speaking to you, to be sure they will not keep, your company while you go on in your present evil courses, but as soon as they see you wish to reform, they will help you, and pity you, and teach you; and so come along.'-Here Mr. Wilson took this dirty boy by the hand, and gently pulled him forward, kindly talking to him all the way, in the most condescending manner.

How the whole school stared to see Dick Giles come in! No one however, dared to say what he thought. The business went on, and Dick slunk into a corner, partly to hide his rags, and partly to hide his sin; for last Sunday's transaction sat heavy on his heart, not because he had stolen the apples, but because Tom Price had been accused. This, I say, made him slink behind. Poor boy! he little thought there was ONE saw him who sees all things, and from whose eye no hole nor corner can hide the sinner: for he is about our bed, and about our path, and spieth out all our ways.'

Master. I will put the case. Some wicked boy has robbed widow Brown's orchard. (Here the eyes of every one were turned on poor Tom Price, except those of Dick Giles, who fixed his on the ground.) I accuse no one, continued the master, Tom Price is a good boy, and was not missing at the time of the robbery; these are two reasons why I presume that he is innocent; but whoever it was, you allow that by stealing these apples he broke the eighth commandment? Boy. Yes, master.

Master. On what day were these apples stolen?

Boy. On Sunday.

Master. What is the fourth commandment?
Boy. Thou shalt keep holy the Sabbath-day
Master. Does that person keep holy the Sab-
bath-day who loiters in an orchard on Sunday,
when he should be at church, and steals apples
when he ought to be saying his prayers?
Boy. No, master.

Master. What command does he break?
Boy. The fourth.

It was the custom in that school, and an excellent custom it is, for the master, who was a good and wise man, to mark down in his pocketbook all the events of the week, that he might turn them to some account in his Sunday evening instructions; such as any useful story in the newspaper, any account of boys being drowned as they were out in a pleasure boat on Sundays, any sudden death in the parish, or any other remarkable visitation of Providence; insomuch, that many young people in the place, who did not belong to the school, and many parents also, used to drop in for an hour on a Sunday evening, when they were sure to hear something profitable. The minister greatly approved this practice, and often called in himself, which was a great support to the master, and encourage-ther. ment to the people who attended.

Master. Suppose this boy had parents who had sent him to church, and that he had disobeyed them by not going, would that be keeping the fifth commandment?

Boy. No, master; for the fifth commandment says, Thou shalt honour thy father and thy mo

This was the only part of the case in which poor Dick Giles's heart did not smite him; he knew he had disobeyed no father; for his father, alas! was still wickeder than himself, and had brought him up to commit the sin. But what a wretched comfort was this! The master went on.

Master. Suppose this boy earnestly coveted this fruit, though it belonged to another person, would that be right?

Boy. No, master; for the tenth command. ment says, thou shalt not covet.

The master had taken a deep concern in the story of widow Brown's apple tree. He could not believe Tom Price was guilty, nor dared he pronounce him innocent; but he resolved to turn the instructions of the present evening to this subject. He began thus: My dear boys, however light some of you may make of robbing an orchard, yet I have often told you there is no such thing as a little sin, if it be wilful or habi tual. I wish now to explain to you, also, that there is hardly such a thing as a single solitary Master. Very well. Here are four of God's sin. You know I teach you not merely to re-positive commands already broken. Now do peat the commandments as an exercise for your you think thieves ever scruple to use wicked memory, but as a rule for your conduct. If you words? were to come here only to learn to read and spell on a Sunday, should think that was not employing God's day for God's work; but I teach you to read that you may, by this means, come so to understand the Bible and the Catechism, as to make every text in the one, and every question and answer in the other, to be so fixed in your hearts, that they may bring forth in you the fruits of good living.'

Master. How inany commandments are there?
Boy. Ten.

Master. How many commandments did that
boy break who stole widow Brown's apples?
Boy. Only one, master; the eighth.
Muster. What is the eighth ?
Boy. Thou shalt not steal.

Master. And you are very sure that this was

Boy. I am afraid not, master.

Here Dick Giles was not so hardened but that he remembered how many curses had passed between him and his father while they were filling the bags, and he was afraid to look up. The master went on.

