the stall said it was very shabby of him only to give her sixpence;
but when she went home with three sixpences and told Mrs. Newton this
story, she kissed her little girl very fondly, but said the gentleman
was good to give her sixpence, for he had no right to give her
anything, she had only done her duty.

"But, grandmother," said Fanny, "when I saw that pretty half-
sovereign dropping down to his purse, I could not help wishing he
would give it to me."

"And what commandment did you break then, my child?"

"Not the eighth--if I had kept the half-sovereign I should have
broken it," said Fanny, "for that says, thou shalt not steal--what
commandment did I break, grandmother; for I did not steal?"

"When we desire to have what is not ours Fanny, what do we do? we
covet; do we not?"

"Oh! yes--thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods," cried Fanny,
"that is the tenth commandment; and that half-sovereign was my
neighbor's goods, and that fat gentleman was my neighbor. But,
grandmother, it is very easy to break the tenth commandment."

"Very easy indeed, my dear," said Mrs. Newton, with first a faint
smile, and then a deep sigh, "therefore," she added, "we ought always
to pray like David, 'Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity.'"

There is a very common saying, that when things are at the worst
they mend. It is hard to say when matters are at the worst; poor Mrs.