Part 2

“Look, Mary,” said Charles. “There, over in the other meadow, are the red cow and her calf. The calf is only four days old, and you know she is to be mine. And there is Brindle, chewing her cud under the great chestnut tree.”

Harry Linn said he liked horses better than cows, and his father allowed him to have a ride on the gray horse every morning before school.

Lily Forester was sitting on Mary’s lap, and Mary said, “And what does little Lily like best?” Lily said, she liked to play with Harry Linn better than any thing.

Then Carry Deacon came and put her arms round Mary’s neck, and whispered to her that she loved her better than playing. Mary kissed Carry and patted her dimpled cheeks, and said to her:

“You are a dear, affectionate little girl, Carry, and I believe you think you love me better than play; but I do not mean to put your constancy to the trial. I hope we all love one another.”

“Yes, that we do,” said Charles Linn. “But hurrah for doing something! I am tired of doing nothing.”

It was so pleasant out of doors to-day, that Mary asked her scholars if they would like to have their botanical lesson in some shady place in the wood instead of the school-room. They all exclaimed “Yes!” and the little ones jumped about and clapped their hands for joy that they could stay out of doors a little longer.

After they had selected a shaded place, Mary sat down on the stump of a tree, and they gathered round her. Mary looked over the leaves and flowers which they had collected during their walk, and chose from them a plant which Carry Deacon had pulled up out of the earth. Mary selected this for the first lesson in botany, because it was a perfect plant, having a root, stem, branches and leaves. Mary had a way of her own of teaching her scholars, and when she presented a new subject before them, her first object was to awaken their interest in it, so that they would desire to know more about it. She held up the plant before them, and asked who could tell her what it was?

The scholars all looked and seemed puzzled. Charles Linn said it was a flower; Eddy Forester said it was a flower and something more than a flower; for it had green leaves; another said, “Yes, and it has a root and stems.”

Mary told them it was a plant; that a flower with root, stem, leaves and branches, was called a plant. “And now,” said she, “I will explain to you the uses of these parts of a flower.

“The root holds it fast in the earth; and the root sucks drink from the earth, which keeps the plant alive, very much as the calf sucks milk from the cow to sustain it.”

Eddy Forester looked attentively at Mary while she was speaking, and she asked him if he understood her. “Yes,” said Eddy, “and I was thinking about the verse you say sometimes, which has ‘Mother Earth’ in it. Is the earth the mother of all plants?”

“Yes,” said Mary, “because they get their drink from her bosom, as very little children get their food from the bosom of their mother.

“Now,” said Mary, “I wish you to remember that the root of a plant is called an _organ_. The plant has other organs besides the root, and can you tell me what they are?” No one answered, and Mary said, “The stem is an organ, and the branches and leaves are organs. I will tell you what the stem is for. The stem is a pipe, which conveys the nourishing drink that the root sucks in from the earth, up into the leaves and branches.”

Mary’s scholars came closer to her, for they liked to hear what she told them, because they could understand it all. Then Mary said, “I will tell you what the leaves and branches are for. The branches are between the stem and the leaves to carry the moisture from the stem into the leaves. The leaves of a plant have a number of small veins, which you can see if you examine them; and these veins have little mouths at their ends, wide open; and though they are so small you cannot see them without a microscope, yet the air passes into the plant through the mouths of these little veins. The plant could not live without air and water, any more than one of us could live without air and water; and our heavenly Father, who is as wise as He is kind and good, has furnished plants with these organs, through which they receive the sustenance which is necessary to preserve their life and health and beauty.”

Mary questioned her scholars until she perceived by their answers that they thoroughly understood what she had taught them: and then she dismissed them for the morning.

Happy little children! Away they skipped through the woods to their respective homes, and Mary followed them with her eyes till they were quite out of sight.

* * * * *

In the afternoon, Harry Linn came running to school out of breath, to remind Mary of a promise she had made him at home, that if he was a good boy, on the next sewing afternoon she would read aloud some stories about the sagacity and faithfulness of dogs. She told him she had not forgotten it, but the lessons must be said first. The larger scholars had definitions to say, and Harry’s class had a spelling and reading lesson.

When the work-basket was brought out, Harry and Lily came up to Mary with pleasant smiling faces, to know if they might pass the work round to-day. Mary told them they might, as they had been good little children.

Mary was very busy this afternoon. She had work to oversee, and crewels to sort out, and copies to set for the boys, who did not sew, and figures to make on Harry Linn’s slate. He was the only little boy in school who did not cipher. After all this was done, Mary read to them. When the large boys had finished their copies, they took their slates to do sums, and Mary instructed them and assisted them when they needed help. Mary never wearied the little ones with any one study or occupation; and when she observed that Harry Linn had made three rows of figures on his slate, and that Ellen Raby and Lily Forester had finished their little tasks of sewing, she called them to her to say the Multiplication Table in concert. Then she asked them some questions. Thus—

“Harry, if you had an orange, and Lily had two, and Ellen had three, and Lily and Ellen gave you their oranges, how many would you have?” Harry answered, “Six.” Mary asked them a number of such questions, for she wished to make them understand what arithmetic was for, before she taught them to do sums on their slates.

