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FRONTISPIECE.

[Illustration: _See Page 11._]




                                  THE
                             WISHING-CAP.


                           BY MRS. SHERWOOD,
               AUTHOR OF "LITTLE HENRY AND HIS BEARER,"
                                &c. &c.


                          _NEW EDITION._


                                LONDON:
                        HOULSTON AND STONEMAN,
                         63, PATERNOSTER ROW.




THE WISHING-CAP.


There lived once a lady in London, who had a great deal of money, but
who had never given her heart to God. This lady had the care of five
children: four of them were brothers and sisters; and their names
were James and Edward, Charlotte and Louisa. The fifth child was an
orphan, and had no brothers or sisters. The name of this little boy was
Charles. Little Charles's papa and mamma had been dead only a very few
months: they were very pious people, and had brought up their little
boy in the fear of God. Charles thought of his papa and mamma every
day: he knew they were gone to heaven, and he knew, also, who that
blessed person was, for whose sake they had been received into that
happy place.

[Illustration]

Every day little Charles read a few chapters in a Bible which his papa
had given him, and he tried to remember the good things which had been
taught him: so God blessed little Charles, and helped him to be good.

It happened, one Sunday afternoon, in the Christmas holidays, that the
lady came into the children's play-room, and sat down among them. "I am
come," she said, "to drink tea with you this evening; after which we
will put on a wishing-cap; and then we shall see what fine things the
wishing-cap will produce."

The children were all pleased to see the lady sit down among them; and
while they were drinking their tea, they talked a great deal about the
wishing-cap.

"What can a wishing-cap be?" said Louisa, who was the youngest: "and
how can it bring fine things?"

"I never heard of a wishing-cap in all my life," said James. "I want
tea to be over, that we may see it."

"O!" said Charlotte, "I know what is meant by a wishing-cap. I remember
reading of a man, in a fairy tale, who had a wishing-cap; and when he
put this cap on, and wished for any thing, he had it immediately: but
I thought there were no such things really as wishing-caps, except in
fairy tales."

"Well, well," said the lady, "we shall see what kind of wishing-cap I
can make: but I must tell you, my wishing-cap is not so good a one as
the man's in the fairy tale; it will only produce such things as may be
easily had, it will not bring wonders to pass."

In this manner they went on talking till tea was over, and the
tea-things carried away. Then the lady drew her chair to the fire, and
bidding the children sit round her, she put her hand into her pocket,
and pulled out a sheet of white paper. She then folded up the paper
in the shape of a cap, and holding it up in her hand, "This is the
wishing-cap," she said; "you shall put it on, and try what it is good
for. Come, who will be the first to wear the cap?" Then the lady placed
the cap on Charlotte's head. "Now," she said, "think! what do you wish
for?"

[Illustration]

"But will what I wish for really come?" said Charlotte.

"Perhaps it may," answered the lady: "we shall know to-morrow morning."

"Then," said Charlotte, "I wish for a muslin frock, trimmed with satin
ribbon."

"Very well," said the lady. "Who comes next?"

"I! I!" cried James, snatching the cap from his sister's head, and
putting it on his own; "I wish for a rocking-horse."

"Now for me," said Edward; "give me the cap. I wish for a coachman's
whip. Now, Louisa, it is your turn."

"I wish for a wax doll, with flaxen hair, and blue eyes," said Louisa.

"Now you have all had your turns," said the lady, "but Charles: come,
Louisa, give the cap to Charles."

"There, take it," cried Louisa, throwing the cap at him, "and make
haste."

The cap fell at Charles's feet: he took it up, and laid it on the table.

"Put it on your head, you foolish boy," said James, "and wish a wish."

Charles smiled, but he did not offer to take up the cap.

"What are you about?" said James, giving him a push; "put on the cap,
and tell us your wish."

"Charles," said the lady, "don't you understand what you are to do? Put
on the cap, and don't be stupid."

"I thank you, Ma'am," answered Charles; "but I beg that you will not be
angry, if I don't put on the wishing-cap."

[Illustration]

"But you shall have it on," said James, taking it off the table, and
putting it on his head.

Charles took it quietly off his head, and laid it on the table.

The lady looked surprised; and drawing Charles to her, she said, "What
is the meaning of your behaviour? Why will you not play with us?"

"Perhaps you may not be pleased, if I tell you, Ma'am; and I do not
wish to make you angry," answered little Charles.

"But I will know," said the lady, looking vexed.

"My poor papa, when he was alive," said Charles, "used to tell me that
I ought not to wish for any thing but God's blessing: and he taught me
this verse--_Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you_: (Matt. vi. 33.) and
this is the reason why I do not like to put on the wishing-cap."

While little Charles was speaking, the rest of the children stood
staring and laughing; and when he had done, the lady pushed him away,
saying, "You are a strange, foolish boy, and not fit to play with other
children. Go to bed immediately."

