good thing."

   "Oh, that would be very nice, I am sure," said the Cake; "but if you will excuse me for mentioning it, your children seem rather dirty, especially their hands, and I confess I should like to keep my frosting unsullied, so I think I will go a little further."

   "As you will!" said the woman. "After all, the brown loaf is better for the children."

   So the Cake went further, and met a fair child, richly dressed, with coral lips and eyes like sunlit water. When the child saw the Cake, he said like the woman, "Oh, what a beautiful Cake!" and put out his hand to take it.

   "I am sure I should be most happy!" said the Cake. "And you will not take it amiss, I am confident, if I ask with whom you will share me."

   "I shall not share you with any one!" said the child. "I shall eat you myself, every crumb. What do you take me for?"

   "Good gracious!" cried the Cake. "This will never do. Consider my size,—and yours! You would be very ill!"

   "I don't care!" said the child. "I'd rather be ill than give any away." And he fixed greedy eyes on the Cake, and stretched forth his hand again.

   "This is really terrible!" cried the Cake. "What is one's frosting to this? I will go back to the woman with the ten children."

   He turned and ran back, leaving the child screaming with rage and disappointed greed. But as he ran, a hungry Puppy met him, and swallowed him at a gulp, and went on licking his chops and wagging his tail.

   "Huh!" said the Pan.

   The minister had just finished his great sermon. The air still quivered with his burning words, and the people sat erect, disturbed, embarrassed; yet still he lingered a moment in his place.

   "Is there," he asked, "one here in whose breast these words strike like a barbed arrow, for the truth that is in them?" and he sat down.

   "That was hard on John," said old James; "but he deserves it, every word."

   "A blow from the shoulder for James!" said old John; "time he got one too, if it is not too late."

   "I wonder if either of those two old sinners will take his medicine and be helped 

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