"Has not Jane returned yet, mamma?" said Mary, entering the kitchen one morning.

"No, my dear, she has been out nearly three quarters of an hour; a quarter of an hour, twenty minutes at the farthest, would certainly have been time enough."

"And you want the flour, mamma," Mary said, looking on the table, where lay chopped suet, currants picked, water, sugar- every requisite, except the most indispensable ingredient, for the preparation of a pudding.

Mr. Green's account of James's family had appeared to Mrs. Clayton satisfactory, and it was now three weeks since Jane had become an inmate of Myrtle Cottage. She had proved somewhat thoughtless, rather too familiar, and very much addicted to making excuses more ingenious than truthful. But she was active, sensible, always in good humour, pleasant to look at, and pleasant to speak to, and was, on the whole, liked by the ladies. Ten minutes more of waiting, and Jane hurried in at the back door.

66

Jane, you have been away nearly an hour," said Mrs. Clayton, looking at her watch.

"Yes, ma'am; Mr. Green's shop was so full I couldn't get served, and I told James I was in a hurry. I've run all the way. I'm all in a heat."

Jane certainly was very hot, and it was quite true she had run; but from a much greater distance than Mr. Green's. Jane had been served so quickly that she thought there would be just time to run down the lane and talk a little with Lizzie, a schoolfellow and companion. She

wanted to tell of the gold watch and chain Mrs. Clayton wore, of Miss Mary's beautiful silk dress, and of the "sweet pretty "hat, white lace and blue flowers, Miss Carrie wore on Sundays. For Jane entertained so genuine a love for dress that she delighted in it, whoever might be the wearer.

"Lizzie's in the field yonder, peas-picking," said Lizzie's mother; and Jane quickly climbed the stile, ran down the long path, and stood by the group of women and girls, who, stooping among the yellow haulms, rapidly picked off the wellfilled pods. So to a dozen eager listeners Jane detailed various small matters, which she had no business to tell, and they had none to wish to hear. Not that Jane said anything she considered disrespectful to her mistresses, -all was intended to display their dignity and wealth, and consequently her own importance as their favoured attendant; but a keener sense of propriety would have taught her, that on the concerns of the family whom she served she should have been entirely silent, and especially in such a company. Just as she was enlarging upon forks and spoons, "all silver, and used every day in common," the church bell struck twelve, and catching up her basket she hurried across the field, up the lane, through the street, down the hill, and breathlessly entered the kitchen.

After finishing the preparations for dinner Mrs. Clayton walked to Mr. Green's.

"Can you recollect," she inquired, "whether my little servant was detained here this morning by other customers?"

"Surely it would. He could have no more right to do that than your mother could have to give short weight when selling fruit from her garden. Now when I engage a servant I understand that, in return for hoard and wages, she will do my work to the best of her ability, and in the time and way most convenient to me. When there is loitering, or the work is slighted, a servant is acting unfaithfully. I take the trouble to explain these things to you, Jane, because I know you have sense, and I hope you may profit by them. Still," Mrs. Clayton continued, after a pause, “it is not of your lingering that I think the most; I trouble more, very much more, on account of your untruthfulness;" and Mrs. Clayton again paused, looking thoughtfully out of the window.

Jane watched her anxiously; she fancied her mistress was debating whether she should take from her the intended holiday. In this surmise she was right, for in a few minutes Mrs. Clayton turned to her: "I have been considering whether it would not be well to deprive you of the holiday I had designed, to teach you that nothing is gained by doing wrong. But I do not wish to be severe; you may leave as soon as you like after dinner, and remain until half-past eight o'clock. But recollect, if you find no immediate harm follow on wrong-doing, sooner or later, in greater or less degree,

"I won't tell lies no more, that I won't," said Jane.

"And suppose you keep this resolution, what will you do about those you have already told? You have incurred God's anger, and are in danger of punishment for those." Jane did not answer.

I

"No improvement for the future can make amends for the sins of the past. There could be no hope for us if the Lord Jesus Christ had not taken our sin upon Himself and died for us. Now God will forgive, for His sake, all who are truly sorry for sin, and trust in His Son. hope, my child, you will ask God to forgive you for Christ's sake, not only to-day's sin, but all your sin, and to change your heart. I dare say you have learnt at the Sunday school David's prayer, 'Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.' Now you may go." And Jane left the room with a subdued, serious countenance, while Mrs. Clayton joined her daughters in the garden.

"Have you lost anything, mamma?" inquired Carrie, as, about a fortnight later, Mrs. Clayton was making some purchases in Mr. Green's shop. A slight exclamation of surprise had escaped her on opening her purse.

"I placed a half-sovereign in my purse before leaving home, and it is not there now. Mrs. Clayton was carefully examining the several compartments of the porte-monnaie. "Have you dropped it, ma'am?"