SPONGE- CAKE. 269

 "And what did you tell him ?" What's that carriage stopping for!
 "I-I,-how should I know what he Why !-it's the Squire's team, isn't it ?
liked ? See that, Tom Don 't he step lively ?
 "Why didn't you say so then, instead What's wanting, sir? "-for the Squire,
of making up that confounded lie ?" i himself, put his head out and called to
thundered Will. "And I say, Ned, you them.
heard what he said, did you? and then Ned Willets ? Yes, sir, here he is."
made us fill up that basket again! Well, I Here, Ned, here's a sponge-cake for
you are a queer one! That's what I call you and Bessie. I knew that a boy
a text, wrote right out, loud,-plain as everybody, but one, spoke well of, must
daylight, so a fellow can't help reading: have a good reason for what seemed a
Good for evil! Three cheers, boys, for little queer to me; and mother Mayburn
Ned Willets, who lives up to what he guessed it, right straight out, soon 's I
preaches, and who sha'n't be called told her. I was coming down to the
" parson" again, on this ground, while village, and she made me bring this
my name's Will Terry." along. Finding you here, has saved me
 The cheers were given right lustily, as going out of my way ; and tell Bessie,
if the throats had been off duty for a her brother's good name brought her
week; and then Will, turning to Tom, this. A good name is the right sort of
continued,- thing, boys. Good night."
 And you, sir,\take your basket, and And here is where my moral comes in
trudge; or I shall Ihirry both of you, in again, little readers. Don 't skip it, but
a way that wouldn't be improving out- go and get a good name likewise.
wardly; and if the pears don't choke Tom never heard the last of that
you now, it will be because you were sponge-cake ; but none of the boys
born to be hanged. called Ned Willets "parson" again.