"Did the lady give you nothing more?" inquired Mr. Walters, as William
handed him the money for the shoes and mentioned the new order. He had
been pleased with the boy's ingenuous honesty shown a day or two
before, and was now in a more sunny humour than usual. The old
watchman, too, had come in for a half-hour's chat, and was sitting in
the back shop, from whence Mr. Walters had come. "What did she give
you?" he repeated, as he saw the boy hesitate.

William blushed, stammered something inaudible, and looked at Jem
Taylor, who, as master's back was turned so that he could not see him,
made signs to our hero to conceal the truth. "I am sure she gave you
something," cried the master, now growing angry; "tell me the truth
this moment."

The poor boy now recollected that he had spent part of it, and was
more embarrassed than at first; the nods, winks, and smiles of the
vicious journeyman were aiding in the struggle to conquer the boy's
virtue, and at last triumphed. The anger of Mr. Walters was now fully
aroused. He seized his young apprentice by the shoulder, and in a
voice of thunder repeated the question; to which, pale and trembling,
more from the terrible conflict within than dread of the uplifted arm
of his cruel master, he answered, "_I did not get any money!_"

Dear young reader, the first step on the downward road is the only one
that costs, the rest are easy; and our poor hero, the child of
Christian parents, the subject of many prayers, had listened to the
voice of the charmer, and now he stood on the verge of the dangerous
boundary line. Was he to fall, or would God, whom he had been taught
to love and honour, shield him in his perilous situation? Ah yes; for
is there not One who, loving the wretched and suffering children of
the earth--One who, touched with the feeling of man's infirmities,
took on himself the likeness of sinful flesh, and dwelt among them,
administering mercy to all? Wherefore in all things it behoved him to
be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and
faithful High Priest, to make reconciliation for the sins of the
people. For being in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin, he
himself having suffered, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

And there were purposes of mercy in store for the orphan boy, when the
chastisements with which God sees good to inflict on the children of
his love should have passed away. This trial of his power to resist
temptati