the landlord when he came to the door, "I won't have my horse unloaded, I shall only stop with you whilst I eat my breakfast. Give my horse to some one to hold here on the road, and let the horse have a little hay to eat."

The landlord called, but there was no one in the way, so he beckoned to Charles, who was going by, and begged him to hold the horse. "Oh!" said the man, "but can you engage him to be an honest boy? for these are oranges in my baskets; and it is not every little boy one can leave with oranges." Yes," said the landlord, "I have known Charles all his life; I have never known him to lie or steal; all the neighbours know him to be an honest boy; I'll engage your oranges will be as safe with him as if you were by yourself."

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orange man,

"Can you so?" said the "then I'll engage, my lad, to give you the finest orange in my basket when I come from breakfast, if you'll watch the rest whilst I am away.' "Yes," said Charles, "I will take care of your oranges.

So the man put the bridle into his hand, and he went into the house to eat his breakfast.

Charles had watched the horse and the oranges about five minutes, when he saw one of his school fellows coming towards him. As he came nearer, Charles saw that it was Ned.

Ned stopped as he pass, and said, "good morning to you, Charles what are you doing there-whose horse is that, and what have you got in the baskets?"

"There are oranges in the baskets," said Charles; " and a man who has just gone to the

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inn there, to eat his breakfast, bid me take care of them, and so I did; because he said he would give me an orange when he came back again.” "An orange," cried Ned; are you to have a whole orange?—I wish I was to have one! However, let me look how large they are." Saying this, Ned went towards the pannier and lifted up the cloth that covered it. "La! what fine oranges!" he exclaimed, the moment he saw them. "Let me touch them, to feel if they are ripe."

"No," said Charles, "you had better not; what signifies it to you whether they are ripe, you know, since you are not to eat them. You should not meddle with them; they are not yours, you must not touch them."

"Not touch them! Surely," said Ned, "there's no harm in touching them. You don't think I mean to steal them, I suppose." So Ned put his hand into the orange man's basket, and he took up an orange, and he felt it; and when he had felt it, he smelled it. "It smells very sweet, and it feels very ripe; I long to taste it; I will only just suck one drop of juice at the top." Saying these words he put the orange to his mouth.

"What are you about, Ned?" cried Charles, taking hold of his arm. "You said you only wanted to smell the orange; do put it down, for shame." "Don't say for shame to me," cried Ned, in a surly tone; "the oranges are not your's, Charles !"

"No, they are not mine; but I promised to take care of them, and so I will; so put down that orange!'

"Oh, if it comes to that, I won't," said Ned, "and let us see who can make me, if I don't choose it; I'm stronger than you."

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"I'm not afraid of you for all that," replied Charles, for I am in the right." Then he snatched the orange out of Ned's hand, and he pushed him with all his force from the basket.

Ned immediately returning, hit him a violent blow, which almost stunned him.

Still, however, this good boy, without minding the pain, persevered in defending what was left in his care; he still held the bridle with one hand, and covered the basket with the other arm, as well as he could.

Ned struggled in vain to get his hands into the pannier again; he could not; so he pretended to be out of breath, and to leave off trying; but he meant as soon as Charles looked away, to creep softly round to the basket on the other side.

Ned, intent upon getting round to steal the oranges, forgot, that if he went too close to the horse's heels, he should startle him. The horse, indeed, disturbed by the bustle near him, had left off eating his hay, and began to put down his ears; but when he felt something touch his hind legs, he gave a sudden kick, and Ned fell backwards, just as he had seized the orange.

Ned screamed with the pain; and at the scream all the people came out of the public house, to see what was the matter, and amongst them came the orange man.

Ned was now so much ashamed, that he almost forgot the pain, and wished to run away;

but he was so much hurt, that he was obliged to sit down again.

The truth of the matter was soon told by Charles, and as soon believed by all the people present, who knew him; for he had the character of being an honest boy; and Ned was known to be a thief and a liar.

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So nobody pitied Ned for the pain he felt. "He deserves it," says one. Why did he meddle with what was not his own?" said another. “He is not much hurt, I'll answer for it," said a third. Charles was the only person who said nothing; he helped Ned away to a bank. "Oh, come here," said the orange man, calling him; come here, my honest lad! what! you got that black eye in keeping my oranges, did you? that's a stout little fellow," said he, taking him by the hand, and leading him into the midst of the people.

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Men, women, and children, had gathered round, and all the children fixed their eyes upon Charles, and wished to be in his place.

The orange man took Charles's hat off his head, and filled it with fine oranges. "There, my little friend," said he, "take them, and God bless you with them! If I could but afford it, you should have all that is in my basket."

Then the people, and especially the children, shouted for joy; but as soon as there was silence, Charles said to the orange man, "Thank you, Sir, but I can't take your oranges, only that one I earned; take the rest back again; 1 thank you as much as if I had them." Saying these words, Charles offered to pour the oranges

back into the basket; but the man would not let him.

"Then," said Charles, "if they are honestly mine, I may give them away;" so he emptied the hat among the children his companions. "Divide them amongst you," said he ; and without waiting for their thanks, he ran home. The children ran after him, clapping their hands and thanking him.

The little thief came limping after. Nobody praised' him; nobody thanked him; he had no oranges to eat, nor had he any to give away. Ned went home crying, and saying to himself, "All this was for one orange; it was not worth while."

No; it is never worth while to do wrong. MISS EDGEWorth.

Children, when you read this, think about it --which would you rather have been, the honest boy or the thief?

EXPLANATIONS.

Panniers are baskets, which are used to carry such articles as eggs, oranges, &c. to market. One basket hangs on one side of a horse, and another basket hangs on the other side; they are fastened together by a leather strap which goes across the horse's back over the saddle.

Public house. When people are travelling, that is, riding or walking a great distance, far from their own homes, or their friend's houses, they are obliged to buy their food, and pay for the use of beds, at houses where they stop for this purpose. These houses have a painted