sweetmeats, and there was a rocking horse all saddled and bridled, and the neatest little whip you ever did see, and such a little rifle—­but I forgot, girls don’t mind those things; let me think—­I dare say there were dolls, though I didn’t look for them, and then such a pretty little rocking-chair all cushioned with purple silk, just about big enough for dolly, and heaps of other nice things—­so we must be out early, Effie.’

‘Harry—­’

‘What is it, Effie?’

‘I was thinking—­’

’What about?  Do you want something I haven’t mentioned?  I dare say it is there.’

’No, I was thinking—­I—­I believe I will give my money to the missionaries.’

‘Now, Effie!’

‘Then I shan’t make a god of it.’

‘But Aunt Norton gave you this to buy some pretty things for yourself.’

‘I know it, but—­’

‘And you have given ever so much to the missionaries.’

‘Well, Harry, I don’t know that I need any new toys.’

‘When you see Mr T.’s shop—­’

’I don’t want to see Mr T.’s shop, that would be going in the way of temptation.’

Harry was silent a few moments,—­he was two years older than Effie, and although sometimes dazzled by appearances, as in the case of the attractive toy shop, when he waited to think, his judgment was usually very good for one so young.  At last he looked up with a smile, ’I’ve thought it out, Effie, we don’t need any new toys; we might buy books for our little library, but father has promised us two or three more soon.  Then our subscriptions to the Missionary Society, and the Bible Society, and the Colporteur Society, are paid (to be sure it wouldn’t hurt us to give a little more), but I have just thought what to do with this money (that is, yours and mine together, you know), which I think is better than all the rest.’

‘What is it?’

‘We’ll make a New Year’s present of it.’

‘To whom?’

‘Can’t you think?’

‘To father, or mother?’

‘No, I should love to buy them something, but they would rather not.’

‘To old Phillis, then?’

’Old Phillis!—­it would be a good notion to buy her a gown, wouldn’t it, but I was thinking of John Frink.’

’You didn’t mean to give it to him, I hope, such an idle, good-for-nothing boy as he is?’

’He isn’t idle and good-for-nothing now, Effie.  Since he began to go to the Sunday school he’s as different as can be.  Now if we could put our money together, and help him to go to school this winter (he can’t even read the Bible, Effie,) I think it would do more good than anything else in the world.’

’Perhaps it would, but I never liked John Frink very well.  He will learn to read the Bible at the Sunday school, and if he did know any more, I’m not sure he’d make a good use of it.’

’Perhaps he wouldn’t, but we could hope, Effie, and pray, and then we should have the pleasure of knowing that our duty was done, as Mr L. said the other day.  If John Frink should become reformed, only think of how much good he might do in that wicked family, and among the wicked boys here in the city, and then when he gets to be a man—­’