I will now go one step further. If the thief, to all his other sins, has added that of accusing the innocent to save himself, if he should break the ninth commandment, by bearing false witness against a harmless neighbour, then six commandments are broken for an apple! But if it be otherwise, if Tom Price should be found guilty, it is not his good character shall save him. I shall shed tears over him, but punish him I must, and that severely. No, that you shan't,' roared out Dick Giles, who sprung from his hiding

place, fell on his knees, and burst out a crying, revenged by letting me lie here and perish.' Tom Price is as good a boy as ever lived; it'God forbid, Giles! cried I; thou shalt see what was father and I who stole the apples!'

TAWNEY RACHEL;

OR, THE FORTUNE TELLER:

WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF DREAMS, OMENS, AND CONJURORS. TAWNEY RACHEL was the wife of poaching Giles. There seemed to be a conspiracy in Giles's whole family to maintain themselves by tricks and pilfering. Regular labour and honest industry did not suit their idle habits. They had a sort of genius at finding out every unlaw. ful means to support a vagabond life. Rachel travelled the country with a basket on her arm. She pretended to get her bread by selling laces, cabbage-nets, ballads, and history books, and used to buy old rags and rabbit skins. Many honest people trade in these things, and I am sure I do not mean to say a word against

honest people, let them trade in what they will. But Rachel only made this traffic a pretence for getting admittance into farmers' kitchens in order to tell fortunes.

She was continually practising on the credu lity of silly girls; and took advantage of their ignorance to cheat and deceive them. Many an innocent servant has she caused to be suspected of a robbery, while she herself, perhaps, was in league with the thief. Many a harmless maid has she brought to ruin by first contriving plots and events herself, and then pretending to foretel them. She had not, to be sure, the power

of really foretelling things, because she had no power of seeing into futurity: but she had the art sometimes to bring them about according as she foretold them. So she got that credit for her wisdom which really belonged to her wickedness.

cellar door, and on no pretence to open it in less than forty-eight hours. If,' added she, 'you closely follow these directions, then, by the power of my art, you will find the basin conveyed to the very stone under which the money lies hid, and a fine treasure it be Mrs. Jenkins, who firmly believed every word the woman said, did exactly as she was told, and Rachel took her leave with a handsome reward.

When farmer Jenkins came home he desired his wife to draw him a cup of cider; this she

Rachel was also a famous interpreter of dreams, and could distinguish exactly between the fate of any two persons who happened to have a mole on the right or the left cheek. She had a cunning way of getting herself off when any of her prophecies failed. When she ex-put off so long that he began to be displeased. plained a dream according to the natural ap. pearance of things, and it did not come to pass; then she would get out of that scrape by saying, that this sort of dreams went by contraries. Now of two very opposite things, the chance always is that one of them may turn out to be true; so in either case she kept up the cheat.

At last she begged he would be so good as to drink a little beer instead. He insisted on knowing the reason, and when at last he grew angry, she told him all that had passed; and owned that as the pot of gold happened to be in the cider cour, she did not dare open the door, as she was sure it would break the charm. And it would be a pity you know,' said she, 'to lose a good fortune for the sake of a draught of cider.' The farmer, who was not so easily imposed upon, suspected a trick. He demanded the key, and went and opened the cellar door; there he found the basin, and in it five round pieces of tin covered with powder. Mrs. Jenkins burst out a-crying; but the farmer thought of nothing but of getting a warrant to apprehend the cunning woman. Indeed she well proved her claim to that name, when she insisted that the cellar door might be kept locked till she had time to get out of the reach of all pursuit.

