Part 7

SIGISMOND.--This Emperor was once reproached by some courtiers for being favorable to his foes--to whom he replied, "Do I not effectually destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?"

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CHINESE PROVERBS.

What is told in the ear is often heard a hundred miles.

Riches come better after poverty, than poverty after riches.

Who aims at excellence will be above medirocity; who aims at medirocity will fall short of it.

No remedies can revive old age and faded flowers.

A truly great man never puts away the simplicity of a child.

He who toils with pain will eat with pleasure.

A wise man forgets old grudges.

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Those that dare lose a day are dangerously prodigal; those that dare misspend it, desperate.--_Bishop Hall_.

Truth enters into the heart of man when it is empty, and clean and still; but when the mind is shaken with passion as with a storm, you can never hear the voice of the charmer, though he charm never so wisely.

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COMFORT AND SOBRIETY.

Let me here give you a few maxims to commit to memory:----

Avoid and shun the sources of misery.

Be sure not to _indulge_ your appetite.

Strong drink excites a person to do wrong.

Remember you are never out of temptation.

A _life of virtue and temperence_ will secure to you money and time; will give you health, and prosperity, peace, character, respect, and usefulness.

PLEDGE.

Our hands and our hearts we give To the temperance pledge, declaring That long as on earth we live, All its bountiful blessings sharing,

We will taste not and touch not the bowl That burns with intoxication, And will lend our assistance to roll The temperance ball through the nation.

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THE TRUSTY DOG.

I am glad to introduce to you, the noble dog whose picture is before you. He was an old and tried friend of mine, and I could tell you a great many things about him. He was more trust-worthy than many a little child that I have known; for though circumstances have thrown me in the way of many beautiful children, some of the little ones with whom I have met, were not so truthful and trusty as they ought to have been.

But I must not forget the work I commenced; and run off into telling you stories of bad children rather than of the good dog. I know that you are already interested in this noble fellow, by this fine portrait of him. Hasn't he a beautiful face. It is as kind and good natured a dog as you ever saw. Now you want to know his name; and, perhaps some of you are feeling curious by this time, to know what he is doing with that great basket which he holds in his mouth, I will first tell you his name, and then come to the question of the basket. His name was "Erie." Mayhap you never knew a dog by this name. It is very peculiar to call a dog "Erie," but, as this was an extraordinary wise dog, he deserved a name somewhat different from ordinary dogs.

Now I will proceed to my story which is true, and may be believed as well as wondered at.

"Erie" had great many wonderful tricks. He seemed to understand what was said to him, and would obey promptly any person in whom he had confidence, when they told him to do anything which was in his power to do. You could trust him to carry any article which he could hold in his mouth, He would take it to any place you might name, where he was accustomed to go, and give to the person you told him to give it to, and never to any other, under any circumstances. If he could not find the person to whom the article was sent, he would surely return it to you with a knowing look which seemed to say, "I tried to do my errand but couldn't." He was usually very good natured, but on such occasions, when he was entrusted with the care of anything; he did not like to be interfered with, and if any one attempted to touch anything which he held in his mouth he would growl at them in a most ferocious manner, as if he would say, "Take care, this is not yours, and I shall treat you harshly if you undertake to carry off what belongs to another."

His master used to love hunting very much, and "Erie" almost always went with him. At such times he was very fond of carrying the game bag in his mouth. There was a closet in the house where his master kept his guns powder, flasks, and all things necessary for hunting. One day Mr. A. left for [the] woods with his gun, while the dog was absent from home. He had gone about a mile, when he thought of his powder flask which in the haste of leaving home he had forgotten. He turned back regretting that he had taken so many unnecessary steps, when his eye fell upon "Erie" running toward him with great speed holding the powder flask in his mouth. The dog had returned home and finding his master gone, had examined the closet, the door of which had been left ajar, and found the gun gone while the flask was left; he seemed to know this ought not to be, and seizing the flask in his mouth he pursued his master and carried him the important article.

Mr. A. taught him to carry meat home from the market, and he was never known to eat it, or allow any other dog to take it from him.

This was very convenient for the family. Often when Mr. A. was in haste, he would write a note telling the butcher what meat to send him for his dinner. This note he would put into the bottom of the meat basket, and give the basket to "Erie," telling him which market he was to go to, and reminding him to be sure and come back quickly. In a few moments the dog would return with the dinner as safely as a child could have done.

One day as he was going home from the market, the basket was heavy, having in it a large piece of meat. "Erie" grew very tired and set the basket down on the pavement to rest his mouth a moment. At this moment a large black dog was passing, who, smelling the meat, thought he would like a piece for his own dinner; so walking up to the basket he attempted to thrust his nose in and help himself. "Erie" gave one of his ferocious warning growls, which said as plain as words, "Take care, take care." At first the other dog retreated a little, but being very hungry he again approached the basket.

"Erie" seemed really to reason about the matter. He knew that the other dog was determined to steal the meat which was especially entrusted to _his_ care. It was as if he thought to himself, "Now if I stop to fight with this dog, some other dog may come and run away with my meat, my only safety is flight," so seizing up the basket he fled as fast as his legs could carry him toward home. The large dog pursued him a little way, but "Erie" out-ran him and reached home in safety, As soon as he had deposited the basket in the hands of his mistress, he turned and ran down street again as fast as he could, in search of the thieving dog, whose dishonesty he seemed to think he must punish. After searching a long time he found him playing with a number of other dogs, and I never saw a dog take a worse whipping than "Erie" gave him.

