Little Emmy was punished, as she well deserved to be, for breaking her mother's command, and doing what she knew that she ought not to have done. But Mary Cowell, with a contrite heart, owned to herself, and confessed to God, that she had deserved sharper punishment than her child. There had been doubt and disobedience in both; but the older sinner was the greater, for she had most cause to trust the providence of a Father who is almighty as well as all-good. If the child had removed a guard carefully and wisely placed before the fire which, while kept to its proper use, is one of our greatest blessings, but which to those who misuse it may prove the cause of burning and death; what had the mother done? She had tried on the Lord's Day to earn bread by treading her duty under foot, by putting aside, as far as she could, that law by which the great God has fenced round His holy day, "Thou shalt do no manner of work." Grateful for the warning given her, never again did Mary carry forth her basket on Sunday. Henceforth, by example as well as by precept, she brought up her little one in the fear and love of God. And when, after many years, the widow was called home to her soul's rest, she could with peaceful hope thus bid her daughter farewell. "Good-bye, my loved one! God be with you in your trouble, He has never failed me in mine! 'Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and verily thou shall be fed.' Good-bye, until we meet again, through the Saviour's merits,—the Saviour's love,—in His kingdom of glory!" NEW STORIES BY A. L. O. E. No. 3—GOOD FOR NOTHING. NEW YORK: GENERAL PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL SUNDAY SCHOOL. UNION AND CHURCH BOOK SOCIETY. 762 BROADWAY. 1865. GOOD FOR NOTHING. "GET away with ye, for an idle good for nothing thief!" exclaimed Mrs. Paton, as with an angry gesture she waved from her door a ragged miserable lad who stood before it. "Never shall you be trusted with another errand by me! To take the biscuits out of the very bag! Don't tell me you were hungry; don't tell me you won't be after doing it again! I was ready, I was, to give you a chance, since I knew that you was a homeless orphan; but I'll not be taken in twice! Go, beg about the streets or starve, or find your way to the workhouse, or the jail! I wash my hands of you, I'll have nothing more to do with ye, I tell you! Ungrateful and good for nothing as you are!" and as if to give force to her words, Mrs. Paton slammed the door in his face.