True Stories of the Young.
Honesty the best Policy.A little girl was once passing a garden, in which were some pretty flowers. She wished much to have some of them; she could have put her hand between the rails, and picked some, and perhaps nobody would have seen her. But she knew this would be very wicked; it would be stealing. So, after thinking a little while, she resolved what she would do. She went to the mistress of the garden, and asked her very prettily to give her some of those nice flowers. The lady told her she had done right not to take them, and thenshowed her another garden full of plants and flowers, and gathered her a fine large nosegay.
Now, if this little girl had taken the flowers without leave, she would have been very unhappy; and if her mother had asked her how she came by them, she would most likely have told a lie to hide her first fault. And how uncomfortable she would have been at night, when she lay down and prayed to that great Being who has said, “Thieves shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Dr. Watts when a Child.When Dr. Watts was very young, and before he could speak plain, he would say to his mother, when any money was given to him, “A book, a book, buy me a book.” He began to learn Latin at four years of age. When about seven or eight years old, his mother desired him to write her some lines, as was the custom with the other boys, after the school hours were over, for which she used to reward them with a farthing. Isaac obeyed, and presented her with the following couplet:
I write not for a farthing, but to tryIf I your farthing writers can outvie.
I write not for a farthing, but to tryIf I your farthing writers can outvie.
I write not for a farthing, but to try
If I your farthing writers can outvie.
Obedience.A Polish prince was accustomed to carry the picture of his father always in his bosom; and on particular occasions, he would take it out and say, “Let me do nothing unbecoming so excellent a father.”
The Art of Love.Dr. Doddridge one day asked his little daughter how it was that everybody loved her. “I do not know,” said she, “unless it be that I love everybody.”
A fine Example.Louis, Duke of Burgundy, was a pattern of filial obedience. It was never necessary to threaten or punish him, in order to make him do his duty. A word, or even a look was sufficient. He was always much grieved when his mother seemed displeased with him, or spoke to him less kindly than usual. On such occasions, he would often weep, and say to her, clasping his little hands, “Dear mamma, pray do not be angry with me; I will do what you please.”
a Child’s first Prayer.A venerable minister in New Hampshire, lodging at the house of a pious friend, observed the mother teaching some short prayers and hymns to her children,—“Madam,” said he, “your instructions may be of far more importance than you are aware. My mother taught me a little hymn when I was a child, and it is of use to me to this day; for, I never close my eyes to rest without first saying,
‘And now I lay me down to sleep,I pray the Lord my soul to keep;If I should die before I wake,I pray the Lord my soul to take.’”
‘And now I lay me down to sleep,I pray the Lord my soul to keep;If I should die before I wake,I pray the Lord my soul to take.’”
‘And now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.’”
Sound Argument in a Child.A little boy, upon asking his mother how many gods there were, was instantly answered by his younger brother, “Why one to be sure.” “But how do you know that?” replied the other. “Because,” said the little boy, “God fills every place, so that there is no room for any other.”
Heathen Idols.A mother was once describing to her little son the idols which heathen nations worship as gods. “I suppose, mamma,” said the boy, “that these heathen do not look up to the same sun, moon and stars that we do.” “Yes, my dear, they do.” “Why, then,” said he, “I wonder that they do not think there must be a better God than their idols!”
A Child rebukes a Man.A little boy belonging to a Sabbath school inLondon, was taken by his uncle to walk one Sunday, when the school was over. The uncle, who was a thoughtless man, was anxious to buy something for the child; but little William had been often told how improper it was to buy or sell on the Sabbath day. “Come, Billy,” said his uncle, “I’ll buy you something, some apples or gingerbread; Aunt Mary’s not here, and she’ll not know anything about it.” “Oh, but uncle,” said the boy, “if Aunt Mary does not see it, God will, and it’s very wicked.”
Why should not a Negro read the Bible?A few years ago, in the island of Jamaica, a child, who had been educated in a Sunday school, happened to see a negro mending his net upon the Sabbath day. The child immediately went up to him and said, “Do you not know that it is written in the word of God, ‘Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day?’” “Now, massa,” replied the negro, “if you bring de word of God, and read dat passage, I no mend my net on Sunday any more.”
The child brought the Bible and read it; the negro laid aside his net, and going home to his wife said, “Oh, me nebber see such picaninny as dat; him tell me all about de word of God! I nebber can work upon de Sabbath again.”
A consistent Mother.Some ladies having met at the house of a friend, the child of one of them was guilty of rude, noisy conduct, very improper on all occasions, and particularly so at a friend’s house. The mother kindly reproved her,—“Sarah, you must not do so.”
The child soon forgot the reproof, and became as noisy as ever. The mother said firmly, “Sarah, if you do so again, I will punish you.”
But not long after, Sarah did so again. When the company were about to separate, the mother stepped into a neighbor’s house, intending to return for the child. During her absence, the thought of going home recalled to the mind of Sarah the punishment which her mother told her she might expect. The recollection turned her rudeness and thoughtlessness into sorrow. A young lady present observing it, and learning the cause, said, “Never mind, I will ask your mother not to punish you.” “Oh,” said Sarah, “that will do no good.My mother never tells falsehoods!”
Precept and Practice.There is one thing always to be remembered, by young people as well as old ones. A person must not only havegood intentions, butgood practice. A person must not only put his trust in God, but he must do as God directs. A man who has no faith, has no good principle of action; a man who has no good practice, has no faith, no sound belief, no confidence in Him to whom he owes every blessing. Good faith and good works, therefore, always go together; good principles and good practice go together. We never find these two apart. A person never does right from a wrong motive; a person never does wrong from a right motive.
Mr. Pope and his Lady—a Game.Any number of boys and girls may engage in this game. It is played with a small round waiter, or plate, which being placed in the middle of the room, one of the little company twirls the waiter round with her thumb and finger, making it spin as long as she can, saying, as she takes it up, “By the leave of Mr. Pope and his lady.” If the waiter falls down the wrong side upwards, the spinner pays a forfeit; and, sometimes, in the hurry of the moment, she forgets to say the proper words, in which case also she pays a forfeit, which forfeits are afterwards redeemed.