Part 4
"Oh, dear!" cried Walter, "all my work is wasted. I shall get no marks for this lesson unless I write it all over again; and I wanted so much to go out and have a game." However, he was a brave boy, and his mother was glad to notice that he set to work quietly, and soon had it written over again. When bedtime came, she said: "Walter, your accident with the ink made me think of a story. Shall I tell it to you?"
"Oh, yes, mother! please do," said Walter, for he loved stories.
34. The Drawings Eaten by the Rats.
"There was once a gentleman (Audubon) in America," said his mother, "who was very fond of studying birds. He would go out in the woods to watch them, and he also made sketches of them, and worked so hard that he had nearly a thousand of these drawings, which, of course, he valued very much. One time he was going away from home for some months, and before he went he collected all his precious drawings together, put them carefully in a wooden box, and gave them to a relative to take care of until he came back.
"The time went by and he returned, and soon after asked for the box containing his treasures. The box was there, but what do you think? Two rats had found their way into it, and had made a home there for their young ones, and the beautiful drawings were all gnawed until nothing was left but tiny scraps of paper. You can guess how dreadfully disappointed the poor man would feel. But he tells us that in a few days he went out to the woods and began his drawings again as gaily as if nothing had happened; and he was pleased to think that he might now make better drawings than before. It was nearly three years before he had made up for what the rats had eaten. This man must have possessed the precious jewel of patience. Do you not think so?"
"What is patience, mother?" asked Walter.
"The little Scotch girl said it meant 'wait a wee, and no weary,'" said his mother; "and I think that is a very good meaning. It is like saying that we must wait, and do the work over again, if necessary, without getting vexed or worried."
Patience is a good "stone" to have in the Temple of Character.
(Blackboard.)
Patience means:-- Wait, and not Weary.
XII. ON GIVING IN.
35. Playing at Shop.
You have often played at keeping shop, have you not? Winnie and May were very fond of this game, and when it was holiday time they played it nearly every day. One morning they made the "shop" ready as usual; a stool was to be the "counter," and upon this they placed the scales, with all the things they meant to sell. When all was ready, Winnie stood behind the "counter," and said, "I will be the 'shopman'!"
"No!" exclaimed May, "=I= want to be 'shopman'; let me come behind the 'counter'." But Winnie would not move, then May tried to =pull= her away, and Winnie pushed May, and in the end both little girls were crying, and the game was spoilt. Were not they foolish?
How easy it would have been to take it in turns to be "shopman," and that would have been quite fair to both little girls. I am afraid we sometimes =forget= to be =fair= in our games. We will tell Winnie and May the story of the two goats.
36. The Two Goats.
Perhaps you know that goats like to live on the rocks, and as they have cloven feet (that is, feet that are split up the middle) they can walk in places that would not be at all safe for your little feet.
One day two goats met each other on a narrow ledge of rock where there was not room to pass. Below them was a steep precipice; if they fell down there they would soon be dashed to pieces. How should they manage?
It was now that one of the goats did a polite, kind, graceful act.
She knelt down on the ledge so that the other goat might walk over her, and when this was done, she rose up and went on her way, so both the goats were safe and unhurt.
The goat teaches us a beautiful lesson on "giving in".
(Blackboard.)
The Two Goats, Sometimes it is Noble to give Way.
XIII. ON BEING GENEROUS.
37. Lilie and the Beggar Girl.
You will think "generous" is a long word, but the stories will help you to understand what it means.
Lilie was staying with her auntie, for her mother had gone on a voyage with father in his ship.
One day Lilie heard a timid little knock at the back door. She ran to open it, and saw standing outside a poor little girl about her own size, with no shoes or stockings on. She asked for a piece of bread, and Lilie's auntie went into the pantry to cut it. While she was away Lilie noticed the little girl's bare feet, and, without thinking, she took off her own shoes and gave them to her.
When the girl had gone, auntie asked, "Where are your shoes, Lilie?" And she replied, "I gave them to the little girl, auntie. I do not think mother would mind." It would have been better if Lilie had asked auntie before she gave away her shoes; but auntie did not scold her; she only said to herself, "What a generous little soul the child has".
38. Bertie and the Porridge.
Bertie was a rosy-faced, healthy boy. His mother lived in a little cottage in the country, and she was too poor to buy dainties for her child, but the good, plain food he ate was quite enough to make him hearty and strong.
