accident. He was standing so, and he never meant it; did you, Master Sisty? Speak!" this in a whisper, " or papa will be so very angry.” "Well," said my mother, "I suppose it was an accident. Take care in future, my child. You are sorry, I see, to have grieved me. There is a kiss ; don't fret." "No, mamma, you must not kiss me; I don't deserve it. I pushed out the flower-pot on purpose." Ha, and why?" said my father, walking up. Mrs. Primmins trembled like a leaf. "For fun!" said I, hanging my head; "just to see how you'd look, papa; and that's the truth of Now, beat me-do beat me!" it. My father threw his book fifty feet off, stooped down, and caught me to his breast. "Boy," he said, "you have done wrong; you shall repair it by remembering all your life that your father blessed God for giving him a son who spoke truth in spite of fear." * * The box of dominoes was my delight. "Ah!' said my father, one day when he found me playing with it, "Ah! you like that better than all your playthings, eh?" Ah, yes, papa." "You would be very sorry if your mamma were to throw that box out of the window and break it for fun." I looked "beseechingly at my father, and made no answer. "But perhaps you would be very glad," he resumed, "if suddenly one of those good fairies you read of would change the dominobox into a beautiful geranium in a beautiful blue and white flower-pot, and that you could have the pleasure of putting it on your mamma's windowsill." "Indeed I would," said I, half crying. "My dear boy, I believe you; but good wishes don't mend bad actions-good actions mend bad actions." So saying, he shut the door and went out. I cannot tell you how puzzled I was to make out what my father meant. The next morning my father found me seated by myself under a tree in the garden; he paused, and looked at me with his grave bright eyes very steadily. "My boy," said he, "I am going to walk to town; will you come? And, by-the-bye, fetch your domino-box; I should like to show it to a person there." I ran in for the box, and not a little proud of walking with my father on the highroad, we set out. "Papa," said I by the way, "there are no fairies now." "What then, my child?" Why, how then can my domino-box be changed into a beautiful geranium and a blue and white flower-pot?" My dear," said my father, leaning his hand on my shoulder, "everybody who is in earnest to be good, carries two fairies about with him-one here," and he touched my forehead; "one here," and he touched my heart. "I don't understand, papa," said I, thoughtfully. "I can wait till you do, my boy," said he. * * * * * Aided by my father, I 'effected the desired exchange, and, on our return, ran into the house. Ah! how proud, how overjoyed I was when, after placing vase and flower on the window-sill, I plucked my mother by the dress, and made her follow me to the spot. 66 "It is his doing and his money!" said my father good actions have mended the bad." "What!" cried my mother, when she had learned all; "and your poor domino-box that you were so fond of? We will go to-morrow and buy it back, if it costs us double." "Shall we buy it back, my boy?" asked my father. "Oh, no, no, no; it would spoil it all!" I cried, burying my face on my father's breast. "My wife," said my father, solemnly, "this is my first lesson to our child-the sanctity and happiness of self-sacrifice. Undo not what it should teach him to his dying hour." Why is the window called a fatal window? Show that the boy had the opportunity of acting a lie. Show that the father, although he forgave his son, helped him to atone for the mischief he had done. What lesson did the father teach him? 3 lawn, a space of ground covered with grass, generally in front of a house. fatal, causing death or destruction. trice, an instant; a moment; while one can count three. deliberately, very slowly, as though considering some point carefully. 5 beseechingly, in a beseeching or begging manner; he implored his father by his looks to say nothing of the matter. two fairies, these signify the affection and the will which we all possess, the one to suggest good actions, and the other to carry them out. effected, made; accomplished; executed. sanctity, holiness. 9 self-sacrifice, self-denial; surrendering or giving up as a duty anything we value. 8 ON the rug before the grate, |