t as their live dog Carlo did at
home. Arthur took it up and looked at it again and again, and he said in
his own mind, "Oh, how I wish I might keep this little dog for my own!"

Now this was a bad wish that came into his mind. But he did not think of
his text, as his mamma had told him, and he did not try to put it away.
No; he looked all round the room and out at the window, and then he came
back to the table in the corner; and he felt quite sure that no one
could see him, and so he took up the china dog and put it into the
little pocket at the side of his coat.

Arthur then went and sat down again upon the stool. He did not feel
happy, though the little china dog was safe in his pocket and no one
knew. He felt afraid--afraid to hear his mamma's footsteps coming down
the stairs, and yet afraid to stay in the room alone. How was this, when
he had felt so happy, and not in the least afraid, only a little time
before?

A thief is always afraid of being found out, and Arthur was now a thief.
He could not be happy, for God has put something in our hearts which
will not let us be happy when we have given way to sin. So there Arthur
sat, quite still; and the clock on the mantel-piece, which he had not
heard before, went tick--tick; and Arthur grew more and more afraid, but
still his mamma did not come.

He put his hand into his pocket to feel if the little china dog was
there quite safe. Yes, it was there, but Arthur did not want to take it
out and look at it. He did not seem to care about it now. All at once,
while his hand was in his pocket, the short text came into his mind. He
said it out, but with a very low voice, "Thou GOD seest me." Then he
began to think about God, who could see him at all times, even when he
was quite alone; and he felt sorry for the wicked thing that he had
done. His hand was still in his pocket, when he heard his mamma's voice
as she came down-stairs; but he ran across the room, and took the little
dog out of his pocket, and put it back upon the table before she came
in. Oh, how glad was Arthur when this was done! His heart felt light,
and all his fear went away.

[Illustration]

He told his mamma about the little china dog as they went home, and how
the short text came into his mind. His mamma shed tears of joy to think
that God had caused her little boy to be sorry for his sin, and to put
back what he had stolen. And when they were at home, she made him kneel
down to thank God, and to as