His usual breakfast was a basin of porridge mixed with milk, and one bright, sunny morning he was sitting on the doorstep, waiting until it should be cool enough for him to eat, when he saw a very poor, old man leaning on the garden gate. Bertie felt sure the old man must be wanting something to eat, he looked so pale and thin, and being a generous-hearted boy, he carried down his basin of porridge to the old man, and asked him to eat it, which he did with great enjoyment, for he was very hungry. I think you will understand now what being Generous means. We may do good by giving away things that are of no use to us, but that is not being generous.
(Blackboard.)
We are Generous when we go without Things, that Others may have them.
XIV. FORGIVENESS.
39. The Two Dogs.[9]
One day two dogs had been quarrelling, and when they parted at night, they had not made it up, but went to rest, thinking hard things of each other, I fear. Next day, however, one of the dogs brought a biscuit to the other, and laid it down beside him, as much as to say, "Let us be friends". I think the other dog would be sure to forgive him after that, and we are sure they would both be much happier for being friends once more.
(Blackboard.)
If you Quarrel, make it up again.
XV. GOOD FOR EVIL.
40. The Blotted Copy-book.
Gladys and Dora were in the same class at school, and when the teacher promised to give a prize for the cleanest, neatest and best-written copy-book, they determined to try and win the prize. Both the little girls wrote their copies very carefully for several days, but by-and-by Gladys grew a little careless, and her copies were not so well written as Dora's. Gladys knew this quite well, and yet she longed for the prize. What should she do? There was only one copy more to be written, and then it would have to be decided who should get the prize. Sad to say, Gladys thought of a very mean way by which she might spoil Dora's chance of it.
She went to school one morning very early--no one was there; softly she walked to Dora's desk, and drew out her neat, tidy copy-book, which she opened at the last page, and, taking a pen, she dipped it in ink, and splashed the page all over; then she put it back in the desk, and said to herself, "There, now, the prize will be mine".
But why does Gladys feel so wretched all at once? A little Voice that you have often heard spoke in her heart, and said, "Oh! Gladys, how mean, how unkind!" and she could not =help= being miserable.
Presently the school assembled, and when the writing lesson came round the teacher said, "Now, girls, take out your copy-books and finish them". Dora drew hers out, and when she opened it and saw the blots her cheeks grew scarlet and her eyes filled with tears. Just then she turned and saw Gladys glancing at her in an ashamed sort of way (as the elephant looked at his driver when he had stolen the cakes--Story Lesson 85), and Dora knew in her heart that it was Gladys who had spoilt her copy-book. But she did not tell any one, not even when the teacher said, "Oh! Dora, what a mess you have made on your nice copy-book!" but she was thinking all the time, and when she went home she said to her mother, "Mamma, may I give my little tin box with the flowers painted on it to Gladys?" "Why, Dora," said her mother, "I thought you were very fond of that pretty box!" "So I am," replied Dora, "that is why I want Gladys to have it; please let me give it to her, mother!" So Dora's mother consented, and next morning Gladys found a small parcel on her desk, with a scrap of paper at the top, on which was written, "Gladys, with love from Dora". Dora was generous, you see; she returned good for evil, and Gladys felt far more sorrow for her fault than she would have done had Dora caused her to be punished. Neither Gladys nor Dora won the prize, but Gladys learnt a lesson that was worth more than many prizes, and Dora had a gladness in her heart that was better than a prize--the gladness that comes from listening to the Good Voice. "Good for Evil" is a beautiful "stone" to have in your Temple.
(Blackboard.)
It is Generous to Return Good for Evil.
FOOTNOTE:
[9] Romanes' _Animal Intelligence_.
XVI. GENTLENESS.
41. The Horse and the Child.
Gentleness is a beautiful word, and I daresay you know what it means. When you are helping baby to walk, mother will say, "Be =gentle= with her," which means, "Do not be rough, do not hurt her". A =gentleman= is a man who is gentle, who will not =hurt=.
Did you ever hear of a horse who could behave like a gentleman? Here is the story.[10]
"A horse was drawing a cart along a narrow lane in Scotland when it spied a little child playing in the middle of the road. What do you think the kind, gentle horse did? It took hold of the little child's clothes with its teeth, lifted it up, and laid it gently on the bank at the side of the road, and then it turned its head to see that the cart had not hurt the child in passing. Did not the horse behave like a gentleman?"
I have seen boys and girls helping the little ones to dress in the cloakroom at school, or leading them carefully down the steps, or carrying the babies over rough places; =this= is gentleness, and the gentle boy will grow up to be a gentle man.
