ond of oranges.
"That night Moses went to bed very happy. He longed for the time when
his young companions would come, and lay awake nearly an hour, thinking
what a very pleasant party his would be.
"The next morning he was up long before his mother, and ran down stairs
to see if breakfast was ready. The table was not yet laid; and he went
into the large store closet to see where his mother had put the oranges
and cake. There was the basket upon the first shelf, and on lifting the
lid he saw that the oranges were still in it. How fresh and good they
smelt! He put in his hand and took one out. 'O, what a large one!'
"The basket was so full, he thought there must be more than twelve; so
he stood up on a box, and began to count them. 'Yes, there are,' he said
to himself; 'there are twelve, and one more.'
"Then he took the largest, and laid it on the next shelf, while he put
the others back again into the basket, wishing all the time that he
could have it for his own. He knew that he should have one at the party,
but he couldn't wait. 'I want one now,' he said.
"He sat down on the box, and began to smell the large orange which he
had left out. Then he made a small hole in the peel, and began to suck
the juice through it. It tasted so sweet, he could not get his mouth
away. So he squeezed and sucked, and sucked and squeezed, until the
juice was all gone, and nothing remained but the skin and the pulp.
"'O, dear! I'm sorry I've eaten it,' he whispered; 'I didn't mean to. I
only thought I would suck it a little. How quick it all came out!'
"Just then he heard cook come into the room to set the table for
breakfast, and he knew his mother would soon be down. He began to be
very unhappy, and to wish he were back again in his little bed. Then he
remembered it was his birthday; but some how the thought of his party
gave him no pleasure."
"I guess Satan was whispering to him," said Frankie. "If I had been
there, I would open the door, and say, 'Satan, go wight out.'"
"Who is Satan?" asked Nelly, who had been listening with great interest.
"Satan's naughty man," said Frankie. "He don't love good boys."
"He is the evil spirit," replied aunty, "who tries to make boys and
girls, and men and women too, behave naughty and sin against God."
"Does he live in Moses' house?" asked the little girl.
"He is every where, my dear," said the lady, "trying to make people do
mischief. He was there in the closet with Moses, a
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