The Project Gutenberg EBook of Story Lessons of Character Building
(Morals) and Manners, by Loïs Bates
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Title: Story Lessons of Character Building (Morals) and Manners
Author: Loïs Bates
Release Date: November 3, 2010 [EBook #34200]
Language: English
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STORY LESSONS
ON
CHARACTER-BUILDING (MORALS)
AND
MANNERS.
STORY LESSONS ON CHARACTER-BUILDING (MORALS) AND MANNERS
BY LOÏS BATES
AUTHOR OF "KINDERGARTEN GUIDE," "NEW RECITATIONS FOR INFANTS,"
"GAMES WITHOUT MUSIC," ETC.
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.
39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON
NEW YORK AND BOMBAY
1900
PREFACE.
ALTHOUGH it is admitted by all teachers, in theory at least, that morals
and manners are essential subjects in the curriculum of life, how very
few give them an appointed place in the school routine. Every other
subject has its special time allotted, but these--the most important
subjects--are left to chance, or taken up, haphazard, at any time;
surely this is wrong.
Incidents often occur in the school or home life which afford fitting
opportunity for the inculcation of some special moral truth, but maybe
the teacher or mother has no suitable illustration just at hand, and the
occasion is passed over with a reproof. It is hoped that where such want
is felt this little book may supply the need.
The stories may be either told or read to the children, and are as
suitable for the home as the school. "The Fairy Temple" should be read
as an introduction to the Story Lessons, for the _teaching_ of the
latter is based on this introductory fairy tale. If used at home the
blackboard sketch may be written on a slate or slip of paper. The
children will not weary if the stories are repeated again and again
(this at least was the writer's experience), and they will be eager to
pronounce what is the teaching of the tale. In this way the lessons are
reiterated and enforced. The method is one which the writer found
exceedingly effective during long years of experience. Picture-teaching
is an ideal way of conveying truths to children, and these little
stories are intended to be pictures in which the children may see and
contrast the good with the bad, and learn to love the good. The faults
of young children are almost invariably due either to thoughtlessness or
want of knowledge, and the little ones are delighted to learn and put
into practice the lessons taught in these stories, which teaching should
be applied in the class or home as occasion arises. _E.g._, a child is
passing in front of another without any apology, the teacher says,
immediately: "Remember Minnie, you do not wish to be rude, like she was"
(Story Lesson 111). Or if a child omits to say "Thank you," he may be
reminded by asking: "Have you forgotten 'Alec and the Fairies'?" (Story
Lesson 95). The story lessons should be read to the children until they
become perfectly familiar with them, so that each may be applied in the
manner indicated.
CONTENTS.
1.--MORALS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. INTRODUCTORY STORY--
1. The Fairy Temple 1
II. OBEDIENCE--
2. The Two Voices 4
3. (Why we Should Obey.) The Pilot 6
4. (Why we Should Obey.) The Dog that did not
like to be Washed 7
5. (Ready Obedience.) Robert and the Marbles 9
6. (Unready, Sulky Obedience.) Jimmy and the
Overcoat 9
III. LOYALTY--
7. Rowland and the Apple Tart 10
IV. TRUTHFULNESS--
8. (Direct Untruth.) Lucy and the Jug of Milk 12
9. (Untruth, by not Speaking.) Mabel and Fritz 13
10. (Untruth, by not Telling _All_.) A Game of
Cricket 14
11. (Untruth, by "Stretching"--Exaggeration.)
The Three Feathers 16
V. HONESTY--
12. Lulu and the Pretty Coloured Wool 17
13. (Taking Little Things.) Carl and the Lump
of Sugar 19
14. (Taking Little Things.) Lilie and the Scent 19
15. Copying 20
16. On Finding Things 22
VI. KINDNESS--
17. Squeaking Wheels 23
18. Birds and Trees 24
19. Flowers and Bees 25
20. Lulu and the Bundle 26
VII. THOUGHTFULNESS--
21. Baby Elsie and the Stool 27
22. The Thoughtful Soldier 28
VIII. HELP ONE ANOTHER--
23. The Cat and the Parrot 29
24. The Two Monkeys 30
25. The Wounded Bird 31
IX. ON BEING BRAVE--
26. (Brave in Danger.) How Leonard Saved his
Little Brother 32
27. (Brave in Little Things.) The Twins 33
28. (Brave in Suffering.) The Broken Arm 34
29. (Brave in Suffering.) The Brave Monkey 35
X. TRY, TRY AGAIN--
30. The Sparrow that would not be Beaten 35
31. The Railway Train 36
32. The Man who Found America 37
XI. PATIENCE--
33. Walter and the Spoilt Page 38
34. The Drawings Eaten by the Rats 39
XII. ON GIVING IN--
35. Playing at Shop 40
36. The Two Goats 41
XIII. ON BEING GENEROUS--
37. Lilie and the Beggar Girl 41
38. Bertie and the Porridge 42
XIV. FORGIVENESS--
39. The Two Dogs 43
XV. GOOD FOR EVIL--
40. The Blotted Copy-book 43
XVI. GENTLENESS--
41. The Horse and the Child 45
42. The Overturned Fruit Stall 46
XVII. ON BEING GRATEFUL--
43. Rose and her Birthday Present 47
44. The Boy who _was_ Grateful 47
XVIII. SELF-HELP--
45. The Crow and the Pitcher 48
XIX. CONTENT--
46. Harold and the Blind Man 49
XX. TIDINESS--
