小男孩想了一会儿，说：“我可以一便士卖给你们两盒。”

为了使他不再纠缠，我答应买一盒。可是在掏钱的时候，我发现身上没带零钱，于是对他说：“我明天再买吧。”

“请您现在就买吧！先生，我饿极了！”男孩子乞求道，“我给您去换零钱。”

我给了他一先令，他转身就跑了，等了很久也不见他回来，我想可能上当了，但是看那孩子的面孔，看那使人信任的神情，我又断定他不是那种人。

晚上，旅馆的侍者说，有个小男孩要见我。小男孩被带进来了。我发现他不是卖火柴的那一个，但可以看出是那个男孩的弟弟。小男孩在破衣服里找了一会儿，然后才问：“先生，您是向珊迪买火柴的那位先生吗？”

“是的。”

“这是您那个先令找回来的4个便士。”小男孩说，“珊迪受伤了，不能来了。一辆马车把他撞倒了，从他身上轧了过去。他的帽子找不到了，火柴也丢了。还有7个便士也不知哪儿去了。说不定他会死的······”

我让小男孩吃了些东西，跟着他一块儿去看珊迪。这时我才知道，他们俩是孤儿，父母早死了。可怜的珊迪躺在一张破床上，一看见我就难过地对我说：“我换好零钱往回跑，被马车撞倒了，轧断了两条腿。我就要死了。可怜的小利比。我的好弟弟！我死了你怎么办呢？谁来照顾你呢？”

我握住珊迪的手，对他说：“我会永远照顾小利比的。”

珊迪听了，目不转睛地看着我，好像对我表示感激。突然，他眼睛里的光消失了。他死了。

直到今天，谁读了这个故事不受感动呢？饱受饥寒的小珊迪的美好的品质，将永远打动人们的心。

THE LITTLE MATCH-BOY.

So I gave him the shilling, and he started away. I waited for him, but no boy came.

I thought I had lost my shilling. Still, there was something in the boy's face I trusted, and I did not like to think bad of him.

Late in the evening I was told that a little boy wanted to see me. I found, when he was brought in, it was a smaller brother of the boy who took my shilling. But, if possible, still more ragged and poor.

I fed the little fellow, and then went with him to see Sandy. I found that the two children lived almost alone, for their father and mother were dead.

He understood me, and had just strength enough to look up to me as if to thank me. Then the light went out of the blue eyes. In a moment,

That story is like an arrow in the hand of a giant. It ought to pierce many a heart, old and young.

Whenever, dear children, you are tempted to say what is not true, or to be unkind to other boys and girls, or to take what you ought not to take, remember little Sandy.

This poor little boy, lying on a bundle of shavings, dying and starving, was tender,trusty, and true. So God told the gentleman to take poor little friendless Reuben and be a friend to him. Sandy heard him say he would do it-the last thing he ever did hear.

Then the dark room, the bundle of shavings, the weary, broken limbs, all faded away, and Sandy was with the angels.

They could look at him in his new home, and say one to another,“That is the little boy who kept his word and sent back four pence. He was tender, trusty, and true, when he was hungry and faint, when both his legs were broken, and he lay dying.”

This story is told you now because, whether you find it hard or easy, we want you to be tender and trusty and true as poor little Sandy was, who did not forget his promise, and who loved his little brother to the end.

DEAN STANLEY.