The Pearl Box by A Pastor

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Now, children, you may be sure that a dumb animal will remember his
kind master; and if ever you own a horse, or drive one which belongs
to another, be sure and treat him kindly. And you will find this rule
to work well among yourselves. Be kind to each other, and to all
whom you meet with, and it will help you along the pleasant path of
life, and secure to you many friends.

[Illustration]

* * * * *

EDWARD AND ELLEN.

Edward Ford owned a snug little cottage with a small farm situated
about a mile from the village. When he was married to Ellen G----, who
was said to be one of the best girls in the village, he took her to
his nice little home, where he had every thing around very pleasant
and comfortable. Ellen was very industrious and remarkable for her
prudence and neatness. She spun and churned, and tended her poultry,
and would often carry her butter and eggs herself to market, which
greatly added to their comfort. She had a beautiful little girl, and
they gave her the name of Lily. Things glided smoothly on until Lily
was sixteen. Edward was very fond of the violin and of reading books
that were not very useful, and as he was very fond of music, he spent
a great deal more time in making music and playing the violin than
what his wife thought profitable. Ellen loved music, and was willing
to have him read profitable books, but all this while she thought he
might be patching up the fences and improving the shed for the better
comfort of the cattle. Still she would not complain, hoping all the
time that he would see the necessity of being a little more
industrious. The winter came, and all through its dreary months he was
unable to work, as he was sick. And although Ellen worked hard, yet
her husband required so much of her attention, that all her efforts
availed not much to keep poverty out of their cottage. When the spring
came, Ellen's husband was able to be about again, and she began to
hope that Edward would be more industrious, and they would be able by
strict economy to repair the loss occasioned by his winter's illness,
which had put them so far behind-hand. Edward had become lazy or
disheartened. Affairs about the house continued to grow worse; his
farm was ill worked or neglected, and by the fall, his horse and oxen
had to go for necessary expenses. Ellen still kept her cows, but it
was now very little help she received from her husband. He had been
formerly one of the most temperate of men, but now he spent his days
from home; and here lay Ellen's deepest sorrow. He was often at the
village tavern, wasting in senseless riot the time, health and means
that God had given him for other purposes. Ellen felt sad, and in the
next story you will see a painful scene in the life of

* * * * *

LILY FORD.

It was now in the latter part of December--two days more and comes the
season of "Merry Christmas." Ellen thought of the dreary prospect
before her. As she was thinking over her condition, and how she should
manage affairs so as to make home comfortable, the door opened, and in
came Edward earlier than usual, a sober man. With a grateful heart
Ellen set about preparing the supper, and made all the evening as
pleasant as she could for him.

The next morning earlier than usual Edward was preparing to go out.
The weather was bitter cold, and the wood pile was very low. She did
not like to ask Edward to split some wood the evening before, as she
did not wish to vex him. Of late he had harshly refused her simple
requests. She, however, ventured this morning to ask him to split a
few logs, and he replied:

"Why did you not ask me when you saw me doing nothing all last
evening? You must get along the best way you can until night. I have
engaged to work for Squire Davis, and I shall be late unless I go at
once."

"To work! Have you?" said Ellen, in a pleased and grateful tone.

"Yes; so don't detain me. I am to have a dollar and a half a day as
long as I choose to work."

"How very fortunate!" said Ellen.

After he was gone, Ellen busied herself in making things comfortable
for the children. It was market day, and she must carry her heavy
basket to the village for the different families who depended upon her
for their supply of fresh butter and eggs. A year ago she had a neat
little wagon and a good horse to drive. There was something in the
mind of Ellen; what it was she could not tell--a kind of sad
presentiment of something--as she was preparing to go to market. I
shall tell you in the next story what it was. You will see that Ellen
was very kind to her husband and tried every way to make him happy.

* * * * *

THE MARKET DAY.

