uous, that he would act upon an idea the very moment it came
into his head, and this want of reflection led him into innumerable
scrapes--some of them pretty serious.

"Charlie," said his father to him one day, "if you expect to get sugar
plums and amusing story books in your Christmas stocking, instead of a
birch rod, you must mend your ways considerably. How will you get along
when you grow up to be a man, if you rush about the world like a comet,
upsetting every thing in your way, and doing all manner of imprudent
things without stopping to think twice?"

"Well, now, dear papa, I really will try to think twice before I do a
thing, if I possibly can, though I have just read a very funny anecdote
about that very saying."

"What was it?" said his father.

"It was this: An old gentleman had a black servant, who always acted as
if he had no head, or might as well have been without one--something
like me, I suppose; but his master tried his best to put some sense into
his head, and did not omit to tell him, at least fifty times a day,
'Now, Cato, always think twice, before you speak once,' until at last
Cato got it by heart. One evening the poor old gentleman fell fast
asleep, while he was reading the newspaper. He held in his hand a
lighted candle. All at once his head went bob, bob, right into the
candle, and instantly his wig took fire! Cato came in at this very
instant. Here was a chance! Now he could win his master's approval, by
putting the oft-repeated adage into practice, so he cried aloud,
'Massa, I tink once--Massa, I tink twice--Massa, your wig on fire!' and
then rushed to his master, who was now wide awake, his wig blazing like
a chimney, and tore it off, though not before the poor old gentleman had
received a pretty severe scorching. Now what do you think of that,
papa?" continued Charlie, looking very mischievous.

His father laughed, and answered: "That was a very unfortunate
application of very good advice, but another old saying is, "There are
exceptions to every rule," and, in some cases you must act on the
instant to do any good; but, with these exceptions, prudence, reflection
and, above all, a careful regard to the whisperings of conscience, and a
constant appeal to your Father in heaven, to guide your steps aright,
will go far towards making you the good boy, and good man, I hope and
pray you will become; do try, my dear son, to overcome this dangerous
fault in your character."

Charlie looked