47. The Slovenly Boy 50
48. Pussy and the Knitting 51
49. The Packing of the Trunks 53
XXI. MODESTY--
50. The Violet 54
51. Modesty in Dress 55
XXII. ON GIVING PLEASURE TO OTHERS--
52. "Selfless" and "Thoughtful". A Fairy Tale 56
53. The Bunch of Roses 56
54. Edwin and the Birthday Party 57
55. Davie's Christmas Present 59
XXIII. CLEANLINESS--
56. Why we Should be Clean 61
57. Little Creatures who like to be Clean 62
58. The Boy who did not like to be Washed 63
59. The Nails and the Teeth 64
XXIV. PURE LANGUAGE--
60. Toads and Diamonds. A Fairy Tale 66
XXV. PUNCTUALITY--
61. Lewis and the School Picnic 67
XXVI. ALL WORK HONOURABLE--
62. The Chimney-sweep 69
XXVII. BAD COMPANIONS--
63. Playing with Pitch 70
64. Stealing Strawberries 71
XXVIII. ON FORGETTING--
65. Maggie's Birthday Present 73
66. The Promised Drive 74
67. The Boy who Remembered 75
XXIX. KINDNESS TO ANIMALS--
68. Lulu and the Sparrow 76
69. Why we Should be Kind to Animals 77
70. The Butterfly 78
71. The Kind-hearted Dog 78
XXX. BAD TEMPER--
72. How Paul was Cured 79
73. The Young Horse 80
XXXI. SELFISHNESS--
74. The Child on the Coach 82
75. Edna and the Cherries 82
76. The Boy who liked always to Win 83
77. The two Boxes of Chocolate 84
78. Eva 85
XXXII. CARELESSNESS--
79. The Misfortunes of Elinor 86
XXXIII. ON BEING OBSTINATE--
80. How Daisy's Holiday was Spoilt 87
XXXIV. GREEDINESS--
81. Stephen and the Buns 89
XXXV. BOASTING--
82. The Stag and his Horns 90
XXXVI. WASTEFULNESS--
83. The Little Girl who was Lost 91
XXXVII. LAZINESS--
84. The Sluggard 91
XXXVIII. ON BEING ASHAMED--
85. The Elephant that Stole the Cakes 92
XXXIX. EARS AND NO EARS--
86. Heedless Albert 94
87. Olive and Gertie 95
XL. EYES AND NO EYES--
88. The Two Brothers 97
89. Ruby and the Wall 98
XLI. LOVE OF THE BEAUTIFUL--
90. The Daisy 99
XLII. ON DESTROYING THINGS--
91. Beauty and Goodness 100
XLIII. ON TURNING BACK WHEN WRONG--
92. The Lost Path 101
XLIV. ONE BAD "STONE" MAY SPOIL THE "TEMPLE"--
93. Intemperance 103
2.--MANNERS.
XLV. PRELIMINARY STORY LESSON--
94. The Watch and its Springs 104
XLVI. ON SAYING "PLEASE" AND "THANK YOU"--
95. Fairy Tale of Alec and his Toys 105
XLVII. ON BEING RESPECTFUL--
96. Story Lesson 108
XLVIII. PUTTING FEET UP--
97. Alice and the Pink Frock 109
XLIX. BANGING DOORS--
98. How Maurice came Home from School 110
99. Lulu and the Glass Door 111
L. PUSHING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE--
100. The Big Boy and the Little Lady 112
LI. KEEPING TO THE RIGHT--
101. Story Lesson 113
LII. CLUMSY PEOPLE--
102. Story Lesson 114
LIII. TURNING ROUND WHEN WALKING--
103. The Girl and her Eggs 115
LIV. ON STARING--
104. Ruth and the Window 116
LV. WALKING SOFTLY--
105. Florence Nightingale 117
LVI. ANSWERING WHEN SPOKEN TO--
106. The Civil Boy 118
LVII. ON SPEAKING LOUDLY--
107. The Woman who Shouted 119
LVIII. ON SPEAKING WHEN OTHERS ARE SPEAKING--
108. Margery and the Picnic 120
LIX. LOOK AT PEOPLE WHEN SPEAKING TO THEM--
109. Fred and his Master 122
LX. ON TALKING TOO MUCH--
110. Story Lesson 122
LXI. GOING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE--
111. Minnie and the Book 124
112. The Man and his Luggage 124
LXII. WHEN TO SAY "I BEG YOUR PARDON"--
113. Story Lesson 125
114. The Lady and the Poor Boy 126
LXIII. RAISING CAP--
115. Story Lesson 126
LXIV. ON OFFERING SEAT TO LADY--
116. Story Lesson 127
LXV. ON SHAKING HANDS--
117. Reggie and the Visitors 129
LXVI. KNOCKING BEFORE ENTERING A ROOM--
118. The Boy who Forgot 130
LXVII. HANGING HATS UP, ETC.--
119. Careless Percy 130
LXVIII. HOW TO OFFER SWEETS, ETC.--
120. How Baby did it 132
LXIX. YAWNING, COUGHING AND SNEEZING--
121. Story Lesson 132
LXX. HOW A SLATE SHOULD NOT BE CLEANED--
122. Story Lesson 133
LXXI. THE POCKET-HANDKERCHIEF--
123. Story Lesson 135
LXXII. HOW TO BEHAVE AT TABLE--
124. (On Sitting Still at Table.) Phil's Disaster 136
125. (On Sitting Still at Table.) Fidgety Katie 136
126. (Thinking of Others at Table.) The Helpful
Little Girl 137
127. (Upsetting Things at Table.) Leslie and the
Christmas Dinner 138
128. Cherry Stones 138
LXXIII. ON EATING AND DRINKING--
129. Rhymes 140
130. Rhymes 141
LXXIV. FINALE--
131. How another Queen Builded 142
LIST OF SUBJECTS ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED.
1.--MORAL SUBJECTS.
PAGE
All Work Honourable 69
Ashamed, On being 92
Bad Companions 70
Boasting 90
Brave, On being 32
Carelessness 86
Cleanliness 61
Content 49
Copying 20
Destroying Things, On 100
Ears and no Ears 94
Exaggeration 16
Eyes and no Eyes 97
Fairy Temple 1
Finding Things 22
Forgetting 73
Forgiveness 43
Generous, On being 41
Gentleness 45
Giving In, On 40
Giving Pleasure to Others, On 56
Good for Evil 43
Grateful, On being 47
Greediness 89
Help one Another 29
Honesty 17
How another Queen Builded 142
Intemperance 103
Introductory Story 1
Kindness 23
Kindness to Animals 76
Laziness 91
Love of the Beautiful 99
Loyalty 10
Modesty 54
Nails, The 64
Obedience 4
Obstinate, On being 87
Patience 38
Punctuality 67
Pure Language 66
Self-Help 48
Selfishness 82
Teeth, The 65
Thoughtfulness 27
Tidiness 50
Truthfulness 12
Try, Try Again 35
Turning Back when Wrong 101
Wastefulness 91
2.--MANNERS.