Rachel, in one of her rambles, stopped at the house of farmer Jenkins. She contrived to call when she knew the master of the house was from home, which indeed was her usual way. She knocked at the door; the maids being in the field haymaking, Mrs. Jenkins went to open it herself. Rachel asked her if she would please to let her light her pipe? This was a common pretence, when she could find no other way of getting into a house. While she was filling her pipe, she looked at Mrs. Jenkins, and said, she could tell her some good fortune. The farmer's wife, who was a very inoffensive, but a weak and superstitious woman, was curious to know Poor Sally Evans! I am sure she rued the what she meant. Rachel then looked about day that ever she listened to a fortune-teller. carefully, and shutting the door with a myste- Sally was as harmless a girl as ever churned a rious air, asked her if she was sure nobody would pound of butter; but Sally was credulous, ignohear them. This appearance of mystery was rant and superstitious. She delighted in dream at once delightful and terrifying to Mrs. Jen- books, and had consulted all the cunning women kins, who, with trembling agitation, bid the in the country to tell her whether the two moles cunning woman speak out. Then,' said Ra- on her cheek denoted that she was to have two chel in a solemn whisper, there is to my certain husbands, or two children. If she picked up an knowledge a pot of money hid under one of the old horse-shoe going to church, she was sure stones in your cellar.'-Indeed!' said Mrs. that would be a lucky week. She never made Jenkins, it is impossible, for now I think of it, a black pudding without borrowing one of the I dreamt last night I was in prison for debt.' parson's old wigs to hang in the chimney, firmly 'Did you really?" said Rachel; that is quite believing there was no other means to preserve surprising. Did you dream this before twelve them from burning. She would never go to bed o'clock or after ?'-'O it was this morning, just on Midsummer eve without sticking up in her before I awoke.'-'Then I am sure it is true, room the well-known plant called Midsummerfor morning dreams always go by contraries,' men, as the bending of the leaves to the right cried Rachel. How lucky it was you dreamt or to the left, would not fail to tell her whether it so late.'-Mrs. Jenkins could hardly contain Jacob, of whom we shall speak presently, was her joy, and asked how the money was to be true or false. She would rather go five miles corne at. There is but one way,' said Rachel; about than pass near a church-yard at night. 'I must go into the cellar. I know by my art Every seventh year she would not eat beans be under which stone it lies, but I must not tell.' cause they grew downward in the pod, instead Then they both went down into the cellar, but of upward; and, though a very neat girl, she Rachel refused to point at the stone unless Mrs. would rather have gone with her gown open Jenkins would put five pieces of gold into a ba- than have taken a pin from an old woman, for sin and do as she directed. The simple woman, fear of being bewitched. Poor Sally had so mainstead of turning her out of doors for a cheat, ny unlucky days in her calender, that a large did as she was bid. She put the guineas into a portion of her time became of little use, because basin which she gave into Rachel's hand. Ra-on these days she did not dare set about any chel strewed some white powder over the gold, muttered some barbarous words, and pretended to perform the black art. She then told Mrs. Jenkins to put the basin quietly down within the cellar; teling her that if she offered to look into it, or even to speak a word, the charm would be broken She also directed her to lock the

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new work. And she would have refused the best offer in the country if made to her on a Friday, which she thought so unlucky a day that she often said what a pity it was that there were any Friday in the week. Sally had twenty pounds left her by her grandmother. She had long been courted by Jacob, a sober lad, with

whom she lived fellow servant at a creditable | it. But true it is, it certainly cured me. farmer's. Honest Jacob, like his namesake of old, thought it little to wait seven years to get this damsel to wife, because of the love he bore her, for Sally had promised to marry him when he could match her twenty pounds with another of his own.

Now there was one Robert, a rambling idle young gardener, who, instead of sitting down steadily in one place, used to roam about the country, and do odd jobs where he could get them. No one understood any thing about him, except that he was a down-looking fellow, who came nobody knew whence, and got his bread nobody knew how, and never had a penny in his pocket. Robert, who was now in the neighbourhood, happened to hear of Sally Evans and her twenty pounds. He immediately conceived a long desire for the latter. So he went to his old friend Rachel the fortune-teller, told her all he had heard of Sally, and promised if she could bring about a marriage between them, she should go shares in the money.

It

must be the sixpence you know, for I am sure I did nothing else for my ague, except indeed taking some bitter stuff every three hours which the doctor called bark. To be sure I lost my ague soon after I took it, but I am certain it was owing to the crooked sixpence, and not to the bark. And so, good woman, you may come in, if you will, for there is not a soul in the house but me.' This was the very thing Rachel wanted to know, and very glad she was to learn it.

money and began to examine the lines of Sally's left hand. She bit her withered lip, shook her head, and bade her poor dupe beware of a young man who had black hair. No, indeed, cried Sally, all in a fright, you mean black eyes, for our Jacob has got brown hair, 'tis his eyes that are black.' That is the very thing I was go