Mrs. Ford had three little children--Lily, Hetty, and a dear little
babe. As she was now going to market, she told Lily, her oldest
daughter, to take good care of the baby. Lily promised to do so. It
was a very cold day. For a time the children got along very well; but
soon the wood was all burned, not a stick or chip remained; as their
father had gone away in the morning without splitting any, so they
were obliged to do the best they could. The baby began to look as if
it was cold, and Lily said:

"Come, Hetty, we will go out and see if together we cannot roll in one
of those great logs."

Hetty was eleven years old. Lily put the baby in the cradle and then
went out with Hetty to roll in the log. They rolled it up to the step,
and got it part way into the door, but, alas! they could not get it
further. There it stuck in the doorway, and the door was wide open;
the wind and snow beat in from without, and the fire gradually settled
away in its embers.

Something must now be done. Hetty put on her cloak and hood and set
out for her mother; for she told them if anything happened to be sure
and come for her. Hetty soon found her mother at the village store,
and without stopping to warm herself, she said:

"O mother, come home, for little Eddy is sick, and Lily says it is the
croup, and that he is dying. The fire is all out, and the room is full
of snow, because the big log we tried to roll in stuck fast in the
doorway."

Hetty and her mother hastened home; and as they were crossing the
street there was her husband just entering the tavern. She told him
about little Eddy, and he promised to go for a physician and to come
home immediately; and by the time they had gone half way home, Edward,
her husband, joined them.

They hurried along, and as they came near the cottage there stood two
of the cows, and under the shed was the third, the old "spotted cow,"
which Hetty thought was in the pond when she left home. To their
surprise the log was rolled away from the door, and as Mrs. Ford
opened the door with a trembling hand, fearing her baby was dead,
there was a young man sitting by a good fire, which he had made while
Hetty was gone, with little Eddy folded in his arms. The anxious
mother bent over her baby as he lay in the stranger's arms, and
seeing his eyes closed, she whispered:

"Is he dead?"

"He is not, he only sleeps," replied the stranger.

This young man came into the house in time to save the baby from the
cold chills of death. He was ever after a friend to the family--a
means of Edward's reformation, so that with some assistance the
mortgage on the farm was paid off, and the farm re-stocked. This
stranger became the husband of Lily, the eldest daughter.

* * * * *

MELLY, ANNA AND SUSY.

There is nothing more pleasant than to see brothers and sisters,
lovely in their lives, and in all their plays kind and obliging to
each other. Mrs. Jones' three little children were always noted for
their good behaviour by all the people in the village, and the school
teacher said they were the prettiest behaved children she ever saw,
and this was saying much in their praise, for her scholars were noted
for very good behavior and promptness in their recitations.

Mrs. Jones kept her children under a good discipline, but she always
gave them time and opportunities for their pleasant plays. She would
not allow them to associate with vicious children, because "evil
communications corrupt good manners," and she knew her children were
as liable to fall into bad habits as any others. There were a few
vicious boys in the village where she lived who always took delight in
teasing and vexing the other children, and sometimes these boys would
try some method to break up the children's play.

One afternoon, there being no school, Mrs. Jones gave her little
children permission to go into the lower back-room and spend awhile in
play. Away they jumped and skipped along down stairs to the play room,
with merry hearts and smiling faces. They had not been there a long
time before they heard a very singular noise, which they did not know
what to make of. But they soon forgot it, and continued playing with
the same cheerfulness; very soon again they heard the same noise,
which sounded like somebody's voice. The children began to be a little
frightened, and while little Susy stretches her hand out to take hold
of the post, and is in the act of running away. Melly and Anna put
their fingers to their lips, and listened again to know what the noise
could mean. Soon the noise was repeated, and away they flew to heir
mother's arms in such a tremor that she felt at the moment alarmed
herself. They told their mother what had happened, and all that night
the children could not sleep.

It was ascertained the next day that one of the bad boys crept along
in the back part of the yard where the children were playing, and by
an unnatural sound of his voice made the noise that so alarmed the
three little children. Susy, who was the youngest, did not forget it
for some time; and all of them were afraid to go alone into the lower
room for many weeks.