Answering when Spoken To 118
Banging Doors 110
Cherry Stones (see "How to Behave at Table") 138
Clumsy People 114
Coughing 132
Eating and Drinking, On 140
Excuse Me, Please (see "Going in Front of People") 124
Going in Front of People 124
Hanging Hats Up, etc. 130
How to Behave at Table 136
"I Beg Your Pardon," When to say 125
Keeping to the Right 113
Knocking Before Entering a Room 130
Look at People when Speaking to Them 122
Manners 104
Offering Seat to Lady 127
Offer Sweets, How to 132
"Please," On Saying 105
Pocket-handkerchief, The 135
Preliminary Story Lesson 104
Pushing in Front of People 112
Putting Feet Up 109
Raising Cap 126
Respectful, On being 108
Shaking Hands, On 129
Sitting Still at Table, On 136
Sneezing 132
Speaking Loudly, On 119
Speaking when Others are Speaking, On 120
Spitting (see "How a Slate Should Not be Cleaned") 133
Staring, On 116
Talking Too Much, On 122
"Thank You," On Saying 105
Thinking of Others at Table 137
Turning Round when Walking 115
Upsetting Things at Table (see "Leslie and the
Christmas Dinner") 138
Walking Softly 117
Yawning 132
1.--MORAL SUBJECTS.
I. INTRODUCTORY STORY.
1. The Fairy Temple.
(The following story should be read to the
children =first=, as it forms a kind of groundwork
for the Story Lessons which follow.)
It was night--a glorious, moonlight night, and in the shade of the leafy
woods the Queen of the fairies was calling her little people together by
the sweet tones of a tinkling, silver bell. When they were all gathered
round, she said: "My dear children, I am going to do a great work, and I
want you all to help me". At this the fairies spread their wings and
bowed, for they were always ready to do the bidding of their Queen. They
were all dressed in lovely colours, of a gauzy substance, finer than any
silk that ever was seen, and their names were called after the colours
they wore. The Queen's robe was of purple and gold, and glittered
grandly in the moonlight.
"I have determined," said the Queen, "to build a Temple of precious
stones, and =your= work will be to bring me the material." "Rosy-wings,"
she continued, turning to a little fairy clad in delicate pink, and fair
as a rose, "you shall bring rubies." "Grass-green," to a fairy dressed
in green, "your work is to find emeralds; and Shiny-wings, you will go
to the mermaids and ask them to give you pearls."
Now there stood near the Queen six tiny, fairy sisters, whose robes were
whiter and purer than any. The sisters were all called by the same
name--"Crystal-clear," and they waited to hear what their work was to
be.
"Sisters Crystal-clear," said the Queen, "you shall all of you bring
diamonds; we shall need so many diamonds."
There was another fairy standing there, whose robe seemed to change into
many colours as it shimmered in the moonlight, just as you have seen the
sky change colour at sunset, and to her the Queen said, "Rainbow-robe,
go and find the opal".
Then there were three other fairy sisters called "Gold-wings," who were
always trying to help the other fairies, and to do good to everybody,
and the Queen told them to bring fine gold to fasten the precious stones
together.
These are not =all= the fairies who were there; some others wore blue,
some yellow, and the Queen gave them all their work. Then she rang a
tiny, silver bell, and they all spread their wings and bowed before they
flew away to do her bidding.
After many days the fairies came together to bring their precious
treasures to the Queen. How they carried them I scarcely know, but there
was a little girl, many years ago, who often paused at the window of a
jeweller's shop to gaze at a tiny, silver boy, with silver wings,
wheeling a silver wheel-barrow full of rings, and the little girl
thought that perhaps the fairies carried things in the same way. Anyhow,
they all came to the Queen bringing their burdens, and she soon set to
work on the Temple.
"The foundations must be laid with diamonds," said the Queen. "Where are
the six sisters? Ah! here they come with the lovely, shining diamonds,
which are like themselves, 'clear as crystal'. Now little Gold-wings,
bring =your= treasure," and the three little sisters brought the finest
of gold. So the work went merrily on, and the fairies danced in glee as
they saw the glittering Temple growing under the clever hands of the
Queen. She made the doors of pearls and the windows of rubies, and the
roof she said should be of opal, because it would show many colours when
the light played upon it.
At last the lovely building was finished, and after the fairies had
danced joyfully round it in a ring again and again, until they could
dance no longer, they gathered in a group round the dear Queen, and
thanked her for having made so beautiful a Temple.
"It is quite the loveliest thing in the world, I am sure," said
Rosy-wings.
"Not quite," replied the Queen, "mortals have it in their power to make
a lovelier Temple than ours."
"Who are 'mortals'?" asked Shiny-wings.
"Boys and girls are mortals," said the Queen, "and grown-up people
also."
"I have never seen mortals build anything half so pretty as our Temple,"
said Grass-green; "their houses are made of stone and brick."
"Ah! Grass-green," answered the Queen, smiling, "you have never seen the
Temple I am speaking of, but it =is= better than ours, for it
lasts--lasts for ever. Wind and rain, frost and snow, will spoil our
Temple in time; but the Temple of the mortals lives on, and is never
destroyed."
"Do tell us about it, dear Queen," said all the fairies; "we will try to
understand."
"It is called by rather a long word," said the Queen, "its name is
'character'; =that= is what the mortals build, and the stones they use
are more precious than our stones. I will tell you the names of some of
them. First there is =Truth=, clear and bright like the diamonds; that
must be the foundation; no good character can be made without Truth."
Then the sisters Crystal-clear smiled at each other and said, "We
brought diamonds for truth".
"There are =Honesty=, =Obedience=, and many others," continued the
Queen, "and =Kindness=, which is like the pure gold that was brought by
Gold-wings, and makes a lovely setting for all the other stones."
The little fairies were glad to hear all this about the Temple which the
mortals build, and Gold-wings said that she would like above everything
to be able to help boys and girls to make their Temple beautiful, and
the other fairies said the same; so the Queen said they all might try to
help them, for each boy and girl =must= build a Temple, and the name of
that Temple is Character.
II. OBEDIENCE.
2. The Two Voices.
There was once a little boy who said that whenever he was going to do
anything wrong he heard two voices speaking to him. Do you know what he
meant? Perhaps this story will help you.
The boy's name was Cecil. Cecil's father had a very beautiful and rare
canary, which had been brought far over the sea as a present to him.
Cecil often helped to feed the canary and give it fresh water, and
sometimes his father would allow him to open the door of the cage, and
the bird would come out and perch on his hand, which delighted Cecil
very much, but he was not allowed to open the door of the cage unless
his father was with him.
