d by the
freezing air, than stay to be used as the fruits of theft invariably
are.

It was only just light when a little girl, whose rosy cheeks told that
the country air had kissed them that morning, passed by with a basket on
her arm nearly as big as herself. Her bright eyes soon spied the little
piece of money, and with a dart she caught it up; but, like an honest
girl, looked round to see if any one had dropped it. There was nobody
near but a dirty, good-tempered-looking coalheaver, who, seeing her
perplexity, said, "It must have been there all night, for nobody but me
has passed this morning; so you may keep it, if you like." Quite
content, she tripped away with her basket to join her mother in the
market, and tell of her good fortune.

Being a wise little maiden, Mary Falla did not spend her money that day,
but took it home all safe and sound, to gain time for consideration on
so important a subject. No selfish thoughts mingled with her
calculations, and therefore she very soon came to the decision that it
should go towards a pair of stockings for her grandmother; and happy in
the hope of giving pleasure, she only longed for the accumulation of a
little store sufficient to buy the necessary materials, and enable her
to begin her work. But even sixpences are not to be picked up every day,
and when a month had passed, only one penny had been added to the fund.
Just at this time there was a sermon one Sunday morning for the same new
church of which Miss Crawford had spoken to her brother. Mrs. Falla was
one of the few who were to be found regularly in their places in
church; and Mary, who was always with her mother, heard the sermon. We
cannot boast of our little heroine that she always listened to the
sermon; sometimes she did not understand it, sometimes she did not find
it interesting; but this sermon she did find interesting, and liked very
much, for it was about a church which she saw every day of her life; and
it told how much the church was wanted by sick and old people who could
not reach the parish church; and Mary knew she liked to go to church,
and was very sorry for her old grandmother, and many others whom she had
heard regret the distance. As they walked home she seemed to have
something very interesting to think about, for she dropped behind, and
kept her eyes fixed on the ground in a manner most unusual with this
merry little maiden; at last, however, she settled the question to her
own satisfaction