42. The Overturned Fruit Stall.
You have seen boys playing the game of "Paper Chase," or, as it is sometimes called, "Hare and Hounds". One or two boys start first, each carrying a bag full of small pieces of paper, which they scatter as they run. Then all the other boys start, and follow the track made by the scattered paper.
A number of boys were starting for a "Paper Chase" one Saturday afternoon, and, passing quickly round a corner of the street, some of them ran against a little fruit stall and overturned it. The apples, pears and plums were all rolling on the ground, and the old woman who belonged to the stall looked at them in dismay. The boys all ran on except one, and he stayed behind to help to put the stall right, and to gather up all the fruit. That boy was =gentle= and kind, and the poor old woman could not thank him enough.
Be =gentle= to the little ones, Be =gentle= to the old, Be =gentle= to the lame, to =all=-- For it is true, I'm told, That =gentleness= is better far Than riches, wealth or gold.
FOOTNOTE:
[10] _Heads Without Hands._
XVII. ON BEING GRATEFUL.
43. Rose and her Birthday Present.
A little girl called Rose had a kind auntie who sent her half a sovereign for a birthday present. Rose was delighted with the money, and was always talking of the many nice things it would buy, but she never thought of writing and =thanking= her auntie. That was not grateful, was it? When we =receive= anything, we should always think =at once= of the giver, and express our thanks without delay. That is why we say "grace" before eating: we wish to thank our kind Father above for giving us the nice food to eat.
The days went by, and still auntie received no word of thanks from her little niece. Then a letter came asking, "Has Rosy had my letter with the present?" Rose answered this, and said she =had= received the letter, and sent many thanks for the present. But how ashamed she must have felt that she had not written before! It is not nice to have to =ask= people for their thanks or gratitude; it ought to be given freely without asking.
44. The Boy who was Grateful.
Little Vernon's father had a tricycle, and one day he fixed up a seat in front for his little boy, and took him for a nice, long ride.
Vernon sat facing his father, and he was so delighted with the ride, and so grateful to his kind father for bringing him, that he could not help putting his arms round his father's neck sometimes, and giving him a kiss as they went along. Vernon's father told me this himself, and I was glad to know that the little boy possessed this precious gift of gratitude, for it is a lovely "stone" to have in the Temple we are building.
(Blackboard.)
Do not forget to be Grateful for Kindness; and do not forget to Show it.
XVIII. SELF-HELP.
45. The Crow and the Pitcher.
Perhaps you have heard the fable of the crow who was thirsty. He found a pitcher with a little water in it, but he could not get at the water, for the neck of the jug was narrow.
Did he leave the water and say, "It is of no use to try"? No; he set to work, and found a way out of the difficulty. The crow dropped pebbles into the jug, one by one, and these made the water rise until he could reach it.
(Illustrate by a tumbler with a few tablespoonfuls of water in it. Drop in some pebbles, and show how the water rises as the pebbles take its place.) If you have a steep hill to climb, or a hard lesson to learn, do not sit down and cry, and think you cannot do it, but be determined that, like the crow, you will master the difficulty. When you were a little, tiny child, your father carried you over the rough places, but as you grow older, you walk over them yourself. You do not want to be carried now, for you are not helpless any longer. But I am afraid there are some children who =like= to be helpless, and to let mother do everything for them. I once knew a girl of ten who could not tie her own bootlaces; =she= was helpless. And I knew a little fellow of six who, when his mother was sick, could put on the kettle, and make her a cup of tea; he was a =helpful= boy.
It is brave and nice of boys and girls to help themselves all they can, and not to be beaten by a little difficulty. Remember the Sparrow and the Rag (Story Lesson 30), as well as the Crow, and
(Blackboard)
Do not be Helpless, but Master Difficulty as the Crow did.
XIX. CONTENT.
46. Harold and the Blind Man.
Do you know what it is to be contented? It is just the opposite of being dissatisfied and unhappy.
Little Harold was looking forward to a day in the glen on the morrow, but when the morning came it was wet and cold, and the journey had to be put off. Harold had lots of toys to play with, but he would not touch any of them; he just stood with his face against the window-pane, discontented and unhappy.
