"Something Has Gone Wrong."
"Why, that's not four o'clock! I'm certain that it cannot be so late," exclaimed Minnie, starting from the seat on which she had been amusing herself with a book, while her work lay neglected beside her. "I looked at the great clock not ten minutes ago, and I'm sure that the long hand had not reached a quarter past three." "Oh! did you not know that something was the matter with the great clock?" replied her aunt, who, with her bonnet and shawl on, had just come down stairs, prepared to accompany her on a walk. "Since yesterday it has gone quite wrong; it strikes one hour, and points to another. I think that the hands must be loose." "Something has gone wrong indeed!" cried the child, with impatience, "and I never will trust it again." She looked up, and saw a quiet smile on the face of the lady. "Aunt, what are you thinking of?" she asked quickly. Her aunt glanced down at the unfinished seam, from which the needle and thread hung dangling down. "Did you not promise to have that ready before four?" said she. "Yes," replied Minnie, looking somewhat ashamed; "but—but—" "But there is some one, I fear, besides the great clock whose hands are in fault; who is swift to promise and slow to perform—whose words say one thing, and whose actions say another. Shall I repeat your own words, Minnie, and say, Something has gone wrong, indeed, and I never will trust her again?" Dear young reader, ever keep this in mind, that our words and our actions should agree together, as the hands of a good clock with the chime of its bell. Never make a promise rashly; but, if once made, let no pleasure, no feeling of indolence, tempt you for one moment to break it. Let no one ever be able to say, in speaking of the word which you had given, but not kept, "Something has gone wrong indeed, and I never will trust him again!"—Children's Record.