AN ACCOUNT OF A FRAY, BEGUN AND CARRIED ON FOR THE SAKE OF AN
APPLE: IN WHICH ARE SHOWN THE SAD EFFECTS OF RAGE AND ANGER.

It was on a fine summer's evening when the school-hours were at an
end, and the young ladies were admitted to divert themselves for
some time, as they thought proper, in a pleasant garden adjoining
to the house, that their governess, who delighted in pleasing
them, brought out a little basket of apples, which were intended
to be divided equally amongst them; but Mrs. Teachum being hastily
called away (one of her poor neighhours having had an accident
which wanted her assistance), she left the fruit in the hands of
Miss Jenny Peace, the eldest of her scholars, with a strict charge
to see that every one had an equal share of her gift.

But here a perverse accident turned good Mrs. Teachum's design of
giving them pleasure into their sorrow, and raised in their little
hearts nothing but strife and anger: for, alas! there happened to
be one apple something larger than the rest, on which the whole
company immediately placed their desiring eyes, and all at once
cried out, 'Pray, Miss Jenny, give me that apple.' Each gave her
reasons why she had the best title to it: the youngest pleaded
her youth, and the eldest her age; one insisted on her goodness,
another from her meekness claimed a title to preference; and one,
in confidence of her strength, said positively, she would have it;
but all speaking together, it was difficult to distinguish who
said this, or who said that.

Miss Jenny begged them all to be quiet, but in vain; for she could