e of. Emily and Lucy saw
their mother boil the damsons, and helped Betty to cover them and carry
them to the closet. As Emily was carrying one of the jars she perceived
that it was tied down so loosely that she could put in her finger and
get at the fruit. Accordingly, she took out one of the damsons and ate
it. It was so nice that she was tempted to take another; and was going
even to take a third, when she heard Betty coming up. She covered the
jar in haste and came away. Some months after this, one evening, just
about the time it was getting dark, she was passing by the room where
these sweetmeats were kept, and she observed that the door was open.
She looked round to see if anybody was near, but there was no one. Her
parents, and her brother and sister, were in the parlour, and Betty was
in the kitchen, and John was in the garden. No eye was looking at her
but the eye of God, who sees everything we do, and knows even the
secret thoughts of the heart; but at that moment the fear of God was
not in the heart of Emily. Accordingly, she passed through the open
door and went up to the closet. There she stood still again, and looked
round, but saw no one. She then opened the closet door, and took two or
three damsons, which she ate in great haste. She then went to her own
room, and washed her hands and her mouth, and went down into the
parlour, where Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild were just going to tea.

[Illustration: "_She took two or three damsons, which she ate in great
haste._"--Page 60.]

Although her parents never suspected what naughty thing Emily had been
doing, and behaved just as usual to her, yet Emily felt frightened and
uneasy before them; and every time they spoke to her, though it was
only to ask the commonest question, she stared and looked frightened.

I am sorry to say that the next day, when it was beginning to get dark,
Emily went again to the closet and took some more damsons; and so she
did for several days, though she knew she was doing wrong.

On the Sunday following, it happened to be so rainy that nobody could
go to church, in consequence of which Mr. Fairchild called all the
family into the parlour and read the Morning Service and a sermon. Some
sermons are hard and difficult for children to understand, but this
was a very plain, easy sermon--even Henry could tell his mamma a great
deal about it. The text was from Psalm cxxxix., 7th to 12th verses.

The meaning of these verses was explained in the