This was very wrong in the bad boy; he might have injured the children
at play so they would never have recovered from it. I have known young
children to be so frightened as never to forget the impression all
their life-time. How much better for the boy to have been like these
good children, and joined with them in their pleasant pastimes. Never
do any thing that will give sorrow and pain to others, but live and
act towards each other while in youth, so as to enable you to review
your life with pleasure, and to meet with the approbation of your
Heavenly Father.

* * * * *

ARTHUR AND HIS APPLE TREE.

One summer day little William was sitting in the garden chair beside
his mother, under the shade of a large cherry tree which stood on the
grass plot in front of the house. He was reading in a little book.
After he had been reading some time, he looked, up to his mother and
said:

"Mother, will you tell me what is the meaning of 'you must return good
for evil?'"

His mother replied: "I will tell you a story that will explain it.

"I knew a little boy," she said, "whose name was Arthur Scott; he
lived with his grandmamma, who loved him very much, and who wished
that he might grow up to be a good man. Little Arthur had a garden of
his own, and in it grew an apple tree, which was then very small, but
to his great joy had upon it two fine rosy-cheeked apples, the first
ones it had produced. Arthur wished to taste of them very much to know
if they were sweet or sour; but he was not a selfish boy, and he says
to his grandmother one morning:

"I think I shall leave my apples on the tree till my birthday, then
papa and mamma and sister Fanny will come and see me, and we will eat
them together."

"'A very good thought," said his grandmother; "and you shall gather
them yourself.'

"It seemed a long time for him to wait; but the birthday came at last,
and in the morning as soon as he was dressed he ran into his garden to
gather his apples; but lo! they were gone. A naughty boy who saw them
hanging on the tree, had climbed over the garden wall and stolen them.

"Arthur felt very sorry about losing his apples, and he began to cry,
but he soon wiped his eyes, and said to his grandmother:

"'It is hard to lose my nice apples, but it was much worse for that
naughty boy to commit so great a sin as to steal them. I am sure God
must be very angry with him; and I will go and kneel down and ask God
to forgive him.'

"So he went and prayed for the boy who had stolen his apples. Now,
William, do you not think that was returning good for evil?"

"O, yes," said William; "and I thank you, mother, for your pretty
story. I now understand what my new book means." Little Arthur grew to
be a man, and always bore a good name.

* * * * *

THE MOTHERLESS BIRDS.

There were two men who were neighbors to each other, living in a
distant country were they had to labor hard for the support of their
families. One of them was greatly troubled to know who would take care
of his children if he should die. But the other man was not so
troubled, and was always very cheerful, saying to his neighbor: "Never
distrust Providence."

One day as the sorrowful man was laboring in the fields, sad and cast
down, he saw some little birds enter a bush, go out and then return
again. He went towards the bush, and saw two nests side by side, and
in both nests some little birds, newly hatched and still without
feathers. He saw the old birds go in a number of times, and they
carried in their bills food to give their little ones.

At one time, as one of the mothers returned with her beak full, a
large vulture seized her and carried her away; and the poor mother,
struggling vainly under its talons, uttered piercing cries. He thought
the little young birds must certainly die, as they had now no mother
to take care of them. He felt so bad about them that he did not sleep
any that night. The next day, on returning to the fields, he said to
himself: "I will see the little ones of this poor mother; some without
doubt have already perished."

He went up to the bush, and saw that the little ones in both nests
were all alive and well. He was very much surprised at this, and he
hid himself behind the bush to see what would happen. After a little
time he heard a crying of the birds, and soon the second mother came
flying into the bush with her beak full of food, and distributed it
all among the little birds in both nests. He now saw that the orphan
birds were as well provided for as when their own mother was living.

In the evening, he related the whole story to his neighbor, and said
to him:

"I will never distress myself again about who will take care of my
children, if I should die before them."

His neighbor replied: "Let us always believe, hope, love, and pursue
our course in peace. If you die before me, I will take cure of your
children, and if I die before you, you will be a father to mine; and
if we are both taken away before our children are able to provide for
themselves, there is a Father in heaven."

* * * * *

STORY ABOUT A ROBBER.