Charles went up to his room. His cheeks were wet with tears, and his
heart was very sad. He remembered, that he once had a papa to lean his
head against when he was unhappy, and a dear mamma to wipe away his
tears; but they were both dead: yet still he had a Saviour to whom he
might freely go. So he tried to lift up his heart to this dear Saviour,
and laying his little head on his pillow, he fell asleep. In his sleep
he had a very sweet dream about heaven: and when he awoke in the
morning, he remembered these words in the Prophet Isaiah--_As one whom
his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you_. (Isaiah lxvi. 13.)

[Illustration]

While Charles was dressing himself, he heard a very great noise down
stairs. He made haste, and running into the play-room, he found the
rest of the children screaming and jumping for joy. Charlotte dressed
in a new muslin frock; Louisa with the wax doll she had wished for;
James riding on a large new rocking-horse; and Edward with a coachman's
whip.

"Look here, Master Charles," said James, "see what the wishing-cap
has brought us! Are you not sorry now that you were such a fool as to
refuse to put on the wishing-cap?" Then the rude boy began to shout
and halloo, riding up and down as hard as the horse would go; while
Edward kept cutting and lashing the heels of the wooden horse with his
coachman's whip, whistling, and smacking his lips, like a coachman;
Louisa sung to her doll; and Charlotte danced about in her new frock,
singing and laughing: and, all together, there was such a noise, that
it might have been heard to the end of the street; the boys every now
and then crying out, "Well, Master Charles, what do you think of us
now?"

Every thing went on very well, and all were in the greatest
good-humour, till Edward, without intending it, instead of lashing the
wooden legs of the horse, gave his brother a most terrible cut with his
long whip, over one knee, and across one hand. James, being made very
angry with the pain, jumped from his horse; and flying at his brother,
began to beat him with all his strength. Edward ran to his sisters for
help; and James followed, continuing to beat him, and saying, "You
sha'n't horse-whip me for nothing, Sir, I can tell you that."

At length, James pushed Edward against Louisa; by which means, her doll
was thrown down, and broken to pieces: and Edward, as he fell, caught
his foot in Charlotte's new frock, and tore it sadly.

Charlotte and Louisa now began to scream and cry in their turns; and
there was such a dreadful noise, that the lady came in haste to see
what was the matter.

The children were all quiet, as soon as they saw the lady, and very
much frightened too. "So," she said, "you have been fighting, you
naughty children, instead of enjoying the pretty things I got for you!
You, Charlotte, have torn your frock; and you, Louisa, have broken
your doll. And as to you, you naughty boys, you have been beating each
other: go up to your bed-rooms; and there you shall stay all day, and
have nothing but bread and water. As for the rocking-horse and the
whip, I shall send them back to the shop."

So the four children were taken up to their rooms; and the whip and the
rocking-horse were sent back to the shop: but little Charles was asked
to breakfast with the lady in the parlour. And she said to him, "I
begin to think your papa was a wise man, when he taught you to seek for
nothing but God's blessing: for I see that having the things we wish
for, does not always make us the happier."

Little Charles was much pleased, when he heard the lady speak so
kindly; and he asked her to forgive the other children, but she would
not.

[Illustration]

And now I will tell you how little Charles received at last what he had
secretly desired above all things, and how happy it made him.

About two months after this time, all the children were taken ill
with a fever which was then going about London. They all recovered,
however, but little Charles; for though the lady took great care of
him, because she now began to love him, and though a very skilful
doctor came often to see him, yet he got worse and worse. For many days
he could not speak, and did not know any body.

At last, the time of his death drew very near. He had been asleep; and
opened his eyes, while the lady was standing by his bed. He looked
quite cheerful; and holding out his hand to her, "I am going to die,
Ma'am," he said, "I feel death approaching; but I am very happy. That
dear Saviour whose love my father taught me to seek, is very near me,
though my eyes do not now see him. He comforts me with his promises,
and tells me that for his sake death shall be made easy to me."

[Illustration]

"It was because I desired his love alone, that I ceased to wish for
other things. I knew that they could not make me happy. All the world,
my papa taught me, could not make me happy without my Saviour's love.
And now I am going to this dear Saviour; and I know that he will
forgive my sins, because he gave me grace to seek him."

Then little Charles prayed that God would bless the lady, and the other
children under her care: and soon afterwards he died.

I am happy to tell you, that the lady never forgot little Charles's
words upon his dying bed. From that time, she gave her heart to seek
heavenly blessings instead of earthly possessions: and she used often
to say to the other children, when they were wishing for toys, or
other foolish things, "Remember little Charles; and, like him, put away
the wishing-cap."

And so I say to you, my dear little children, who may hereafter read
this story,--


                     DON'T PUT ON THE WISHING-CAP.


                                FINIS.