Title: The Child's Story-Book. Second Series—No. 4
Author: Anonymous
Release date: September 23, 2011 [eBook #37511]
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Larry B. Harrison, and the Archives and Special
Collections, University Libraries, Ball State University
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
http://www.pgdp.net
"Did you ever see any deer?"—"No, did you!"—"Yes, I have a cousin who keeps a great number of them; he has a nice large park for them to live in, where they are quite happy. I like to see them there, but I should not like to see one hunted."—"What! do they ever hunt the stag?"—"Oh! yes, poor thing, and it runs as long as it has any strength, and when it can run[Pg 4] no longer, its heart breaks, and it falls down and dies. I wonder how men can be so cruel."—"But are there any men so cruel as to hunt the stag?"—"Yes, what did you suppose them to be?"—"Why, dogs, or something of that kind, that have no more sense. I could not for a moment have thought that men would be so wicked: what motive can they have for so doing."—"My dear boy, they think they find pleasure in the chase."—"Pleasure! then, indeed, they do only think so, for I am sure there can be no real pleasure in being cruel. Oh! when will that happy time come, when men will be cruel no more, but will all walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ."
"Puss went under the grate to-night."—"Did she: what that great cat? I thought only kittens went under grates."—"And so did I; but, however, she went."—"I wonder what for?"—"Perhaps to look for a cricket."—"Have you crickets?"—"Yes; I often hear them chirping as I sit by[Pg 6] the fire at night. Ours is a funny cat; she sometimes goes up the chimney."—"What, when there is a fire in the grate?"—"O no; the chimney in the back chamber. I have heard it said that cats do not love any one, but I am sure our cat does; for whenever I let her come into my lap, she rubs her head about, and stretches out her claws, and purrs as loudly as she can. I sometimes try to hear what she says, but I can make nothing of it; but it matters not what she says, I know she is happy, and that is enough."
Father has made me a little ship, and I am going to let it sail in this little pond. Now let us fancy this water to be the north Pacific ocean, and those pieces of cork on that side to be the Friendly islands, and this little man in the ship to be Captain Cook going to find them.
[Pg 8]"Do you know where Captain Cook was born?"
"He was born at Marton, a village in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England."
"Mamma, I gave a penny to
a poor man this morning. Was
I a good boy for so doing?"—"It
depends upon the motive
you had in view. Did you give
it to him because you thought
I should call you a good boy?"—"Because
I thought you
would call me a good boy, mamma."—"I
am sorry to hear it,
my dear; tell me just what
you thought when you gave the
penny to the man."—"Well,[Pg 9]
[Pg 10]
mamma, he was sitting by the
road-side, and when I passed
him, he held out his hat, and
begged for a trifle to get him
something to eat. So I just
thought of a penny I had in
my pocket, and I said to myself,
'Now if I give this penny,
mamma will call me a good
boy, and then I shall be glad:'
and so I gave it to him."—"Now,
my dear, this is what
you should have said: 'This
old man is very poor, and I
have a penny to spare that will
do him good, and he shall have
it.'"—"Ah! mamma, I wish
I had thought of that, but I am
sure I did not intend to do
wrong. You know, mamma, I
love you so dearly, that I strive
to please you in all things."—"Yes,[Pg 11]
my dear, I know you
love me, and I believe you did
not intend to do wrong; but,
my dear child, we are so apt
to do things that we may be
praised of men, instead of
doing all things to the glory
of God. Do you know, my
love, that our Lord said in his
sermon on the mount, 'Take
heed that ye do not your alms
before men, to be seen of them!
otherwise ye have no reward
of your Father, which is in
heaven!' You will try to think
of this, will you, love?"—"Oh!
dearest mamma, I am
sure I will, and I hope that
God
Thus sang little Emily, as she sat one bleak morning looking[Pg 13] out from her mamma's window, watching the faded leaves dance along before the wind. Do you not know how she felt as she sat that morning, in a snug parlor, with her high-backed chair placed close against the window, listening to the whistling of the winds, and looking now and then, toward the cold dark sky? I am sure I know just how she felt, as she sang those simple words about the robin, for I have often felt in the same manner myself. Emily was a tender-hearted child, and she loved the robin red-breast very dearly: indeed there was not anything which she did not love; for she often said to her mamma, "Everything belongs[Pg 14] to God; therefore I ought to love everything." And so I believe she did. On that morning after she had been singing her little song, she said, "Dear mamma, I wish I could find all the robin red-breasts in the country, that I might keep them in my chamber through the wintry season, until the bright spring days return. Then, mamma, I would throw open the windows, and watch the happy little creatures spread their wings, and go out into the bright world again." Was not Emily a kind little girl?
Oh! Susan, I have got such a darling white rabbit as I think you never saw. I do believe it is the sweetest little rabbit in the world; for I have only had it given to me this morning, and yet it will eat clover from my hand, and let me stroke it, or do anything I please; and the gardener says that he will make a house for[Pg 16] it, which his son Thomas will paint. Papa says, that I am to call my rabbit Snowdrop; and mamma says, that its eyes are like rubies; and so do come and look at it, Susan, and you will say as I do, that it is the sweetest little rabbit in the world.