One day, however, Cecil came to the cage alone, and while he watched the
canary, a little voice said, "Open the door and take him out; father
will never know". That was a =wrong= voice, and Cecil tried not to
listen. It would have been better if he had gone away from the cage, but
he did not; and the voice came again, "Open the door and let him out".
And another little voice said, "No, don't; your father said you must
not". But Cecil listened to the =wrong= voice; he opened the door
gently, and out flew the pretty bird. First it perched on his finger,
then it flew about the room, and then--Cecil had not noticed that the
window was open--then, before he knew, out of the window flew the
canary, and poor Cecil burst into tears. "Oh! if I had listened to the
=good= voice, the =right= voice, and not opened the door! Father will be
so angry." Then the =bad= voice came again and said, "Don't tell your
father; say you know nothing about it ". But Cecil did not listen this
time; he was too brave a boy to tell his father a lie, and he determined
to tell the truth and be punished, if necessary.
Of course his father was very sorry to lose his beautiful canary, and
more sorry still that his little son had been disobedient, but he was
glad that Cecil told him the truth.
Now do you know the two things that the =wrong= voice told Cecil to do?
It told him (1) Not to obey; (2) Not to tell the truth. I think we have
all heard those two voices, not with our ears, but =within= us. Let us
always listen to the =good= voice--the =right= voice.
(Blackboard Sketch.)
Two voices:--
1st. Good, says, "Obey," "Speak the truth".
2nd. Bad, says, "Disobey," "Tell untruth".
(WHY WE SHOULD OBEY.)
3. The Pilot.
You know that the country in which you live is an island? That means
there is water all round it, and that water is the sea.
England and Scotland are joined together in one large island; and if you
want to go to any other country, you must sail in a ship. A great many
ships come to England, bringing us tea, coffee, sugar, oranges and many
other things, and the towns they come to are called =ports=. London is a
port, so is Liverpool; and in the North of England is another port
called Hull. To get to Hull from the sea we have to sail up a wide river
called the Humber for more than twenty miles. This river has a great
many sandbanks in it, and there are men called =pilots= who know just
where these sandbanks lie, and they are the ones who can guide the ships
safely into port.
One day there was a captain who brought his ship into the river, and
said to himself, "I do not want the pilot on board, I can guide the ship
myself". So he did not hoist the "union jack" on the foremast head,
which means "Pilot come on board"; and the pilot did not come.
For a little time the good ship sailed along all right, but presently
they found that she was not moving at all. What had happened? The ship
was stuck fast on a sandbank, and the foolish captain wished now that he
had taken the pilot on board. First he had to go out in the little boat
and fetch a "tug-boat" to pull the ship off the sandbank, and then he
was glad enough to have the pilot on board, and to let him guide the
ship just as he liked. Why could not the captain guide the ship? Because
he did not know the way.
Have you ever known children who did not like to do as they were told?
who thought that =they= knew best--better than father or mother? They
are like the foolish captain, who tried to guide his ship when he did
not know the way. Fathers and mothers are like the pilot, who knew which
was the best way to take; and wise children are willing to be guided,
for =they= do not know the way any more than the captain did.
(Blackboard.)
=Why= do we obey?
Because we do not Know the Way.
The story and its teaching may be further
impressed on the minds of the children by a sand
lesson:--
Place a blackboard or large piece of oil-cloth on
the floor, and make an "island" in sand, and in
the "island" form a large "estuary," with little
heaps of sand dotted about in it, to represent
sandbanks. The sailors cannot =see= the sandbanks,
for they are all covered with water in the =real=
river, so we will take a duster and spread it over
these sandbanks. Now, take a tiny boat and ask one
of the children to sail it up the river, keeping
clear of the sandbanks. The children will soon see
that it cannot be done, and the "blackboard"
lesson may be again enforced.
(WHY WE SHOULD OBEY.)
4. The Dog that did not like to be Washed.[1]
A lady once had a dog of which she was very fond. The dog was fond of
his mistress also, and loved to romp by her side when she was out
walking, or to lie at her feet as she sat at work. But the dog had one
serious fault--he did not like to be washed, and he was so savage when
he =was= put into the bath, that at last none of the servants dare do
it.
The lady decided that she would not take any more notice of the dog
until he was willing to have his bath quietly, so she did not take him
out with her for walks, nor allow him to come near her in the house.
There were no pattings, no caresses, no romps, and he began to look
quite wretched and miserable. You see the dog did not like his mistress
to be vexed with him, and he felt very unhappy--so unhappy that at last
he could bear it no longer.
Then one morning he crept quietly up to the lady and gave her a look
which she knew quite well meant, "I cannot bear this any longer; I will
be good".
So he was put in the bath, and though he had to be scrubbed very
hard--for by this time he was unusually dirty--he stood still quite
patiently, and when it was all over, he bounded to his mistress with a
joyous bark and a wag of the tail, as much as to say, "It is all right
now".
After this he was allowed to go for walks as usual, and was once more a
happy dog, and he never objected to his bath afterwards.
The dog could not bear to grieve his mistress; and how much more should
children be sorry to grieve kind father and mother, who do so much for
them.
(Blackboard.)
=Why= we obey:--
1. Because the "Good Voice" tells us.
2. Because we do not Know the Way.
3. Because it gives Pleasure to Father and Mother.
(READY OBEDIENCE.[2])
5. Robert and the Marbles.
A little boy named Robert was having a game at marbles with a number of
other boys, and it had just come his turn to play. He meant to win, and
was carefully aiming the marble, when he heard his mother's voice
calling, "Robert, I want you". Quick as thought the marbles were dropped
into his pocket, and off he ran to see what mother wanted.
(Blackboard.)
Robert Obeyed Readily, Cheerfully, Quickly.
(UNREADY, SULKY OBEDIENCE.)
6. Jimmy and the Overcoat.
I was in a house one day where a boy was getting ready to go to school.
His bag was slung over his shoulder, and he was just reaching his cap
from the peg, when his mother said, "Put on your overcoat, Jimmy; it is
rather cold this morning". Oh, what a fuss there was! How he argued with
his mother, "It was not cold; he hated overcoats. Could he not take it
over his arm, or put it on in the afternoon?" Many more objections he
made, and when at last he =had= put it on, he went out grumbling, and
slammed the door after him.
