“I want a nice sweet orange, for a penny,” said James.
“Our best oranges are twopence,” was the reply.
“But I have only a penny, and I want a nice orange for my mother, who is sick.”
“Do you buy it with your own money, my little man?” asked the confectioner.
“Yes, sir,” was the low answer.
“Then take one of the best, for your penny, and here is some candy into the bargain. I love to see little boys thoughtful of their mothers.” And the man patted James upon the head, and seemed much pleased.
William felt bad when he heard what the man said, and began to think how very much pleased his mother would be when James took her the orange after school.
“I wish I had bought an orange too,” he said, as he went along, eating his candy, which did not taste half so good as he had expected it would taste.
Do you know why it did not taste so good? I will tell you. His mind was not at ease. When our thoughts trouble us, we take little or no pleasure in anything. To make this still plainer, I will just mention the case of a boy, who thought it would be so pleasant if he could play all the time, instead of going to school. So much did he think about this, that one morning, he resolved that he would not go to school when sent, but would go out into the woods, and play all day, and be so happy.
So, when he started off, with his dinner in a little basket, instead of going to the school-room, he went to the woods.