CHAPTER VI.

OSCAR'S SORROW.

IT was a long time before either Mrs. Monson or Charley could quiet the lad. The lady saw that he had a kind heart, and she hoped much for him from her son's influence. She saw that his mother was wholly unfit to manage him, and she determined to have some talk with her.

When Oscar began to grow calm, she told Charley to take the books to the outside door, and show him the nice pictures. Pretty soon she heard them talking and laughing together, and then she told Mrs. Russel that she wished to help Oscar to be good, so that he would be a comfort to her.

"It's little enough he is now," she answered, quickly.

But, after the lady had talked long and earnestly with her of her own duties as a mother, and reminded her that God would hold her responsible for the manner in which she trained her boy; she confessed that she had no patience, that she was passionate and often whipped him when out of temper.

She thanked Mrs. Monson over and over again, and said she would try to do better; and Oscar should go to Sunday school or anywhere else the lady said was best.

Mrs. Monson was surprised, when she left the house, to find that the sun had set. She looked at her watch, and found it wanted only half an hour to seven; but when they were riding home, she told Charley she felt greatly encouraged both for the mother and son.

"If they will do as they have promised," she said, "I shall be well paid for my afternoon's work."

This was Saturday. The next Tuesday, Charley was looking from the window, when he saw Oscar at the gate, gazing wistfully toward the house, as if he would like, but dared not, to go in.

[Illustration] "Have you come to see me?"

He ran out quickly to meet him. "Have you come to see me?" he asked.

"I found some posies. Do you like posies?" inquired Oscar, bashfully crowding the flowers into the boy's hand.

"Oh, how pretty! Come in, and let us show them to mother."

The rest of the afternoon was passed by the happy children in the nursery, looking at Charley's toys.

Once Mrs. Monson thought, "I must talk with him before he goes;" and she went quietly to the nursery door for this purpose, but stopped suddenly.

What do you think kept her from going in? She heard Charley's voice saying,—

"I know it's hard, Oscar; but Jesus will help you, if you really try to be good. Did you ever pray to Jesus?"

"No, I never did. I don't know how."

"Let's kneel down, then, and pray now," the little missionary went on. Then he began,—

"Dear Jesus, Oscar wants to be good. Will you help him; and help his mother, too, and me; and forgive all our sins; and let us go to heaven when we die? For Christ's sake. Amen."

"I don't know what it means," said Oscar, softly.

Then Mrs. Monson opened the door quietly, and, calling the boys to her side, she told the poor, ignorant child, of the dear Saviour, who came into the world to save children, and all who will trust in him. She told him that God was our heavenly Father, who loves us, and wants us to be good; that his eyes are everywhere, seeing what little boys do, and what they need to make them happy; and his ears are everywhere, so that he can hear the faintest whisper spoken to him by any little child who wants help to do right.

Oscar looked very solemn while she was talking, and then said,—

"I would like to be good if it would make me like Charley. I think Charley is the best boy in all the world. I'd rather take a hundred lickings than to hurt him again."

When Mr. Bryant went away, after leaving Charley's present, he made the boy promise to send him word how his plan with Oscar succeeded.