Harry’s father had shown him the picture of a blind beggar and his dog, at home, and there was a story about it, which Mary had promised to read aloud this afternoon.

THE BLIND BEGGAR AND HIS DOG.

A blind beggar used to be led about the streets of Rome by a dog of middle size. This dog led his master so as to protect him from all danger, and he learned to distinguish, not only the streets, but the houses where his master was accustomed to receive alms twice or thrice a week. Whenever the animal came to any of these streets, with which he was well acquainted, he would not leave it till a call had been made at every house where his master was usually successful in his petitions. When the beggar began to ask alms, the dog, being wearied, lay down to rest; but the master was no sooner served, or refused, than the dog rose, and without either order or sign, proceeded to the other houses, where the beggar generally received some gratuity. If a halfpenny was thrown from a window, such were the sagacity and attention of this dog, that he went about in quest of it, lifted it from the ground with his mouth, and put it into his master’s hat. Even when bread was thrown down, the animal would not taste it, unless he received a portion of it from the hand of his master. When the beggar was very weary, he would sometimes lean his head on the top of his staff and doze for a moment or two. Then the dog would sit down and watch him, and as soon as his master started, the faithful creature was up in an instant, ready for another march.

* * * * *

Mary’s scholars thought that was a beautiful story, and they were eager to hear something more about dogs.

Mary told them, that if they chose to remain in school, instead of going out to play at recess-time, she would read to them another story. So they all agreed to give up the recess-play, for the sake of another story.

KITTY GREEN AND THE DOG CAIRO.

Kitty Green was a little girl who lived with her uncle and aunt, in the country. Her uncle worked in the fields at harvest time; and Kitty liked to go out into the fields where he was making hay and tumble about in it. Sometimes her uncle would toss her up on the top of the wagon, when it was loaded with the sweet, fresh hay, and allow her to have a ride; and he called her his little harvester.

One afternoon, during the time of wheat harvest, her aunt was very busy, and she asked Kitty, if she could carry out to her uncle, in the field, some biscuits and homemade beer. Kitty said she would like to go; and her aunt put the biscuits and beer into a little basket, and covered them over with a napkin, and gave the basket to Kitty to carry out to her uncle. Then she called the dog Cairo to go with Kitty, and she said to him,

“Now, Cairo, take right good care of your little mistress.”

Cairo came, and wagged his tail, and looked up at Kitty, as much as to say, Yes, I will take good care of her.

Cairo was very fond of Kitty, and he followed her all about, and when she went to school, he would often carry her dinner basket all the way to school. They set off together, Kitty with the basket on her arm, and Cairo by her side.

Kitty was a great talker, and she chatted to Cairo all the way as they went. “Cairo,” said Kitty, “you must be a very good dog, and help me to carry the basket, for I can tell you it is pretty heavy; and you need not put your nose into it either, and you must not wipe your mouth on the napkin, for my uncle will not thank you for that.”

Cairo seemed delighted to have his little mistress talk to him, and he looked up at her, just as if he knew what she was saying. Before Kitty and Cairo got to the harvest-field, she was very tired; and she put the basket on the ground while she rested, and then she took a romp with Cairo. Then she put one side of the handle into Cairo’s mouth, and took hold of the other side herself, and she said, “Now, Cairo, do help me, and I will give you a part of my supper to-night. Do, that is a good, dear Cairo.”

Cairo helped Kitty to carry the basket, and they brought it safely along to her uncle, who was very glad of the biscuits and beer. Kitty’s uncle kissed her, and he stroked Cairo, and he said,

“Kind little Kitty, and kind little Cairo, to think of uncle when he was tired and hungry.”

When he had done eating, he put the empty bottle and the napkin into the basket, and gave it to Kitty, and told her to walk home as fast as she could, for a shower was coming up.

Off went Kitty and Cairo, and they trotted along together with the basket, which was quite light now. Kitty was a heedless little girl, and she soon forgot what her uncle had told her about the rain coming, and she loitered along, and stopped to play with Cairo. Presently Kitty was startled by a loud clap of thunder. Then she saw the bright lightning, and that was followed by a clap of thunder louder than the first. Kitty was very much afraid, and she trembled all over. No one had ever told her that her heavenly Father caused the lightning to cut through the clouds, and that the thunder was made by the clouds rushing together again after the lightning had passed through them. Then she felt the large drops of rain on her neck, and she began to cry; for she did not think about God sending the rain, to make the grass grow and to give drink to the thirsty flowers. The rain fell very fast, and Kitty cried out, “Oh, Cairo, what shall we do?”

