MONEY.
"What can I do with all this money?" said little Andrew, looking at a shilling his papa had given him. "I never had so much before: it will buy such lots of good things;" and the apparitions of apples, nuts, and gingerbread, flitted before him. No, all these were unworthy the mighty sum;—he must decide on some more important purchase:—so, putting the glittering coin into his pocket, he sallied forth, proud and happy.
Andrew was a very little fellow, but he could reflect and judge; and, scorning all indulgence of appetite, he resolved to buy some handsome useful article. A knife, or a whip.—Lost in consideration of the great question of which of these he should make himself master, he was pacing soberly along, when his eyes were drawn to a little squabble in the street. A rude cross boy was teazing a pale sickly girl; she was carrying a dish full of fine rosy apples, and he was trying to get one from her.
Andrew called out to him to let the child alone. The boy continued his struggles; and, big as the boy was, little Andrew would have attacked him; but, just as he reached the spot, the boy ran away, having first contrived to knock the dish out of the poor girl's hands.
Andrew held up his little threatening fist to the great rude coward, and then hastened to help to pick up the apples. This was soon done; but the dish—it was broken into a hundred pieces!
The poor child cried: "My mammy! Oh my mammy!"—"She will beat you?" said Andrew. "No, no, she never beats me—never; but the dish—it was dame Carter's—she lent it us, for me to carry these apples to our good Curate's—and now it is broken! What shall I do?—What shall I do?"—"Do not cry so, I don't like it," said Andrew, wiping his eyes.
"These apples were all we had this year in our garden," said the sobbing child; "and the Curate liked them: and he was so good to father, before he died, that poor mammy was quite happy to send them to him; and now—what will she say? What will she do?"—"Come, come, do not cry; but let us see what can be done. This dish cost a great deal of money."—"Oh! yes, Sir, a great deal,—we never had such an one of our own; for we are poor, very poor!"
Andrew thought for a minute, and then said—"Come along!" He walked briskly forward; the girl followed, with the apples in her apron. They passed a shop window full of whips and knives. Andrew smiled proudly and passed on. They came to a shop where dishes were sold. One hung at the window, the very picture of the one broken. Andrew feared the price would be beyond his means. It was marked a shilling. Without saying one word, he gave his shilling to the shopkeeper, the dish to the little girl, and ran off.