Can you guess how his mother felt? "Unhappy," you will say. And do you
think it is right, dear children, to make mother unhappy? I am sure you
do not.
Little child with eyes so blue,
What has mother done for you?
Taught your little feet to stand,
Led you gently by the hand,
And in thousand untold ways
Guarded you through infant days:
Do not think that =you= know best,
Just obey, and leave the rest.
You see Jimmy thought that he knew better than his mother, but he did
not. Children need to be guided like the boat in the Humber (Story
Lesson 3), for they are not very wise; and when we obey, we are building
up our Temple with beautiful stones.
(Blackboard.)
=Two= kinds of Obedience:--
1. Ready, Cheerful-Robert.
2. Unready, Sulky-Jimmy.
Which do you like best?
FOOTNOTES:
[1] _Animal Intelligence_, Romanes.
[2] Games Nos. 16 and 20 in "Games Without Music" illustrate above Story
Lesson.
III. LOYALTY.
7. Rowland and the Apple Tart.
Perhaps you have never heard the word Loyalty before, and maybe Rowland
had not either, but he knew what it meant, and tried to practise it.
Rowland was not a very strong little boy, and he could not eat so many
different kinds of food as some children can, for some of them made him
sick. Among other things he was forbidden to take pastry. His mother,
who loved him very dearly, had one day said to him, "Rowland, my boy, I
cannot always be with you, but I trust you to do what I wish," and
Rowland said he would try always to remember.
One time he was invited to go and stay with his cousins, who lived in a
fine old house in the country. They were strong, healthy, rosy children,
quite a contrast to their delicate little cousin, and perhaps they were
a little rough and rude as well.
There was a large apple tart for dinner one day, and when Rowland said,
"I do not wish for any, Auntie, thank you," his cousins looked at him in
surprise, and the eldest said scornfully, "I am glad that =I= am not
delicate," and the next boy remarked, "What a fad!" while the third
muttered "Baby". This was all very hard to bear, and when his Aunt said,
"I am sure a little will not hurt you," Rowland felt very much inclined
to give in, but he remembered that his mother trusted him, and he
remained true to her wishes.
This is Loyalty, doing what is right even when there is no one there to
see.
(Blackboard.)
Be True or Loyal when no eyes are upon you.
IV. TRUTHFULNESS.
(DIRECT UNTRUTH.)
8. Lucy and the Jug of Milk.
"Lucy," said her mother, "just run to the dairy and fetch a pint of milk
for me, here is the money; and do remember, child, to look where you are
going, so that you do not stumble and drop the jug." I am afraid Lucy
was a little like another girl you will hear of (Story Lesson 103); she
was too fond of staring about, and perhaps rather careless.
However, she went to the dairy and bought the milk, and had returned
half-way home without any mishap, when she met a flock of sheep coming
down the road, followed by a large sheep-dog. Lucy stood on the pavement
to watch them pass; it was such fun to see the sheep-dog scamper from
one side to the other, and the timid sheep spring forward as soon as the
dog came near them. So far the milk was safe; but, after the sheep had
passed, Lucy thought she would just turn round to have one more peep at
them, and oh, dear, her foot tripped against a stone, and down she fell,
milk, and jug, and all, and the jug was smashed to pieces.
Lucy was in great trouble, and as she stood there and looked at the
broken jug, and the milk trickling down the gutter, she cried bitterly.
A big boy who was passing by at the time, and had seen the accident,
came across the road and said to her: "Don't cry, little girl, just run
home and tell your mother that the sheep-dog bounced up against you and
knocked the jug out of your hand; then you will not be punished".
Lucy dried her eyes quickly, and gazed at the boy in astonishment. "Tell
my mother a =lie=!" said she; "=no=, I would rather be punished a dozen
times than do so. I shall tell her the truth," and she walked away home.
Lucy was careless, but she was not untruthful; surely the boy must have
felt ashamed!
You remember the Fairy Queen said that =Truth= was the foundation of our
beautiful Temple (Story Lesson 1), and the building will all tumble down
in ruins if we do not have a strong foundation, so we must be brave to
bear punishment (as Lucy was) if we deserve it, and be sure to
(Blackboard)
Tell the Truth Whatever it Costs.
(UNTRUTH, BY NOT SPEAKING.)
9. Mabel and Fritz.
This is a story of a dear little curly-headed girl called Mabel, whom
everybody loved. She was so bright, and happy, and good-tempered, one
could not help loving her, and when you looked into her clear, blue
eyes, you could see that she was a frank, truthful child, who had
nothing to hide, for she tried to listen to the Good Voice, and do what
was right.
One day Mabel was having a romp with her little dog, Fritz, in the
kitchen. Up and down she chased him, and away he went, jumping over the
chairs, hiding under the dresser, always followed by Mabel, until at
last he leaped on the table, and in trying to make him come down, Mabel
and the dog together overturned a tray full of clean, starched linen
that was on the table. Mabel had been giving Fritz some water to drink
a little before this, and in doing so had spilt a good deal on the
floor, so the clean cuffs and collars rolled over in the wet, and were
quite spoiled.
Mabel's mother happened to come in just when the tray fell with a bang,
and as the dog jumped down from the table at the same moment she thought
he had done it, and Mabel did not tell that she was in fault, so poor
Fritz was chained up in his kennel, and kept without dinner as a
punishment.
Mabel felt sad about it all the rest of the day, and when she was put to
bed at night, and mamma had left her, she did not go to sleep as usual,
but tossed about on the pillow, until her little curly head was quite
hot and tired. Then she began to cry. Mabel was listening to the Good
Voice now, and it said, "Oh, Mabel, =you= helped Fritz to overturn the
tray, and =he= got all the blame, how mean of you!" Mabel sobbed louder
when she thought of herself as being mean, and her mother hearing the
noise came to see what was the matter. Then Mabel confessed all, and her
mother said, "Perhaps my little girl did not know that we could be
untruthful =by not speaking at all=, but you see it is quite possible".
I do not think Mabel ever forgot the lesson which she learnt that
(Blackboard)
There can be Untruth without Words.
(UNTRUTH, BY NOT TELLING ALL.)
