“Mother,” said he, “the other day, when you were gone, I peeped while Eddie hid the button;” and then went on and told her all about it.  Mrs. Dudley talked with him a short time, and said he had done right in confessing his fault, and in refusing to profit by his wrong act.  She knew he was much happier than he could have been if he had done otherwise.  “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”  Willie found the happiness of an approving conscience; and I doubt not that Jesus looked down with love upon him, as he does upon all true penitents.  “There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.”

If Willie had not confessed his fault, and been sorry for it, his conscience would have been hardened and he would probably have “peeped” another time, when the children played the same game.  But now, if he should be tempted in this way again, he would remember how much he suffered in consequence of having once yielded to a similar temptation, and would not allow himself to commit the wrong.

It is very important that children should early learn to confess their faults, and not form the habit of endeavouring to hide them from others.  If they have injured any individual, they should apologize to that individual.  Sometimes it is only necessary to confess to God, but we should not be satisfied with doing it in a general manner.  Each wrong act, so far as we remember it, should be mentioned.

If we really love our heavenly Father, we shall wish to tell him all about ourselves.  We shall have no desire to conceal any thing from him, and it will be a pleasure to us to think that he knows every thought and feeling of our hearts.

Willie had no wish to conceal from his mother the wrong he had done; he preferred to tell her about it; and I have no doubt he had previously told his Father in heaven.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

THE CHRYSALIS.

“O mother, look here!  What is this?” exclaimed Eddie, as he was in the garden with his mother and Mary and Willie.  He was standing by a tall pole, around which a Lima bean-vine had wound itself.  He had been gathering the great dry pods in a basket to preserve them for winter, when his grandmother would come to Clover-Hill to see her dear grandchildren.  His attention had been attracted by something peculiar, and he immediately called his mother to come and see it.  Mary and Willie ran to look.  Mrs. Dudley found it was a beautiful green chrysalis, suspended by its silken cords to the vine.  The colour was soft and delicate, and it was ornamented with a black line, and with bright golden spots.

“Isn’t it pretty, mother?” “How did it get here?” and many more questions were rapidly asked, while the little folks carefully examined it.