olmaster, that he said, beside the present he meant to give him, he
would on the birthday grant any favour Laurence should ask of him.

A week only was wanting to complete Laurence's tenth year. Company was
invited, and the young folks were all thinking and talking of the
expected pleasures of that day--all but Laurence, who became pensive and
silent, shunned his brothers and sisters, and even the presence of his
father, to shut himself up in his own room; but, as he replied, when
asked about his health, that he was very well, it was supposed that he
was busy at his studies, and they still prepared for the birthday.

On the 24th of August Laurence was ten years old, and a finer morning
than it proved was never seen. The two families that were invited came
to breakfast. All were assembled in the parlour, and admiring a very
handsome pair of globes, which, mounted on mahogany stands, were to be
presented to Laurence; when he entered the room, not dressed in the suit
of clothes that had been laid in his chamber, but in his oldest jacket,
his cheeks quite pale, and his eyes red and swelled with weeping. He
turned his head away as he passed the globes, and, dropping on his knees
before his father, he said, 'O, sir, you promised to grant me a favour
this day, pray let it be your forgiveness! I know I do not deserve your
pardon, but if you will forgive me this once, I am sure I never, never
can deceive you again.'

Mr. Clayton, shocked and surprised, desired to know what fault he had
committed, when Laurence took his journal-book from his pocket and gave
it into his father's hand, saying, 'I am ashamed to repeat what I have
done, but it is written there, sir.' Mr. Clayton took the book, and told
Laurence to withdraw till he had read it. On opening the journal Mr.
Clayton found that all was regular down to the entry for the 2nd of
August, which ran thus:--

Monday, August 2nd.--Being a school holiday, I went out with my father
in a boat. He taught me to steer the rudder, while he managed the oars.
It was a happy day. We dined at Mr. Black's, whose son showed me some
fine drawings from busts of heathen gods, goddesses, and heroes; and my
aunt Eleanor, who was there, gave me five shillings to buy Baldwin's
_Pantheon_, that I might read the history of Jupiter, Juno, Mars,
Minerva, Venus, Bacchus, Apollo, Hercules, and all the rest of the Pagan
deities. Coming home, my father praised me for behaving well. Indeed it
was a happy d