It was not long ere the thrifty Agnes had enough saved to buy an arm-chair, with a high back, for her father; and one evening when he returned from his daily toil, he saw that the walls of the room had been newly white-washed, the straw pallet was raised and put upon a frame, and his sickly wife laid upon it, while the high-backed arm-chair was placed at the side of the fire for himself, and the table, covered with a clean white linen cloth, and spread with their even ing repast, awaited his coming for all to partake of its contents.

"Why, Agnes!" cried the bricklayer, "do you intend to make a prince of your old father? Come, kiss me, you hussy, and if ever I enter a publichouse again, may I be

"Oh, father!" cried Agnes.

"Well, well, Agnes, may I be a worse man than I am. There is no harm in that Agnes."

The other three children were determined to come in for their share of their father's caresses; they hung on his neck, each emulous to attract his notice, and this humble, but happy family, exhibited a scene which the rich, in the midst of their most sumptuous jubilees, might have envied.

It is a most mistaken notion to suppose that the rich only are happy; the poor have their pleasures as well as the rich, and as they are less dainty, they enjoy their humble entertainments with a keener relish.

It was Agnes' daily practice, as soon as breakfast

was over, and every thing put back in its proper place again, to collect the few little books they had, then sit down round the table with her brother and sisters, and teach them to read and write. "Come Willy," said Agnes to her brother, “I'll begin with you, because you are the eldest, and besides, you have less time to spare than your sisters; for in a very few years you will be going out to work with your father, therefore you must be diligent and learn every thing that may be useful for you to know, before you become a tradesman; for after you are engaged in labour, you may not have time to attend to any thing else. So come, my dear little brother, and read the story of Jem and Joe Martin."

THE STORY OF THE TWO MARTINS.

Jem and Joe Martin were the sons of William Martin, a respectable and honest shoemaker, who gave his sons a good education, that is, he taught them to read and write, and understand something of figures, which as far as letters go, is quite enough for any tradesman's sons to know. But the honest shoemaker taught his sons what was far better. He taught them to know where their chief duty lay. He taught them to keep the Commandments. And a parent who neglects this latter duty, is unworthy the name of one.

Jem and Joe chose to be masons, they were both clever lads, though of very different disposi

tions. Jem was thoughtful and considerate; whatever he was concerned in, he made it his business to understand thoroughly. If he had but a ladder to climb, he was sure to examine it, and see that it was properly fixed, and all the steps firm before he ascended; and by this cautious conduct, he never met with an accident, lived to a good old age, and made a vast deal of money by his trade. We need not tell our readers that he never frequented the ale-house, nor the gin-shop, for it is only thoughtless, giddy men that go to such places, and we have said that Jem Martin was both considerate and thoughtful.

Joe was of a different character, for he never thought at all. When he mounted a ladder, he never, like his brother, looked to see that it was rightly fixed, but ran up as fast as if he had been running up drawing-room stairs. The people in the street used to stare at him with astonishment and terror, and the more he was observed, the faster this unthinking lad ran up the ladder. One day, when the crowd of people in breathless terror and astonishment were looking at his fool-hardiness, one of the steps of the ladder gave way, and precipitated the unthinking Joe from the top to the bottom of the frail ladder. He was taken up in a state of insensibilty, and survived only a few days after the accident. Joe was well disposed, his only fault was, thoughtlessness: and for want of thought, he shortened his life.

"One of these days, Willy, you also will be obliged to climb ladders like Jem and Joe Martin, and when you do, I hope you will think of their fate, and seek to imitate the one, and avoid the fault of the other.

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Come, Jane, it is now your turn to read; bring your little book, and you shall read the story about the baker."

CHAPTER IV.

"My son, guard every step with caution,
For frail as glass is reputation."

THE STORY OF THE BAKER.

THOMAS WHATELEY lost his father and mother when he was a very little boy, and was brought up by his grandfather, a well informed prudent man, who taught his grandson every thing that he knew himself; and he loved the little orphan the same as if he had been his own son. Little Thomas, feeling himself beloved by his grandfather and grandmother, loved them dearly in return; and he learned from them to love all his little companions, and all the world besides. Little Thomas had a heart that wished well to all mankind.

His old grandfather had a great many old sayings, such as," Honesty is the best policy." "Truth will carry a man farthest." "Two rogues will not make one honest man." "The straight forward. way is always the shortest," &c. Little Thomas, though he was too young, at the time he heard his grandfather use these expressions, to understand their meaning; yet, having all his grandfather's sayings by heart, when he grew up to be a man, he remembered them all, and acted upon them.

Thomas Whateley acted from two motives; first, that as he loved his grandfather, he loved also to attend to all his sayings. Secondly, he had discovered from the little he knew of the world, that those sayings were all most strictly true, and therefore he determined that his conduct should be guided by them. Accordingly, when he was sent to learn the trade of baking, he was so honest, diligent, and attentive, that at the expiration of his apprenticeship, the baker, his master, thought he could not do better than take his apprentice into partnership. And he acted wisely in so doing; for no sooner was Thomas Whateley installed in his office as partner in the firm, than he set about looking out for the very best and newest flour; and the best yeast, well bleached before it was used, he took care to be supplied with. By bleaching the yeast, the bread at Thomas Whateley's was never bitter, as baker's bread very often is. And as to the weight of Whateley's loaves, they were all as justly weighed

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