Now my dear children as you read this story, ask yourselves if you are as honest and trustworthy as this noble dog was. You know that you may be much better than he; for God has made you wiser and given you power to do much, more than any animal.

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THE UNCERTAINTY OF LIFE.

Josiah Martin was a young man of whom any mother might have been proud. He was an only child, and had been the support of his widowed mother for five years; though at the time when we first knew him he was not twenty.

And this was not all. He was so frugal, and industrious, that he was able, besides providing for himself and mother, to contribute largely toward the support of his aunt Eleanor and her daughter, who were very poor, and without his help, might have suffered oftentimes for want of the necessaries of life.

In return for his care, he had a wealth of love bestowed upon him by mother, aunt and cousin, who often said, and often felt in their hearts, that Josiah was as good a boy as ever lived. He enjoyed perfect health, and had naturally a merry heart, so that every day of his life, he was as happy as the birds. He expected to continue so, through many long years: and never thought of dying until he got to be an old man.

One pleasant summer morning, he rose early and prepared to leave home to be absent a week. He had agreed to go and help Mr. Brown about harvesting, and the farm being five miles from where his mother lived, he could not come home before Saturday night. He bade his mother an affectionate good morning, and started cheerily on his way. The road ran by aunt Eleanor's door, so he thought he would just peep in, and see how she was and tell her that he should not see her again for several days.

The old lady did not seem as well as usual, and "wished heartily," she said, that Josiah wasn't going away.

"Why, I shall be back," said he "in six days, and can come sooner, if any of you need me."

"You should not speak so positive about it," said aunt Eleanor, "you may never come back again."

"Oh fye, auntie, you've got the blues this morning! I shall be back just as sure as Saturday night comes."

"Don't be too certain my boy; life and death are not in our hands; you may be called any hour."

"Now auntie, don't get gloomy about such a hale stout boy as I am; who never saw a sick day in his life, and don't know what pain is. Why see how strong I am," and laughingly he bent down, and lifting his cousin with one arm and his great dog with the other, he tripped lightly over the threshold. "There, auntie," he cried, "I could carry off your whole establishment, almost as easy as Samson did the gates of Gaza."

Though the old lady smiled at the moment the cloud came back again to her face, and through the open door she watched him as long as her misty eyes could distinguish him in the distance.

As merry, as strong, and as full of life as ever, the young man went to his work that morning. Arrived at the harvest field, he took off his coat and went in among the laborers, saying that he thought he could outwork them all that day, he felt so vigorous. The sun was exceeding hot, the air sultry and close, and the laborers, in spite of their determination and strength, grew very weary when the sun was high in the heavens. About eleven o'clock, a boy came from the house and brought them a jug of cold water. Josiah took it first, and drank of it until they all called to him to stop. He did not heed them, but being very thirsty, drank until he was satisfied; then stooped to set the jug on the ground, and fell down beside it a corpse.

Thus suddenly, in the prime of his young life, was he called into eternity. In a moment from perfect health, he passed to death.

I seem to hear you saying, little reader, "This was very sudden; but surely such unexpected deaths are rare, I shall not die in that way." That you cannot tell, you must go in the time that God appoints, it may be before another sunset. But whether it be sooner or later that you are called home to heaven, would you not love to leave with your friends the memory of as good a life as this of which you have been reading. On the neat white slab that shows where Josiah sleeps it says, "Here lies a good boy, who blessed the world while he lived in it." Go ye little readers and do likewise.

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'Tis well to walk with a cheerful heart Wherever our fortunes call, With a friendly glance, an open hand, And a gentle word for all. Since life is a thorny and difficult path Where toil is the portion of man, We all should endeavor, while passing along, To make it us smooth as we can.

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THE FIRST DECEPTION.

When I was a boy, and attended school, I was like a great many other boys, more inclined to play and read story books than I was to study my lessons; it was a rule at our school to carry a book home every night and study the lesson for the following day; but I would avoid this by some deception, and of course the next morning my recitation would be very imperfect.

One morning I awoke quite early, and I remembered that we were to have a very difficult lesson on that morning, and I had neglected it that I might join in a game of foot-ball. It was too late then to commit it to memory, and I felt ashamed to go to school without it, for I knew that I should be punished, and be obliged to remain in at recess to make up the lesson. I did not want to play truant, for I was fearful of detection, so I went to my father and feigned headache, and plead that I might remain at home that day. The wish was granted, and for a moment I felt relieved, but at breakfast or dinner, I was not allowed to eat anything; I was obliged to remain in doors all day, although the sun was shining brightly out of doors, and with a conscience restless and reproving me all the time, I passed a wretched day.

My father, always kind and attentive to his children, would lay his hand upon my head and pity me, so that my heart ached when I thought how wickedly I was deceiving him. The day passed, and I went to my bed, but I could not sleep. I had told my father a lie, and the thought of it lay like a weight upon my heart. I slept a little, but it was a troubled and unhappy sleep. When I arose in the morning, I went to my father, and with tearful eyes confessed my deception. He was surprised and grieved. I stood before him with my head hung down, feeling thoroughly ashamed. I asked forgiveness of him and it was granted. I was then told to go to school and tell the teacher of my fault, and promise never to attempt such a wrong again.

I have grown a man since then, but the memory of that error is still fresh in my mind. It was the last time I ever attempted to deceive my father. I have no father or mother now, but the lesson which that day I learned, will guard me through life from any attempt at deceiving those to whom I am indebted for kindness and love. If any little boy should read this story, let him be mindful and avoid all temptations, which, if yielded to, will cause him in after years many bitter pangs and hearty remorse.