"Why, you _are_ a
little simpleton to send your money the dear knows where, when you might
buy a whole yard of this beautiful ribbon and have a penny left!"

Charlotte looked wishfully at the ribbon, and sighed as she answered,
"But I earned this money on purpose to give."

"More goose you to work for money to give away; but if you are so very
generous, buy half a yard, and then you will have three cents left to
give, that is enough I am sure; but do as you like, I must go. They have
got some splendid pink, that would become you exceedingly. Good bye;"
and so saying she left her.

Charlotte walked thoughtfully on; her love of dress and finery was a
ruling passion, and had been aroused at a most unfortunate moment; she
had never possessed a piece of new ribbon, and she longed to see how it
would look with her white cape. Thus thinking she arrived at Mr. Drake's
store, and the first thing she saw temptingly displayed in a glass case
upon the counter was the identical ribbon she coveted. There were
customers in the store, and Charlotte had to wait her turn; during those
few moments various thoughts passed through her mind.

"If I buy the ribbon what will Annie say?" suggested conscience. "Why
need you care for Annie?" whispered temptation, "the ribbon will look
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 remembere