10. A Game of Cricket.
Two boys were playing at bat and ball in a field. There was a high hedge
on one side of the field, and on the other side of the hedge was a
market garden, where things are grown to be afterwards sold in the
market. The boys had been playing some time, when the "batter," giving
the ball a very hard blow, sent it over the hedge, and =both= the boys
heard a loud crash as of breaking glass. They picked up the wickets
quickly, and carried them, with the bat, to a hut that stood in the
field, and were hurrying away when the gardener came and stopped them,
asking, "Have you sent a cricket-ball over the hedge into my cucumber
frame?" The boy who had struck the ball answered, "I did not see a ball
go into your frame," and the other boy said, "Neither did I".
They did not =see= the ball break the glass, but they both =knew= that
it had crashed into the frame, and though the words they spoke might be
true, the lie was there all the same.
Supposing the sisters "Crystal-clear" had brought to the Fairy Queen a
diamond that was only good on one side, do you think she would have put
it in the Temple? No, indeed, she would have said it was only =half=
true; and so we must put away anything that =looks= like truth, but is
not truth. How wrong it is to make believe we have not done a thing,
when all the time we have.
Dear children, be true all through! Have you ever seen a glass jar of
pure honey, no bits of wax floating in it, all clear and pure? Let your
heart be like that, =sincere=, which means "without wax, clear and
pure".
(Blackboard.)
A Half-truth is as Hateful as a Lie.
(UNTRUTH, BY "STRETCHING"--EXAGGERATION.)
11. The Three Feathers.
One day three little girls were talking about hats and feathers.
The first girl said: "I have such a long feather in my best hat; it goes
all down one side".
Then the next girl said: "Oh! =my= feather is longer than that, for it
goes all round the hat"; and the third girl said: "Ah! but =my= feather
is longer than either of yours, for it goes round the hat and hangs down
behind as well".
On the next Sunday each of these little girls went walking in the park
with her parents, wearing her best hat with the wonderful feather; it
never occurred to =one= of them that she might meet the other two, but
that is just what happened, and the three "long" feathers proved to be
nothing but three =short=, little feathers, one in each hat! Can you
guess how =ashamed= each girl felt?
You have seen a piece of elastic stretched out. How =long= you can make
it, and how =short= it goes when you leave off stretching! Each girl
wanted to be better than the other, and to =appear= so, each "stretched"
the story of her feather, just as the length of elastic was stretched,
forgetting that
(Blackboard)
When we "Stretch" a Story, we do not Speak the Truth.
V. HONESTY.
12. Lulu and the Pretty Coloured Wool.
The little children who went to school long years ago did not have
pretty things to play with as you have--no kindergarten balls with
bright colours, nor nice bricks with which to build houses and churches!
There was a little girl named Lulu who went to a dame's school in those
far-off days, and most of the time she had to sit knitting a long, grey
stocking, though she was only six years old.
Some of the older girls were sewing on canvas with pretty coloured
wools, and making (what appeared to little Lulu) most beautiful
pictures. How she longed for a length of the pink or blue wool to have
for her very own!
The school was in a room upstairs, and at the head of the stair there
was a window, with a deep window-sill in front of it. As Lulu came out
of the schoolroom one day to take a message for the teacher, and turned
to close the door after her, she saw (oh, lovely sight!) that the
window-sill was piled up with bundles of the pretty coloured wool that
she liked so much. Oh! how she wished for a little of it! And, see,
there is some rose-pink wool on the top, cut into lengths ready for the
girls to sew with! It is too much for poor little Lulu; she draws out
one! two! three lengths of the wool, folds it up hastily, puts it in her
pocket, and runs down the stair on the errand she has been sent.
But is she happy? Oh, no! for a little Voice says: "Lulu, you are
stealing; the wool is not yours!" For a few minutes the wool rests in
her pocket, and then she runs back up the stair; the schoolroom door is
still closed as Lulu draws the wool from her pocket, and gently puts it
back on the window-sill. Then she takes the message and returns to her
place in the schoolroom, and to the knitting of her long stocking, hot
and ashamed at the thought of what she has done, but glad in her heart
that she listened to the Good Voice, and did not keep the wool.
Had any one seen her? Did any one know about it? Yes, there were loving
Eyes watching little Lulu, and the One who looked down was very glad
when she listened to the Good Voice. Do you know who it was?
God our Father sees us all,
Boys and girls, and children small;
When we listen to His voice,
Angels in their songs rejoice.
Have _you_ heard that voice, dear child,
Speaking in you, gentle, mild?
Always listen and obey,
For it leads you the right way.
(Blackboard.)
Do not Take what is not Yours.
_Note._--To the mother or teacher who can read
between the lines, this little story (which is not
imaginary, but a true record of fact) bears
another meaning. It shows the child's passionate
love for objects that are pretty, especially
coloured objects, and how the withholding of these
may open the way to temptation. Let the child's
natural desire be gratified, and supply to it
freely coloured wools, beads, etc., at the same
time teaching the right use of them, according to
kindergarten[3] principles.
(TAKING LITTLE THINGS.)
13. Carl and the Lump of Sugar.
There are some people who think that taking =little= things is not
stealing. But it =is=.
There was a little boy, named Carl, who began his wrong-doing by taking
a piece of sugar. Then he took another piece, and another; but he always
did it when his mother was not looking. We always want to hide the doing
of wrong--we feel so ashamed.
One day Carl's mother sent him to the shop for something, and he kept a
halfpenny out of the change. His mother did not notice it; she never
thought her little boy would steal.
So it went on from bad to worse, until one day he stole a shilling from
a boy in the school, and was expelled.
As Carl grew older he took larger sums, and you will not be surprised to
hear that in the end he was sent to prison, and nearly broke his
mother's heart.
14. Lilie and the Scent.
Lilie's cousin had a bottle of scent given to her, and it had such a
pleasant smell that one day, when Lilie was alone in the room, she
thought she would like a little, so she unscrewed the stopper, and
sprinkled a few drops on her handkerchief. I do not suppose her cousin
would have been angry if she had known, but Lilie knew the scent was not
hers, and she was miserable the moment she had taken it, and had no
peace until she confessed the fault, and asked her cousin's
forgiveness. I wish Carl had felt like that about the piece of sugar; do
not you? Then he would never have taken the larger things, and been sent
to prison.
(Blackboard.)
Little Wrongs Lead to Greater Wrongs.
Carl--Sugar--Money--Prison.