I will tell you a true story about a robber. A gentleman was once
travelling through a very unfrequented road, along in a chaise, in the
latter part of the day. There was no house nor a sign of a human being
there. It was a very lonely road. Presently at a sudden turn in the
road, directly towards his horse's head, a man came out of the woods.
The gentleman was convinced by his appearance that he came for no good
purpose. He immediately stopped his horse, and asked the stranger to
get in and ride. The man hesitated a moment, and then stepped into the
chaise. The gentleman commenced talking with him about the loneliness
of the road, and observed that it would be an admirable place for a
robbery if any one was so disposed. He proceeded to speak of robbery
and criminals, and how he thought they should be sought out and
instructed, and if possible reformed; and that we ought to try to
convert and reform them; and then he began to tell him what course he
should take with a man who should attempt to rob him. He told him that
he should give him all his money first, and then began to talk kindly
to him, and show the evil consequences of his course of life. He then
said:

"Yes, I would die on the spot rather than to injure a hair on his
head."

They soon came to another road, when the man, who had silently
listened to all the gentleman had said, desired to get out, saying
that his home lay in that direction.

The gentleman stopped his horse, and the man got out, took his adviser
by the hand, saying:

"I thank you, sir, for this ride and for all you have said to me; I
shall never forget any part of it. When I met you, it was my intention
to rob you. I could easily have done so, but your kind act and kind
words put better thoughts into my heart. I think I never shall be
guilty of the crime you have saved me from committing this afternoon.
I thank God for having met you; you have made me a better man."

* * * * *

GOOD COMPANIONS.

One day, says a Persian poet, I saw a bunch of roses, and in the midst
of them grew a tuft of grass.

"How," I cried to the grass, "does a poor plant like you dare to be
found in the company of roses?"

And I ran to tear away the tuft, when the grass replied:

"Spare me! It is true, I am not a rose; but you will perceive from my
perfume that I have been among the roses."

This is a very pretty fable for young people. It makes us recollect
one of the proverbs of Solomon: "He that walketh with wise men shall
be wise; but a companion of fools shall be destroyed," Young people
like to have companions, and it is proper that they should have them.

If we had no one to associate with, we should be unhappy. We need
friends that we may confide in, and that we may tell them what we
feel and what we think. But we must take care as to the choice of
friends; for just as the grass in the fable imbibed the scent of the
roses, so we become like those with whom we associate.

* * * * *

BERTIE'S BOX.

A very little boy by the name of "Bertie," kept a box in which he
deposited his little treasures. After he died his mother took the key
and opened it. It was full of all sorts of things. There were
specimens of stones, and shells, and moss, and grass, and dried
flowers. There were, also, curious flies, found dead; but they were
not destroyed by him, as he would never sacrifice a short sunny
existence for self gratification. There were a number of books and
small ornamental toys which had been given him--a drawing slate with
pencils, colored chalks, a small box of colors, some little plates
which he had colored, in his own untaught style--a commenced copy of
the hymn, "I know that my Redeemer liveth" an unfinished letter to his
grandpapa, and some torn leaves which he had found with passages of
scripture upon them--a copy of the "lines on the death of an only
son." Also a number of sketches of missionary stations, chapels and
schools, which he had cut out and colored. His mother once asked him
why he cut them out, saying, that there might be some reading on the
back of the pieces worth saving. "Oh no, mamma," he replied, "I looked
carefully at the backs first." In the box was a purse containing three
shillings.

Such were the treasures which this little lamb had left when he died;
And as you will be pleased to know what was done with the box of
treasures, I will tell you. "The thought struck me," says his mother,
"that after he was gone, I should not know what to do with Bertie's
box of treasures; I therefore asked him what I should do with them."
He replied, "Oh, give half to God and half to the children, and be
sure to divide them fairly." The money in the box was devoted to the
purchase of the Bible--and a collecting box made in the form of a
Bible; for, said he, "when my friends come and give money to the
children, then hold Bertie's box for Bertie's share." This is a good
example for all children. Your little treasures may serve a good
purpose when you die.

* * * * *

THE CHILD AND FLOWER.

The Atheist in his garden stood,
At twilight's pensive hour,
His little daughter by his side,
was gazing on a flower.

