One instance will illustrate; a neighbor had a piece of land to sell. It was not valuable land, but Mr. Taylor wanted it because if anyone bought it for a building spot it would cut off the view of the lake from the front piazza, and Mr. Taylor very indiscreetly remarked in Walter's presence, "I shall buy that corner at any price, for it is worth a great deal more to me than to anyone else."

On his way to school Walter stopped to look at what he already counted a part of the home grounds. He was planning rows of trees, and gravel walks, when the owner came along and entered into conversation. Walter was ready to talk, and desirous of telling what he knew, and very early in the conversation he said, "Father means to buy this corner."

"Indeed!"

"Yes; he says he will have it at any price, for it is worth a great deal more to him than to anyone else; so he means to bid on it to-morrow."

"Well, we shall give him a chance," said the owner, laughing. And as he walked on he secretly thanked Walter for that bit of information. To Mr. Taylor's surprise, he found another apparently anxious bidder the next day, and he found himself forced either to pay an exorbitant price or relinquish the idea of becoming the owner of the lot. Before he had fully decided to do the latter, his rival stopped bidding and the lot was struck off to him at three times its real value. The former owner chuckled over what he called his "good luck," and though Mr. Taylor wondered a little, he never knew that his boy's folly in repeating a careless remark of his own, had cost him so dear in giving his unscrupulous neighbor the opportunity of taking an unfair advantage.

Another time Walter spoiled a surprise which his father and mother meant to give his sister.

"You'd better hurry home from school to-night," he said that morning as they neared the academy.

"Why?" asked Ella.

"O, nothing! only it is my advice to get home as quick as you can, and see what is going on."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out!"

"Are we going to have company?"

"Company? Well, yes—I don't know but it might be called company—a sort of dumb companion—well, no—you couldn't call it dumb either."

"Walter Taylor! is it something father and mother do not want me to know?"

"I don't know how they will help your knowing."

"I believe you are letting out a secret and I will not listen! I should think folks would learn not to tell you any secrets."

"They didn't tell me. I heard a man tell father that it had come."

Ella Taylor failed in her recitations that morning for the first time during the quarter. Her thoughts were at home, in the parlor; she knew exactly where it ought to stand and wondered if they would put it in the right place. She tried to study, but Walter's hints which were too plain to be misunderstood insisted upon crowding themselves into her mind.

"Come in, Ella!" her mother called from the parlor as Ella was hanging her hat and wraps in the hall. Ella obeyed the call with flushed cheeks. She could not feign a surprise which she did not feel, and she stood embarrassed and uncertain what to do for a moment, then burst into tears.

"Poor child! the surprise is too much for her," said her father.

"It isn't that," said Ella; "I tried to be surprised and I couldn't, that is why I cried."

"Did you know about it?" asked Mr. Taylor.

"Yes, sir; Walter told me this morning, and I was so glad, I could not study at all."

Mr. Taylor turned towards Walter who began to excuse himself.

"I never said a word about a piano!"

"But you said enough for me to guess," said Ella. "I tried not to know," she added, turning to her parents, "but I could not help it. But don't blame Walter. He didn't think."

"I do blame him," said Mr. Taylor sternly. "Walter, will you never have any regard for other people's property? You have no more right to dispose of other's secrets than you have to dispose of their money! If you took five dollars from my desk you would be a thief. But what do you call yourself when you take my secrets and use them to gratify your love of talking? I sometimes wonder if you will ever have a lesson severe enough to cure you of this fault. Now you have spoiled this little surprise which we had planned and given Ella an uneasy day."

"I am sure I did not mean to tell her; I only wanted to tease her a little."

"You wanted to let her know that you possessed knowledge which she did not, I suppose. Or rather I presume you simply wanted to talk. My boy, if you would learn to regard the secrets of others and also to reserve your own opinions now and then, you would save yourself and your friends much mortification."

Meantime Ella had dried her tears and was now ready to try the new piano, but Walter was too chagrined to enjoy music, and went up to his own room saying within himself, "I wonder if I can never learn to hold my tongue!"

"By thy words shalt thou be justified, and by thy words shalt thou be condemned."

Just when he had read or learned those words Walter did not know, but they came into his mind suddenly. He supposed they were in the Bible, but he thought it queer that he should have remembered them just then. And as he repeated them he thought, "I suppose that means that if one's words are wrong or foolish, he is condemned—that makes solemn business of talking!"