THE QUAKER'S GIFT.

the bargain that I will make with thee is, that thou shalt do as well by me as I will by thee."

"Very well, sir, I will try what I can do," said Henry.

Henry now went to work with a hearty good will. He worked well, was steady, honest, and goodnatured. The quaker liked him. He liked the quaker. Hence the quaker was satisfied, Henry was happy, and the years of his term of service passed pleasantly away.

Just before Henry became of age, his master said to him

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Henry, I think of making thee a nice present when thy time is out."

Henry smiled pleasantly at this bit of news, and said

"I shall be very happy to receive any gift you may please to give, sir.”

Then the quaker looked slyly at Henry, and added"I cannot tell thee now what the present will be, but it shall be worth more than a hundred pounds to thee."

"More than a hundred pounds!" said Henry to himself, his eyes sparkling at the bare thought of such a gift. "What can it be ?"

THE QUAKER'S GIFT.

That was the puzzling question which buzzed about like a bee in Henry's brain from that time until the day before he was of age. On that day the quaker said to him

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Henry, thy time is out to-morrow; but I will take thee to thy father's house to-day."

Henry breathed freely on hearing these words. Dressing himself in his best suit, he soon joined the quaker, but could see nothing that looked like a gift worth more than a hundred pounds. He puzzled himself about it all the way, and said to himself—

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Perhaps Master has forgotten it."

At last they reached Henry's house.. After he had been greeted by his friends, the quaker turned to him and said

"Henry, I will give thy present to thy father."

"As you please, sir," replied Henry, now on the very tiptoe of expectation.

"Well," said the quaker, speaking to Henry's father, "thy son is the best boy I ever had." Then turning to Henry, he added—" This is thy present, Henry-A GOOD NAME."

Henry blushed; perhaps he felt a little disappointed because all his golden visions so suddenly vanished away. But his sensible father was delighted,

THE QUAKER'S GIFT.

and said to the quaker, who was smiling a little waggishly

"I would rather hear thee say that of my son than to see thee give him all the money thou art worth; for, as the wise man said, 'a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.''

Henry's father was right, and the quaker was a wise man. I have no doubt that Henry's good name did him more good than a hundred pounds could have done. It proved him to be the owner of a good character, which is worth more than all the gold, pearls, diamonds, and precious stones in the world.

But English boys, as well as American boys, must not forget that if they would have a good name they must earn it as Henry earned his. A careless idle boy was never yet known to earn a good name, but he earns another name which he would be better without. English lads need never fear

If they only take good care

To get a name for being steady,

Always willing, always ready.

Then their days will be much brighter,
Then their tasks will grow much lighter.
Henry did these things regard,

And he had a rich reward.

POOR, BUT HONEST.

POOR, BUT HONEST.

I LOVE to hear tales of this sort if they be true, and I have no reason for doubting the truth of this.

A boy whose parents were very poor was often short of something to eat. He did his best to earn an honest penny when he could. One afternoon he saw an aged woman coming from the railway with a heavy box which she was not able to carry. He went up to her and offered to carry it to where she was going for a penny. He found he had made a hard bargain, for it was a large town and he had a long way to carry it. When they found the house it was getting dark. He was told to set the box down at the door; he did, and she paid him, and he went away.

When she got into the house she found her daughter and the children very badly off, and so she thought she would send for some tea and sugar and bread and butter for them; but when she felt in her pocket for the half-a-crown which she knew she had in it, she pulled out a penny, and then she knew that she had given the boy the half-crown instead of the penny. She had only another shilling and a sixpence. What were they to do? They could never

POOR, BUT HONEST.

find the boy in a town like that. They did the best they could with a little that night.

Next morning early there came a tap at the door, and there was the lad, who said, "Did'nt I bring a box to this house last night for an old woman ?" "Yes, you did."

"Tell her to come down, for I want to see her." The old woman soon came, when the boy said"Missis, do you know you gave me a half-crown instead of a penny last night? because you did, and I have brought it back. Here it is.”

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Yes, my lad, I did, and I am very thankful to you for bringing it back. But I want to know how you came to do so, for I thought you told me you were starving at home."

"Yes, we are very bad off," said the boy, brightning up as he spoke, "but I go to Sunday school, and must not be dishonest."

Noble boy! The eye of God was upon that lad, and I have no doubt blessed him, as he always does those who obey him.