Cairo seemed to know that Kitty was in distress, and he took hold of her dress with his mouth, as if he would pull her along to a pile of wheat-sheaves, which were bound up in bundles. Kitty crept under them and sat down.

The faithful dog stayed close by her and tried to comfort her. He put his paws upon her shoulder and his head close up to her face, as if he would wipe off her tears. Cairo looked as if he would like to say, My dear little mistress, how I do pity you, what can I do for you?

Kitty sat there under the wheat-sheaves a long time, crying, and Cairo never left her for a moment. He looked up into her face, and rubbed his nose over her hands and arms, and there he stayed and guarded her as faithfully as any little sentinel could, until the rain was over.

When the rain was over, he took the basket in his mouth, and trotted home close by the side of Kitty.

* * * * *

The children were all so much delighted with the story of Kitty’s affectionate little dog, that they begged Mary to read it twice. Mary gratified them whenever she could, and she read it again to please them.

When the occupations of the afternoon were finished, Mary said, “It is time to put up the things:” but no one seemed ready for school to close. Mary liked to have her scholars think school was a pleasant place, but she did not allow them to overstay the usual time.

“You know,” said she, “we are to have the Bible-reading yet.”

The work was all gathered together by Harry Linn and Lily Forester; the books and slates were put into their places, the desks were neatly arranged, and then, teacher and scholars repaired to the oak tree in the wood, to have the Bible-reading.

Mary asked them if they remembered what she had read to them yesterday?

Carry Deacon said, “Yes, I remember. You read about Adam and Eve, and about our heavenly Father sending them away out of the beautiful garden of Eden where they lived, and that he sent them away because they were disobedient.”

“And, Mary,” said Eddy Forester, “you told us you would read to us next time about the way to get back again to God, and the beautiful garden which you called Paradise.”

Mary read to her little scholars, the first, second and twelfth verses, in the second chapter in the first epistle of John; the eighth and twenty-third verses in the third chapter; and the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh verses in the fourth chapter.

She then told them, that Jesus Christ our Saviour, was sent into the world, not only to show us the way to God and Paradise, (which is heaven,) but to fit us to go to that holy and happy place.

She explained to them, that when Adam and Eve had sinned, and our heavenly Father sent them out of the beautiful garden of Eden, he knew they could not be happy without him; and he pitied them, and loved them so much, that he sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, from heaven down to earth, to be their Saviour, and our Saviour, and the Saviour of the whole world.

Our heavenly Father knows all things, and he knows how wicked the heart is, and that the wicked one who had tempted Adam and Eve to sin, would follow the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve wherever they went, and that he would tempt them to sin too, and to forget Him. And because he loved them, and us, and everybody, He sent his only begotten and dearly beloved son to be our Saviour, to die for us and to teach us how to avoid sin, and how to come to him and love him, and to love one another.

Eddy Forester said, “Mary, does the wicked tempter follow you and me and everybody?”

“Yes,” said Mary, “and he is always trying to make us sin. He knows, that if he can prevail upon us to commit sin, we shall be separated from God. He hates God, and every thing that is good, because, where God is, he cannot come. The greatest evil that can happen to any of us, is to be separated from God, by sin.”

“If we stay close to God, the wicked one cannot hurt us, can he, Mary?” said Eddy.

“No! and if we ask Him, he will put his good Spirit in our hearts, and then there will be no room for the wicked one. This good Spirit of God, will guide us to the knowledge of our Saviour, and then we shall like to read about him in the Bible. You are too young to understand all that the dear Saviour has done, and suffered for us, to take away our sin and to make us the children of God; but I want you to think about Him very often; and by and by, I hope you will know more than you do now.”

“Then will we be our Saviour’s little lambs, Mary,” said Eddy, “the little lambs that you once read to us about, that he carried in his arms?”

“Yes,” said Mary; “it is a long journey back to God and to Paradise, and sometimes there are very rough places to get over; and our Saviour loves his little lambs so dearly, that he carries them in his arms over all the rough places, and if we keep close to him, he can bring us safely into the Paradise of God.”

Mary’s little scholars seemed full of love, and they did not want to go home, they felt so safe and happy at school; but Mary told them their fathers and mothers would be waiting for them, and now they must bid one another good-bye. Carry Deacon said they must have two kisses apiece from Mary; so she kissed them all twice, and then they went home.

It is good to begin the day with thoughts of God, if we would have his blessing upon its close.

=TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE:=

Italics, bold letters, blackletter font and small capitals are represented by _ = ~ and ALL CAPS respectively.

Perceived typos have been silently corrected.

Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.

Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.