"Oh, pick that little blossom, Pa,"
The little prattler said,
"It is the fairest one that blooms
Within that lonely bed."

The father plucked the chosen flower,
And gave it to his child;
With parted lips and sparkling eye,
She seized the gift and smiled.

"O Pa--who made this pretty flower,
This little violet blue;
Who gave it such a fragrant smell,
And such a lovely hue?"

A change came o'er the father's brow,
His eye grew strangely wild,
New thoughts within him had been stirred
By that sweet, artless child.

The truth flashed on the father's mind,
The truth in all its power;
"There is a God, my child," said he,
"Who made that little flower."

* * * * *

ANNE CLEAVELAND.

Anne was the daughter of a wealthy farmer. She had a good New England
school education, and was well bred and well taught at home in the
virtues and manners that constitute domestic social life. Her father
died a year before her marriage. He left a will dividing his property
equally between his son and daughter, giving to the son the homestead
with all its accumulated riches, and to the daughter the largest share
of the personal property amounting to 6 or 7000 dollars. This little
fortune became at Anne's marriage the property of her husband. It
would seem that the property of a woman received from her father
should be her's. But the laws of a barbarous age fixed it otherwise.

Anne married John Warren, who was the youngest child, daintly bred
by his parents. He opened a dry good store in a small town in the
vicinity of B----, where he invested Annie's property. He was a farmer,
and did not think of the qualifications necessary to a successful
merchant. For five or six years he went on tolerably, living _genteelly_
and _recklessly_, expecting that every year's gain would make up the
excess of the past. When sixteen years of their married life had passed,
they were living in a single room in the crowded street of R----.
Every penny of the inheritance was gone--three children had died--three
survived; a girl of fifteen years, whom the mother was educating to be
a teacher--a boy of twelve who was living at home, and Jessy, a pale,
delicate, little struggler for life, three years old.

Mrs. W---- was much changed in these sixteen years. Her round blooming
cheek was pale and sunken, her dark chestnut hair had become thin and
gray, her bright eyes, over-tasked by use and watching, were faded,
and her whole person shrunken. Yet she had gained a great victory.
Yes, it was a precious pearl. And you will wish to know what it was.
It was a gentle submission and resignation--a patience under all her
afflictions. But learn a lesson. Take care to whom you give your hand
in marriage.

* * * * *

THE ORPHANS' VOYAGE.

Two little orphan boys, whose parents died in a foreign land, were put
on board a vessel to be taken home to their relatives and friends. On
a bitter cold night, when the north-east winds sang through the
shrouds of the vessel, the little boys were crouched on the deck
behind a bale of goods, to sleep for the night. The eldest boy wrapt
around his younger brother his little cloak, to shield him from the
surf and sleet, and then drew him close to his side and said to him,
"the night will not be long, and as the wind blows we shall the sooner
reach our home and see the peet fire glow." So he tried to cheer his
little brother, and told him to go to sleep and forget the cold night
and think about the morning that would come. They both soon sank to
sleep on the cold deck, huddled close to each other, and locked close
in each other's arms. The steerage passengers were all down below,
snugly stowed away in their warm berths, and forgot all about the cold
wind and the frost. When the morning came the land appeared, and the
passengers began to pace the deck, and as the vessel moved along they
tried some well known spot to trace.

Only the orphans did not stir,
Of all this bustling train;
They reached _their home_ this very night,
They will not stir again!
The winter's breath proved kind to them,
And ended all their pain.

But in their deep and freezing sleep,
Clasped rigid to each other,
In dreams they cried, "the bright morn breaks,
Home! home! is hear, my brother;
The angel death has been our friend,
We come! dear father, mother!"

* * * * *

LOOK UP.

A little boy went to sea with his father to learn to be a sailor. One
day his father said to him, "Come, my boy, you will never be a sailor
if you don't learn to climb."

The boy was very ambitious, and soon scrambled up to top of the
rigging; but when he saw at what a height he was he began to be
frightened, and called out, "Oh father, I shall fall, what shall I
do?"

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