ve left
it on a step at some one's door."

Then his mamma asked, "How came you to put your book-bag on the step?"
And Harry cried more than before, and told her that he had stayed to
play with the other boys.

His mamma said, "You have been a very wicked boy, and there are two
things that I must punish you for. I must punish you for not coming home
as you were bid, and then for trying to hide your fault by telling a
lie."

So she called Susan, and asked her to go up the street with Harry to
look for his book-bag. By this time it was nearly dark, and Harry took
hold of Susan's hand, and went crying along the street. One or two
people who passed him said, "I wonder what is the matter with that
little boy." When they came to the corner of the street where he had
stayed to play, he said, "This is the place, and I laid my book-bag on
that step." Then Susan looked, and Harry looked; but the book-bag was
not there. Susan said that some one must have stolen it.

Harry was afraid that his mamma would be very angry when she knew that
his bag and all his school-books were quite gone. But no, that which
gave her most pain and grief was to know that her little boy had not
spoken the truth. It is a sad thing to tell a lie. God has said that all
liars shall have their part in the lake of fire that burns for ever and
ever.

So Harry's mamma had to punish him, very soon after he had told her that
he would be always good. He had now found out that he had a sinful
heart. You also are a sinner, young reader. You often do what is wrong.
Do not forget this story about Harry; and if ever you feel proud when
you have tried to do well, go and say this little prayer to your Father
who is in heaven: "O Lord, I am a poor sinful child. I cannot do right
of myself. Pardon my sins, and give me a meek and humble heart, for the
sake of Jesus Christ my Saviour. Amen."

THE POND IN THE FIELD.

Mary lived with her mother in a little house. She often sat by the door
on a long seat, and then would run about the field on the other side of
the road. There was a narrow path in the field, and people used to walk
along it when they came that way from the town. Down at the corner of
the field, near the stile, there were some tall trees, and under the
trees there was a pond. The water in the pond was not very deep, but it
was deep enough to drown a little girl like Mary, so her mother told her
she must never play near the pond, for fear she should