d out of sight, returning in a very few minutes with a large
picture-book, out of which he himself had learned to read.

Ronald was a wise little fellow to have brought a picture-book; for such
a work of art had never been seen by the woman before, and if reading
was only looking at pictures like that she felt she might manage it
after all.

She was by no means a stupid scholar, and Ronald was so earnest a little
teacher that the progress made was really astonishing. The tinker found
a good many jobs in the village, and stayed nearly a fortnight, and by
that time Susan could spell little words very nicely, and no longer read
a-s-s, donkey, as, misled by the picture, she had done at the beginning
of the lessons.

Ronald's mother gave the woman a large print Bible with a great many
pictures in it; and when next year the tinker's van again visited the
village, Susan was delighted to be able to exhibit her progress, and
slowly and reverently she read the parable of the Lost Sheep.

"I read that to my old man most nights," she said; "his father was a
shepherd, and he knows all about sheep. Oh, Master Ronald!" said the
woman, suddenly changing her tone, "I do bless you for putting it into
my head to learn to read."

Certainly Ronald was a happy boy that day.

[Illustration: TEMPTATION.]

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A LITTLE MAN.

Bobby was not quite six years old, but he thought himself quite a man,
and a very strong man too. He was a sturdy little fellow, and as he
never caught cold, his mother allowed him to run about without shoes and
stockings when the weather was warm and dry.

Bobby's mother was always a little afraid of his being hurt. She had
only two children--Lucy, who was twelve, and Bobby--and she was
sometimes very anxious lest Bobby should come to some harm when he would
work among the men. She also forbade him the use of knives and all sharp
instruments. This was a real grief to Bobby, as the men knew it, and
would sometimes tease him, and it was then so difficult to pretend to
himself that his knife wasn't in his pocket, as he could have done for
his own satisfaction.

One day in the spring, when the laurel hedge was being cut, one of the
men offered to lend Bobby a knife, and, without a thought of his
mother's wishes, Bobby took it, and began cutting in a great hurry.
Alas! after a few boughs had come off, Bobby tried to cut a thicker one,
which he