ever occurred before; so that, if twenty shillings had been in her hand
instead of one, they would all have gone twenty different ways.

Lady Harriet advised that it should be laid bye till Laura had fully
considered what she would like best; reminding her very truly, that
money is lame in coming, but flies in going away. "Many people can get a
shilling, Laura," said her grandmama; "but the difficulty is to keep it;
for you know the old proverb tells that 'a fool and his money are soon
parted.'"

"Yes, Miss! so give it to me, and I shall take care of your shilling!"
added Mrs. Crabtree, holding out her hand to Laura, who fell that if her
money once disappeared into that capacious pocket, she would never see
it again. "Children have no use for money! that shilling will only burn
a hole in your purse, till it is spent on some foolish thing or other.
You will be losing your thimble soon, or mislaying your gloves; for all
these things seem to fly in every direction, as if they got legs and
wings as soon as they belong to you; so then that shilling may replace
what is lost."

Mrs. Crabtree looked as if she would eat it up; but Laura grasped her
treasure still tighter in her hand, exclaiming,

"No! no! this is mine! Uncle David never thought of my shilling being
taken care of! He meant me to do whatever I liked with it! Uncle David
says he cannot endure saving children, and that he wishes all money were
turned into slates, when little girls keep it longer than a week."

"I like that!" said Harry, eagerly; "it is so pleasant to spend money,
when the shopkeeper bows to me over the counter so politely, and asks
what I please to want."

"Older people than you like spending money, Master Harry, and spend
whether they have it or no; but the greatest pleasure is to keep it. For
instance, Miss Laura, whatever she sees worth a shilling in any shop,
might be hers if she pleases; so then it is quite as good as her own. We
shall look in at the bazaar every morning, to fix upon something that
she would like to have, and then consider of it for two or three days."

Laura thought this plan so very unsatisfactory, that she lost no time in
getting her shilling changed into two sixpences, one of which she
immediately presented to Harry, who positively refused for a long time
to accept of it, insisting that Laura should rather buy some pretty
plaything for herself; but she answered that it was much pleasanter to
divide her fortune with H