ary Harris got great praise for her r and handkerchief; but she had her neglected her hymn and Scriproofs.

can say little in favour of my own hances, but very much in praise of of Susan Price, for there seemed to single fault in any one of them. I tell how my companions felt when stood up before Mother Barnes, but I ber feeling humbled to the very dust. e Hawker had lost the simpering of superiority that usually might be n her face; for she had caught a inces at Susan Price's sampler and d handkerchief, and felt herself far

e.

other Barnes having heard the hymns ripture proofs repeated, and examined arefully the handkerchiefs and samaid her spectacles down on the table her, lifted up her head, and thus 'My dear children, it is oftentimes

ow.

"Caroline Hawker has done much, but othing well; Fanny Perks has been too ond of play to attend to her work; Mary Harris has not learned a single verse of her ymn; Sarah Turner has been late at school very morning; and Mary Vale has been ery negligent. Some of you have succeeded n one thing, and some in another; but Susan Price has done well in all.

"There is neither a stitch too much nor too ittle in her handkerchief and sampler; her hymn has been repeated without a single mistake, and her Scripture proofs are by far the best that have been given; they show that Christ died to save sinners, and that by believing on him we may be delivered from the punishment which our sins deserve.

"She will find this book,' giving her a very nice one, to be worth her acceptance. It is not those who are clever in trifles, and quick in everything they do, that I consider my best scholars; but those who are the most diligent and obedient, and who perform best the lessons that I set them. All of you are older, and several of you quicker than Susan Price; but for all this, Susan Price is the best scholar in my school.'

"When Mother Barnes had spoken these

: Famу I ciks, Mary as, aranı and I, with our eyes fixed on the nd Caroline Hawker, red with shame ppointment.

all now put down the texts which Price chose, and shall be glad if those h to be like her would commit them ory:-Matt. i. 21; Luke xxiv. 46, 47; 29; Acts iv. 12; Heb. i. 3; vii. 25 ; x. 4, 10, 14; Isa. ix. 6, 7; liii. 4, 5; v. 20; ii. 1, 2; 1 Pet. ii. 24."

T has been said, that hard as it is to get noney, it is still harder to keep it; but, erhaps, it would not be saying too much vere I to declare, that to spend money well and profitably is harder than either. There is a saying which has a great deal of good sense in it: "Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves." You will do well to remember, that, though "the love of money is the root of all evil,"