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While Sally was above stairs untying her glove, Rachel slipped in to the parlour, took a small silver cup from the beaufet, and clapped it into her pocket. Sally ran down, lamenting that she had lost her sixpence, which she verily believed was owing to her having put it into a left glove, instead of a right one. Rachel comforted her by saying, that if she gave her two plain ones instead, the charm would work just as well. Simple Sally thought herself happy to be let off so easily, never calculating that Rachel undertook the business. She set off a smooth shilling was worth two crooked sixto the farm-house, and fell to singing one of her pences. But this skill was a part of the black most enticing songs just under the dairy win-art in which Rachel excelled. She took the dow. Sally was so struck with the pretty tune, which was unhappily used, as is too often the case, to set off some very loose words, that she jumped up, dropped the skimming dish into the cream and ran out to buy the song. While she , stooped down to rummage the basket for those songs which had the most tragical pictures (for Sally had a tender heart, and delighted in what-ing to say,' muttered Rachel, 'I meant eyes, ever was mournful) Rachel looked stedfastly in her face, and told her she knew by art that she was born to good fortune, but advised her not to throw herself away. These two moles on vour cheek,' added she, 'show you are in some danger.' 'Do they denote husbands or chil. dren?' cried Sally, starting up, and letting fall the song of the Children in the Wood-Husbands,' muttered Rachel- Alas! poor Jacob!' said Sally, mournfully, then he will die first, won't he? Mum for that,' quoth the fortune teller, I will say no more.' Sally was impatient, but the more curiosity she discovered, the more mystery Rachel affected. At last, she said, ' if you will cross my hand with a piece of silver, I will tell your fortune. By the power of my art I can do this three ways; first by cards, next by the lines on your hand, or by turning a cup of tea grounds; which will you have?' 'O, all! all cried Sally, looking up with reverence to this sun-burnt oracle of wisdom, who was possessed of no less than three different ways of diving into the secrets of futurity. Alas! persons of better sense than Sally have been so taken in; the more is the pity. The poor girl said she would run up stairs to her little box where she kept her money tied up in a bit of an old glove, and would bring down a bright queen Ann's sixpence very crooked. 'I am sure,' added she, it is a lucky one, for it cured me of a very bad ague last spring, by only laying it nine nights under my pillow without speaking a word. But then you must know what gave the virtue to this sixpence was, that it had belonged to three young men of the name of John; I am sure I had work enough to get

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though I said hair, for I know his hair is as brown as a chesnut, and his eyes as black as a sloe.' 'So they are, sure enough,' cried Sally, how in the world could you know that?' forgetting that she herself had just told her so. And it is thus that these hags pick out of the credulous all which they afterwards pretend to reveal to them. O, I know a pretty deal more than that,' said Rachel, but you must beware of this man.' 'Why so,' cried Sally, with great quickness: 'Because,' answered Rachel, you are fated to marry a man worth a hundred of him, who has blue eyes, light hair, and a stoop in the shoulders.' 'No, indeed, but I can't,' said Sally; I have promised Jacob, and Jacob I will marry.' 'You cannot, child,' returned Rachel in a solemn tone; it is out of your power, you are fated to marry the gray eyes and light hair.' 'Nay, indeed,' said Sally, sighing deeply, if I am fated, I must; I know there's no resisting one's fate.' This is a common cant with poor deluded girls, who are not aware that they themselves make their fate by their folly, and then complain there is no resisting it. 'What can I do?' said Sally. I will tell you that, too,' said Rachel. You must take a walk next Sunday afternoon to the church-yard, and the first man you meet in a blue coat, with a large posy of pinks and southern-wood in his bosom, sitting on the church-yard wall, about seven o'clock, he will be the man.' 'Provided,' said Sally, much disturbed, 'that he has grey eyes and stoops.' 'O, to be sure,' said Rachel,

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otherwise it is not the right man.' 'But if I should mistake,' said Sally, for two men may happen to have a coat and eyes of the same co.

THE WORKS OF HANNAH MORE.

The

P lour? To prevent that,' replied Rachel, if it, and I shall marry Jacob still; but on looking is the right man, the two first letters of his name again, she saw it was southern-wood plain will be R. P. This man has got money beyond enough, and that of course all was over. sea.' 'O, I do not value his money,' said Sally, man accosted her with some very nonsensical, with tears in her eyes, 'for I love Jacob better but too acceptable, compliments. She was nathan house or land; but if I am fated to marry turally a modest girl, and but for Rachel's wickanother, I can't help it; you know there is no ed arts, would not have had courage to talk with a strange man; but how could she resist her struggling against my fate.' fate you know? After a little discourse, she asked him, with a trembling heart, what might, be his name? Robert Price, at your service, was 'Robert Price! that is R. P. as the answer. sure as I am alive, and the fortune-teller was a witch! It is all out' O the wonderful art of fortune-tellers!"

