Fanny, the Flower-Girl | Page 7

I could not help wishing he
would give it to me."
"And what commandment did you break then, my child?"
"Not the eighth--if I had kept the half-sovereign I should have broken
it," said Fanny, "for that says, thou shalt not steal--what commandment
did I break, grandmother; for I did not steal?"

"When we desire to have what is not ours Fanny, what do we do? we
covet; do we not?"
"Oh! yes--thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods," cried Fanny, "that
is the tenth commandment; and that half-sovereign was my neighbor's
goods, and that fat gentleman was my neighbor. But, grandmother, it is
very easy to break the tenth commandment."
"Very easy indeed, my dear," said Mrs. Newton, with first a faint smile,
and then a deep sigh, "therefore," she added, "we ought always to pray
like David, 'Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity.'"
There is a very common saying, that when things are at the worst they
mend. It is hard to say when matters are at the worst; poor Mrs. Newton
knew they might yet be worse with her; but certainly, they were very
bad; and a few days after this, as Fanny was tying up her flowers as
usual, she lay on her bed thinking what she was to do, and praying that
God would direct her to some way of providing for the poor child.
While she was thinking and praying, tears stole down her face; Fanny
saw them, and stopped her work, and looked sorrowfully at her--
"Now you are crying again, grandmother, she said," and that's what
makes me break the tenth commandment, for I can't help wishing the
gentleman had given me that half-sovereign. But I will say the verses
again to-day about the lilies and birds; for you know I said that
morning--
'Mortals fly from doubt and sorrow, God provideth for the morrow,'
and when I came back with my three sixpences, you said God had
provided for the morrow, for you had only two or three pennies in the
house when I went out."
"And how many pennies, pray, have you in the house to-day?" said a
rather gruff voice at the door.
Mrs. Newton and Fanny started; but there, standing at the door, Fanny
saw the fat gentleman who had given her the half-sovereign.
"So you have been wishing for my gold, you little rogue," he said,
looking as if he meant to frighten her. "Never mind," he added, smiling,
"you are a good child, and did what was right; and I always meant to
bring it back to you, but I have been kept rather busy these few days
past. There it is for you, and try not to break the tenth commandment
again." Then turning to Mrs. Newton, he said, "We should not expect
rewards, ma'am, for doing our duty, but if children do not meet with

approbation when they do right, they may be discouraged, and perhaps
think there is no use in being good: for they are silly little creatures,
you know, and do not always recollect that God will reward the just
one day if men do not."
"Oh! sir!" said poor Mrs. Newton, but the tears streamed down, and she
could not say a word more. And there Fanny sat gazing on the half-
sovereign, as if she was half stupefied.
"Well, take up that bit of gold, and do what you like with it," said the
fat gentleman; "and then run off to sell your flowers, for we must not
be idle because we have got enough for to-day. But do what you like
with that money."
Fanny rose up from her seat, and looking very much as if she was
moving in her sleep, with her wondering eyes fixed on the shining
piece that lay in her hand, she walked slowly over to Mrs. Newton, and
putting it into hers, said,--
"May I go to the grocer's now, grandmother, and get you the tea for
your breakfast?"
"Yes, my love," said Mrs. Newton, kissing her, "and take care of this,
and bring back the change carefully." Then turning to the gentleman,
she said, "I am not young, sir, and I am very, very poorly; I find it hard
to go without my tea, but it is a luxury I have been obliged latterly to
forego."
"But could you not get tea on credit, from the grocer?" said the
gentleman.
"Oh! yes, I believe so; but there would be no use in getting credit;" said
Mrs. Newton, "for I am not certain of being better able to pay next
week than I am this week; and when I have not the money to pay for
what I wish to get, it is better to do without it, than to add to one's