15. Copying.
It was the Christmas examination at school, and the boys were all at
their desks ready for the questions in arithmetic. Will Jones's desk was
next Tom Hardy's, and everybody thought that =one= of these two boys
would win the prize.
As soon as the questions had been given out, the boys set to work. Tom
did all his sums on a scrap of paper first, then he copied them out
carefully, and, after handing his paper to the master, left the room.
Unfortunately he left the scrap of paper on which he had worked his sums
lying on the desk. Will snatched it up, and looked to see if his answers
were the same. No! two were different. Tom's would be sure to be right;
so he copied the sums from Tom's scrap of paper. It was stealing, of
course; just as much stealing as if he had taken Tom's pen or knife.
Besides, it is so mean to let some one else do the work and then steal
it from them--even the =birds= know that.
Some little birds were building themselves a nest, and to save the
trouble of gathering materials, they went and took some twigs and other
things from =another bird's nest= that was being built. But when the old
birds saw what the little ones had done, they set to work and pulled the
nest all to pieces. That was to teach them to go and find their =own=
twigs and sticks, and not to steal from others.
Of course Will was not happy. There was a little Voice within that would
not let him rest, and when the boys kept talking about the arithmetic
prize, and wondering who would get it, he felt as though he would like
to go and hide somewhere, he was so ashamed. That is one of the results
of wrong-doing, as we said before--it always makes us ashamed.
At last the day came when the master would tell who were the
prize-winners. The boys were all sitting at their desks listening as the
master read out these words:--
"Tom Hardy and Will Jones have all their sums right, but as Will's paper
is the neater of the two, =he= will take the first prize".
The boys clapped their hands, but Will was not glad. The Voice within
spoke louder and louder, so loudly that Will was almost afraid some of
the other boys would hear it, and his face grew red and hot. At last he
determined to obey the Good Voice and tell the truth, so he rose from
his seat, walked up to the master, and said: "Please, sir, the prize
does not belong to me, for I stole two of my answers from Tom Hardy. I
am very sorry."
The master was greatly surprised, but he could see that Will was very
sorry and unhappy. He held out his hand to him, and said: "I am glad,
Will, that you have been brave enough to confess this. It will make you
far happier than the prize would have done, seeing that you had not
honestly won it." So the prize went to Tom, and Will was never guilty
of copying again; he remembered too well the unhappiness that followed
it.
(Blackboard.)
Copying is Stealing.
16. On Finding Things.
When Lulu reached her fifteenth birthday she had a watch given to her.
One afternoon she was walking through a wood, up a steep and rocky path,
and when she reached the top she stood for a few moments to rest.
Looking back down the wood she saw a boy coming by the same path, and
when about half-way up he stooped down as if to raise something from the
ground, but the thought did not occur to Lulu that it might be anything
belonging to her.
When she was rested she walked on until she came to a house just outside
the wood, where she was to take tea with a friend.
After tea they sat and worked until the sun began to go down. Then Lulu
said, "I think I must be going home; I will see what time it is," and
she was going to take out her watch, when, alas! she found it was gone.
"Oh, dear!" said she, "what shall I do? How careless of me to put it in
my belt; it was a present from my brother!" Then she suddenly remembered
standing at the top of the path and seeing the boy pick something up.
"That would be my watch," said she. And so it was.
The boy had followed her up the wood, and had seen her go into the
house, but he did not give up the watch. He waited until some bills were
posted offering a reward of £1, then he brought the watch and took the
sovereign. If he had been an honest boy he would not have waited, but
would have given up the watch at once. We ought not to wish any reward
for doing what is right. It is quite enough to have the happiness that
comes from obeying the Good Voice. We cannot build up a good character
without honesty.
Do right because you =love= the right,
And not for hope of gain;
A conscience pure is rich reward,
But doing wrong brings pain.
(Blackboard.)
When you Find Anything, try to Discover the Owner, and
give it up at once.
FOOTNOTE:
[3] _Kindergarten Guide_, published by Messrs. Longmans.
VI. KINDNESS.
17. Squeaking Wheels.
A lady was one day taking a walk along a country lane, and just as she
was passing the gate of a field a horse and cart came out, and went down
the road in the same direction as she was going, and oh! how the wheels
did squeak! The lady longed to get away from the sound of them. First
she walked very quickly, hoping to get well ahead; but no, the horse
hurried up too, and kept pace with her. Perhaps =he= disliked the
squeaking, and wanted his journey to be quickly finished. Then she
lingered behind, and sauntered along slowly, but squeak, squeak--the
hateful sound was still there. At last the cart was driven down a lane
to the right, and now the lady could listen to the songs of the birds,
the humming of the bees, and the sweet rustle of the leaves as the wind
played amongst them. "How much pleasanter," thought she, "are these
sounds than the squeaking of the wheels."
I wonder if you have ever seen any little children who make you think of
those disagreeable wheels? They are children who do not like to lend
their toys, or to play the games that their companions suggest, but who
like, instead, to please themselves.
Do you know what the wheels needed to make them go sweetly? They needed
oil. And the disagreeable children who grate on us with their selfish,
unkind ways, need =another= sort of oil--the oil of kindness. =That=
will make things go sweetly; so we will write on the blackboard
(Blackboard)
Squeaking Wheels need Oil.
Children need the Oil of Kindness.
18. Birds and Trees.
Did you know that trees and birds, bees and flowers could be kind to
each other? They =can=; I will tell you how.
See the pretty red cherries growing on that tree. All little children
like cherries, and the birds like them too.
A little bird comes flying to the cherry tree and asks, "May I have one
of these rosy little balls, please?"
"Yes, little bird," says the cherry tree; "take some, by all means."
So the bird has a nice fruit banquet with the cherries, and then, what
do you think =he= does for the tree?
"Oh!" you say, "a little bird cannot do =anything= that would help a big
tree." But he can.
When he has eaten the cherry he drops the stone, and sometimes it sinks
into the ground, and from it a young cherry tree springs up. The tree
could not do that for itself, so we see that
(Blackboard)
Birds and Trees are Kind to Each Other.
19. Flowers and Bees.
When you have been smelling a tiger-lily, has any of the yellow dust
ever rested on the tip of your nose? (Let the children see a tiger-lily,
or a picture of one, if possible.) Look into the large cup of the lily,
and there, deep down, you will see some sweet, delicious juice. What is
it for? Ask the bee; she will tell you.
Here she comes, and down goes her long tongue into the flower. "Ah! Mrs.