After a time he saw an old man with a stick coming up the street, and a little dog was walking beside him. As they drew nearer, Harold saw that the old man held the dog by a string, and that it was leading him, for he was blind. The discontented little boy began to wonder what it must be like to be blind, and he shut his eyes very tight to try it. How dark it was! he could see nothing. How dreadful to be =always= in darkness! Then he opened his eyes again, and looked at the old man's face; it was a peaceful, pleasant face. The old man did not look discontented and unhappy, and yet it was far worse to be blind than to be disappointed of a picnic. Harold had yet to learn that it is not =outside= things that give content, but something within. He could not help being disappointed at the wet day, but he could have made the best of it and played with his toys, as indeed he did after seeing the blind man.
(Blackboard.)
Be Content and make the Best of Things.
XX. TIDINESS.
47. The Slovenly Boy.
Of =all= the untidy children you ever saw Leo must have been the worst. His hair was unbrushed, his boots were uncleaned, and the laces were always trailing on the floor. Why did he not learn to tie a bow? (For full instructions, with illustrations, on the "Tying of a bow," see _Games Without Music_.) It must be very uncomfortable to have one's boots all loose about the ankles, besides looking so untidy.
Can you guess how his stockings were? They were all in folds round his legs, instead of being drawn and held up tight, and he had always a button off somewhere. The worst of it was that Leo did not seem to =mind= being untidy. I hope =you= are not like that. Do all the little girls love to have smooth, clean pinafores? and do the boys like to have a clean collar and smooth hair? and do all of you keep your hands and faces clean? Then you are like the children in these verses.
1. The Tidy Boy:--
A tidy boy would not be seen With rough or rumpled hair, Nor come to meals with unwashed hands And face; and he will care To have his collar clean and white, And boots must polished be and bright.
2. The Tidy Girl:--
And what about the tidy girl? All nice and clean is she, Her pinafore is smooth and straight, Her hair neat as can be; No wrinkled sock, or untied lace Does this neat, tidy girl disgrace.
48. Pussy and the Knitting.
I wonder if you have heard of pussy getting mother's knitting and making it all in a tangle. These are the verses about it:--
PUSS IN MISCHIEF.[11]
1. "Where are you, kitty? Where are you?--say. I've scarcely seen you At all to-day.
2. "You're not in mischief, I hope, my dear; Ah! now I have found you. How came you here?
3. "That's mother's knitting, You naughty kit; Oh! such a tangle You've made of it.
4. "'Twas =that= which kept you So very still; Mamma will scold you, I know she will."
5. Then puss comes to me, And rubs her fur Against my fingers, And says "purr, purr".
6. I know she means it To say, "Don't scold," So close in my arms My puss I hold.
7. And then I tell her, My little pet, That mother's knitting She must not get.
8. The wool will never Be wound, I fear; But mother forgives My kitty dear.
I do not suppose that pussy would =know= she was doing anything naughty in tangling the wool, but a =child= would know, of course, that wool must be kept straight and tidy if it is to be of use.
49. The Packing of the Trunks.
Nellie and Madge were two little girls getting ready to go for a visit to grandmamma. She lived many miles away, and the children were to go by train and stay with her for a whole month.
Their clothes were all laid on the bed ready for packing, and as mother wanted them to grow up =helpful= girls, she said they might put the things in the boxes themselves. So Nellie and Madge began to pack. Nellie took each article by itself, and laid it carefully in the box without creasing, putting all the heavier things at the bottom, and the dresses and lighter articles at the top. When she had laid them all in, the lid just closed nicely, and her work was finished.
Then she turned to see what Madge was doing. Madge had not packed more than half her pile, and the box was full. "What shall I do?" she cried, "I =cannot= get them all in." Just then mamma came up and said: "Have you finished, children? it is nearly train time". Her eyes fell on the box Madge was packing, and she exclaimed, "Oh! Madge, you have put the clothes in anyhow, everything must be taken out!" Madge had just thrown them in "higgledy-piggledy," instead of laying them straight, and they came out a crumpled heap. She was so hot and flurried, and so afraid of being late for the train, that she could hardly keep the tears back, but mamma and Nellie helped to straighten the things, and to pack them neatly, and just as the cab drove up to the door the last frock was laid in the box, and the lid went down without any trouble. Madge remembered to take more pains next time she packed her box.
I was in a house one day, and when the lady opened a drawer to get something out, the articles in the drawer =bounced up= just like a "Jack in the box," because you see, they had been put in anyhow, and then crushed down to allow the drawer to be closed. Of course she could not find what she wanted. I hope none of =your= drawers are like a "Jack in the box". I wonder if untidy people are lazy? I am afraid they are.