"what I ought to do, and no terrors shall stop me!" Then falling on his knees: "O thou Father and Protector of all who put their trust in thee," he cried, "when my mother and my brother forsake me, Thou, I know, wilt take me up, and I pray thee to pardon them and turn their hearts!"

Susan could not help being in some degree affected, and Robert's eyes filled with tears; but hoping still to get the better, she bade Charles gather his clothes together, and prepare for his departure. "Let him stay another day, dear mother," said Robert; "perhaps he will think better of it, and do as we wish."

"No no," cried Charles, "I will go this morning to Mr. Hammond; justice shall be done, whatever becomes of me."

Susan and Robert sat silently watching him while he packed up his few clothes and books, all of which could easily be carried away in one bundle. When this was done he went timidly up to his mother, but she pushed him from her, bidding him instantly leave the house: he obeyed her, only stopping a minute at the door of the room to repeat his prayer for their pardon and conversion.

He went down stairs with a heavy heart, resolving to go to Mr. Hammond, before he even considered in what place he should shelter his own friendless head; but had scarce gone ten paces from the street door, when his mother called to him from the window, telling him to come back. He gladly and speedily obeyed the summons, hoping that she had relented; but when he entered the room with a look of eager inquiry, she thus addressed him: "We are a little too cunning to be taken in by such a child as you; if any one goes to Mr. Hammond, it shall be your brother himself; surely he who found the money ought to have the reward for bringing it b I will take him to do so myself, aid do you stay

here till we return, when I shall better know what to do with so undutiful a child."

"Thank God," said Charles earnestly, "for this good resolution of yours, and may Mr. Hammond's generosity give you ample reason to rejoice in it!”

Both mother and son preserved a gloomy silence while they dressed; and, before they left the house with the pocket-book which had caused so much contention, bitterly reproached Charles, as the bane of their good fortune and happiness.

Susan was a remarkably good-looking and a well spoken woman, and Robert a fine tall youth with a sweet open countenance, so that Mr. Hammond was much pleased with their appearance and manner: but when the mother explained the business they came about, which she did in a very artful manner, assuring him that both her son and herself had resolved from the first to restore the papers, and should have done the same had they been of still greater value, he became much interested about them, and told her that neither of them should have reason to repent of their honesty. "Indeed," added he, "had you kept the notes they could have been of no value to you, for I knew the number of each, and had taken the proper means to prevent their circulation; but as you were ignorant that this could be done, your merit, and that of your son, is as great as if you had brought me back a purse of guineas to the same amount. Strict honesty is a virtue of inestimable value; I rejoice to find an example of it in this promising boy, and it will be a pleasure to me to assist you in bringing him forward in the world."

He then proceeded to inquire about their situation and circumstances, which Susan stated with tolerable regard to truth, except that she represented Robert as her only child, fearing if Charles was known

Mr. Hammond, that he would tell him the truth with respect to the bringing back of the pocket-book,

in order to gain the favour of that gentleman. But this falsehood was like most others quite useless; for he was of too generous a disposition to have exposed the faults of his mother and brother, let the prospect of advantage to himself have been ever so tempting.

After inquiring Robert's age, Mr. Hammond proposed sending him to a good day-school for a year, at the end of which time he said he should see what improvements he had made, and what further he was fit for, promising to put him into an advantageous line of business if he was diligent, and continued to deserve his favour.

Susan poured out a profusion of thanks, and assured him that no mother had ever been blessed with so pious, gentle, industrious, and dutiful a son, as Robert had always been to her; and she did not doubt but with the favour of Heaven he would give equal satisfaction to any gentleman who should be pleased to employ him. All this she might have said with truth of the poor neglected Charles, for he had on every occasion done all in his small power to promote her welfare and happiness; but excessive indulgence had rendered Robert selfish and obstinate, and the constant preference given him over his brother made him conceited and ill-natured. But this unjust mother could neither see a fault in her darling, nor a virtue in Charles, who was born, she would often declare, to be a misery to himself, and a burden and trouble to his friends.

Before Mr. Hammond dismissed them, he put a twenty-pound note into Susan's hand, desiring her to keep her son frugally, but decently clothed, and take care that he attended the school regularly. She again loaded him with thanks; and they returned home highly delighted, as indeed they had reason to be, with the bright prospect which seemed to oper before Robert.

Poor Charles had been long standing at the window watching impatiently for their return, and was not a little cheered by seeing them appear in high spirits as they walked down the street; nay, Robert even looked up and gave him a good-humoured nod. He would have gone down to meet them, but was afraid of the reception his mother might give him: he looked wishfully at both when they entered the room, but did not venture to speak. Good fortune had, however, for the present softened the heart of Susan, or rather she was impatient to communicate and boast of the happy change in Robert's situation;. she therefore related the greatest part of what had passed, and concluded with telling him that he might unpack his bundle and remain with them, unless he rather chose to go and provide for himself." Thank you, my dear mother," said Charles, "I would far rather stay with you and my brother than go to live with strangers, and I hope the noble reward he is likely to receive for acting honestly will fix him firmly in the path of rectitude for the remainder of his life."

"Let me warn you once for all," interrupted Susan, "to give us no more of your preaching; your brother and I shall know upon other occasions how to act for our own advantage as much as we have upon this."

Nay, mother," cried Robert, "we should not have taken back the pocket-book but for Charles's advice; so we ought to thank him for that.

"Not at all," answered she; "it is your good luck not his kind intentions that we have to thank; it was undutiful and ill-natured in him to force me to do what I did not like; but you, my darling, were born to rise in the world, and so every thing turns out for the best."

The favourite was not disposed to contradict this ed attering assertion, and Charles according to his

usual custom became silent when his mother grew harsh and unreasonable.

Robert was sent the following day to the school which Mr. Hammond mentioned; and as that gentleman, who was really much taken with the boy, occasionally sent for and examined him as to the progress he made, his ambition and vanity were so completely roused, that he became as diligent as he had before been idle; and as he had an excellent capacity he got on rapidly, and at the end of the year his kind benefactor was so highly pleased with his attainments, and had so good an opinion of his disposition and principles, that he again sent for his mother, and told her he would take the entire care of providing for her son upon himself; that he would board him at a school where he would be qualified for business, and defray all his expenses till he was of an age to be employed in his counting-house, when he would give him a salary and put him forward in the world if he continued to deserve it.

It may well be imagined that Susan was delighted with this good news: she hastened to communicate it to her son, in whom she already thought she saw a rich merchant. "O my darling boy," cried she, embracing him, "you are to go next week to the great school in Mill-street, among all the rich people's sons; Mr. Hammond is to pay for every thing, and you will appear as well as the best of them! What a fine thing it is to have luck! I shall one day see you riding in your own coach, while Charles goes plodding on between his work and his prayers, and will be a poor shabby fellow all his life."

"I am more glad than ever," returned Robert, "that we never said any thing of him to Mr. Hammond; not one of my school-fellows must know that I have such a brother; for though he is neat in his dress considering his employment, and really wellbehaved for one who has had no educatic, nis gu