of Rosa Lynmore was duly canvassed, too; and,
while Mrs Maurice praised her generosity, she endeavoured to shew her
children the difference between this one impulsive act, and the
constant, self-denying effort which is the result of true benevolence.
'This little girl,' she said, 'may make but a small sacrifice in parting
with this money, not half so great as it would be to go and seek out the
poor woman and administer to her necessities, but still we have no right
to find fault with what is so well done, and I am sure, my children,
that you do not desire it.'

'No, mother,' said Effie, 'I see now why you told me not to judge Mrs
Wiston by appearances; if I had come away a little sooner, I should have
thought this pretty Rosa Lynmore one of the most selfish little girls in
the world. But now I know she was only thoughtless.'

'Well, I hope, my child, you will always remember not to judge hastily,
and without sufficient reason; yet to be utterly blind to the apparent
faults of those around you, is neither safe nor wise. It is not safe,
because by being too credulous you may easily make yourself the object
of imposition; and not wise, because, by such indiscriminate charity,
you lose a useful lesson.'

'I think, mother,' said Harry, 'that I can see the lesson we can learn
from Rosa Lynmore's faults.'

'I don't see that she has any faults,' said Effie, earnestly. 'I am
sure, Harry, you ought not to make so much of that one careless little
word about the bonnet; it _was_ an ugly bonnet, with so deep a front
that I dare say Rosa didn't see the poor woman's pale face.'

'You call it a careless word, Effie,' said Mrs Maurice, 'you admit that
this little girl was guilty of thoughtlessness, and surely you cannot
consider _that_ no fault--but under certain circumstances this fault is
more pardonable than under others. Now you know nothing of these
circumstances, and so could not, if you wished, be Rosa Lynmore's judge.
But, taking everything as it appears, you may draw your lesson without
assuming a province which does not belong to you. Now, Harry, we will
hear what you have to say.'

'It was not what Rosa _said_, that I meant, mother,--I was thinking of
what we might learn to-day from all her actions, and I am sure I didn't
want to blame her more than Effie did.'

'I supposed not, my son.'

'But, mother, Harry had reason to blame her more, for he didn't see how
sorry she looked, and how her voice trembled when she sai