pretty and becoming; you earned the money, and beside, Annie need not
know anything about it; tell her you had not time to change the money,
and throw the pennies quickly in the box; there will be more there, and
no one will know how much you put in."

Poor Charlotte! she did not know that the best way to avoid sin is to
flee from temptation. The shopman was at leisure, and waited to know
what she wished. She had not decided what to do; but the ribbon was
uppermost in her thoughts, and she asked, "What is the price of that
ribbon?" "Four cents," said the shopman as he quickly unrolled it; "here
are pink, white, blue and yellow; pink I should think the most becoming
to you, Miss. How much shall I cut you? enough to trim a bonnet?"

Charlotte was agitated; the man's volubility confused her, and she
stammered forth, "Half a yard, if you please, sir."

It was cut off, rolled up, and in her hand, and she had paid the two
cents before she collected her thoughts; and then as she slowly returned
home, she unfolded her purchase, and tried in her admiration of its gay
color to forget she had done wrong.

Perhaps if Charlotte had read her Bible she would have remembered how
Ananias and his wife Sapphira were struck dead for mocking the Lord, by
pretending they had given all when they had reserved a part of their
goods. Their sin consisted not so much in keeping back a part as in
lying unto God; and this sin Charlotte was about to commit by
pretending to put in the mission box more than she really did.

Sunday morning dawned bright and lovely. Annie was up and tidily dressed
long before the hour for school. She had time to sing a sweet morning