Poor Sally thought of nothing, and dreamt of nothing all the week but the blue coat and the gray eyes. She made a hundred blunders at her work. She put her rennet into the butterpan, and her skimming-dish into the cheesetub. She gave the curds to the hogs, and put the whey into the vats. She put her little knife out of her pocket for fear it should cut love, and would not stay in the kitchen if there was not an even number of people, lest it should break the charm. She grew cold and mysterious in her behaviour to faithful Jacob, whom she truly loved. But the more she thought of the fortuneteller, the more she was convinced that brown hair and black eyes were not what she was fated to marry, and therefore, though she trembled to think.it, Jacob could not be the man.

On Sunday she was too uneasy to go to church; for poor Sally had never been taught that her being uneasy was only a fresh reason She spent the why she ought to go thither. whole afternoon in her little garret, dressing in all her best. First she put on her red riband, which she had bought at last Lammas fair: then she recollected that red was an unlucky colour, and changed it for a blue riband, tied in a true lover's knot; but suddenly calling to mind that poor Jacob had bought this knot for her of a pedlar at the door, and that she had promised to wear it for his sake, her heart smote her, and she laid it by, sighing to think she was not fated to marry the man who had given it to her.When she had looked at herself twenty times in the glass (for one vain action always brings on another) she set off, trembling and shaking every step she went. She walked eagerly towards the church-yard, not daring to look to the right or left, for fear she should spy Jacob, who would have offered to walk with her, and so have spoilt all. As soon as she came within sight of the wall, she spied a man sitting upon it: Her heart beat violently. She looked again; but alas! the stranger not only had on a black coat, but neither hair nor eyes answered the description. She now happened to cast her eyes on the church-clock, and found she was two hours before her time. This was some comfort. She walked away and got rid of the two hours as well as she could, paying great attention not to walk over any straws which lay across, and carefully looking to see if there were never an old horse-shoe in the way, that infallible symptom of good fortune. While the clock was striking seven, she returned to the churchyard, and O! the wonderful power of fortune. tellers! there she saw him! there sat the very man! his hair as light as flax, his eyes as blue as butter-milk, and his shoulders as round as a tub. Every tittle agreed to the very nosegay in his waistcoat button-hole. At first, indeed, she thought it had been sweetbriar, and glad to catch at a straw, whispered to herself, it is not he,

The little sleep she had that night was disturbed with dreams of graves, and ghosts, and funerals, but as they were morning dreams, she knew those always went by contraries, and that a funeral denoted a wedding. Still a sigh would now and then heave, to think that in that wedding Jacob would have no part. Such of my readers as know the power which superstition has over the weak and credulous mind, scarcely need be told, that poor Sally's unhappiness was soon completed. She forgot all her vows to Jacob; she at once forsook an honest man whom she loved, and consented to marry a stranger, of whom she knew nothing, from a ridiculous notion that she was compelled to do so by a decree which she had it not in her power to resist. She married this Richard Price, the strange gardener, whom she soon found to be very worthless, and very much in debt. He had no such thing as money beyond sea,' as the fortune-teller had told her; but alas! he had another wife there.-He got immediate possession of Sally's twenty pounds. Rachel put in for her share, but he refused to give her a farthing, and bid her get away or he would have her taken up on the vagrant act. away from Sally, leaving her to bewail her own weakness; for it was that indeed, and not any irresistible fate, which had been the cause of her ruin. To complete her misery, she herself was suspected of having stole the silver cup which Rachel had pocketed. Her master, however, would not prosecute her, as she was falling into a deep decline, and she died in a few months of a broken heart, a sad warning to all credulous girls.

He soon ran

Rachel, whenever she got near home, used to drop her trade of fortune-telling, and only dealt in the wares of her basket. Mr. Wilson, the clergyman, found her one day dealing out some very wicked ballads to some children. He went up with a view to give her a reprimand; but had no sooner begun his exhortation than up came a constable, followed by several people. There she is, that is the old witch who tricked my wife out of the five guineas,' said one of them, 'Do your office constable, seize that old hag. She may tell fortunes and find pots of gold in Taunton jail, for there she will have nothing else to do! This was that very farmer Jenkins, whose wife had been cheated by Rachael of the five guineas. He had taken pains to trace her to her own parish: he did not so much value the loss of the money, as he thought it was a duty he owed the public to clear the country of