Bee, the honey is for you, I see. And pray, what have you done for the
flower? Nothing, I'm afraid."
"Oh, yes, I have," hums the bee. "I brought her some flower-dust
(pollen) on my back from another tiger-lily that I have been visiting to
make her seeds grow. When I dip down into the flower some of the 'dust'
clings to me, so I take it to the next tiger-lily that I visit, and she
is very much obliged to me."
You see, dear children, how the flowers help each other, and how the bee
carries messages from one to another; so if
(Blackboard)
Birds and Trees, Flowers and Bees are Kind to Each Other,
Much more should Children be Kind.
20. Lulu and the Bundle.
Do you remember the story of "Lulu and the Wool"? This is a true tale of
the same little girl when she was grown older.
Lulu's home was at the top of a hill, and the road leading up to it was
very steep. One summer evening, as Lulu walked home from town, she
overtook a woman coming from market, and carrying a heavy basket as well
as a bundle which was tied up in a blue checked handkerchief.
The poor woman stopped to rest just as Lulu came up to her. "Let me
carry your bundle," said Lulu. And before the woman could answer she had
picked it up and was trudging along.
"Perhaps your mother would not be pleased to see you carrying my
bundle?" sighed the woman. "Some people think it is vulgar to be seen
carrying parcels."
"It is never vulgar to be kind," answered Lulu. "That is what mother
would say." So they walked on until they came to the cottage, and Lulu
left the grateful woman at her own door, and forgot all about it.
Some years after, Lulu had been away from home, and, missing her train,
she returned laden with parcels one dark, wet night. There was no one
to meet her, no one to help to carry her parcels, and the rain was
pouring down. She hurried outside to look for a cab, but there was not
one to be had, so she began to walk up the hill. After going a very
little way she stopped to rest, the parcels were so heavy; and just then
a man came up and said: "Give me your parcels, miss, they seem too heavy
for you". And Lulu, astonished, handed them to him. He carried them to
the door of her mother's house, and hardly waited to hear the grateful
thanks Lulu would have poured out.
Have you ever heard these words: "Give, and it shall be given unto you".
I think they came true in this little story. Do not you?
Let us all try to build a good deal of the "pure gold" of Kindness into
our "Temple".
VII. THOUGHTFULNESS.
21. Baby Elsie and the Stool.
If you place your hand on your head you will feel something hard just
beneath the hair. What is it? It is bone. Pass your hand all over your
head and you will still feel the bone. It is called the skull, and it
covers up a wonderful thing called the brain, with which we think, and
learn, and remember.
A little baby girl was toddling about the room one afternoon while her
mother sat sewing. The baby was a year and a half old. She had only just
learned to walk, and could not talk much, but she had begun to think.
Presently she noticed a little stool under the table, and after a great
deal of trouble she managed to get it out. Can you guess what she wanted
it for? (Let children try to answer.) She wanted it for mother's feet to
rest upon. Elsie could not =say= this, but she dragged the stool until
it was close to her mother, and then she patted it, and said "Mamma,"
which meant, "Put your feet on it".
Was not that a sweet, kind thing for a one-year-old baby to do? You see
she was learning to think--to think for others, and you will not be
surprised to hear that she grew up to be a kind, helpful girl, and was
so bright and happy that her mother called her "Sunshine".
If any one asked me what kind of child I liked best, I believe the
answer would be this: "A child who is thoughtful of others"; for a child
who thinks of others will not be rude, or rough, or unkind. Who was it
slammed the door when mother had a headache? It was a child who did not
think. Who left his bat lying across the garden path so that baby
tumbled over it and got a great bump on his little forehead? It was
thoughtless Jimmy. Do not be thoughtless, dear children, for you cannot
help hurting people, if you are thoughtless; and we are in the world to
make it happy, =not= to =hurt=. Thoughtfulness is a lovely jewel; let us
all try to build it into our "Temple".
22. The Thoughtful Soldier.
A great soldier, Sir Ralph Abercromby, had been wounded in battle, and
was dying. As they carried him on board the ship in a litter a soldier's
blanket was rolled up and placed beneath his head for a pillow to ease
his pain. "Whose blanket is this?" asked he.
One of the soldiers answered that it only belonged to one of the men.
"But I want to know the name of the man," said Sir Ralph. He was then
told that the man's name was Duncan Roy, and he said: "Then see that
Duncan Roy gets his blanket this very night".
You see how thoughtful he was for the other man's comfort, so thoughtful
that he did not wish to keep Duncan's blanket even though he himself was
dying. Is it not true that "thoughtfulness" is one of the most beautiful
of the precious stones that you build with.
(Blackboard.)
Be Thoughtful.
VIII. HELP ONE ANOTHER.
23. The Cat and the Parrot.[4]
A cat and a parrot lived in the same house, and were very kind and
friendly towards each other. One evening there was no one in the kitchen
except the bird and the cat. The cook had gone upstairs, leaving a bowl
full of dough to rise by the fire. Before long the cat rushed upstairs,
mewing and making signs for the cook to come down, then she jumped up
and seized her apron, and tried to pull her along. What could be the
matter, what had happened? Cook went downstairs to see, and there was
poor Polly shrieking, calling out, flapping her wings, and struggling
with all her might "up to her knees" in dough, and stuck quite fast. Of
course the cook lifted the parrot out, and cleaned the dough from her
legs, but if pussy had not been her kind friend, and run for help, she
would have sunk farther and farther into the dough, and perhaps in the
end would have been smothered.
(Blackboard.)
If a Cat can Help a Bird, surely Boys and Girls
should Help Each Other.
24. The Two Monkeys.[5]
A ship that was crossing the sea had two monkeys on board; one of them
was larger and older than the other, though she was not the mother of
the younger one. Now it happened one day that the little monkey fell
overboard, and the bigger one was immediately very much excited. She had
a cord tied round her waist, with which she had been fastened up, and
what do you think she did? She scrambled down the outside of the ship,
until she came to a ledge, then she held on to the ship with one hand,
and with the other she held out the cord to the poor little monkey that
was struggling in the water. Was not she a clever, thoughtful, kind
monkey? The cord was just a little too short, so one of the sailors
threw out a longer rope, which the little monkey grasped, and by this
means she was brought safely on board.
You will remember the story of the monkey, who tried to save her little
friend, and remember, also, that
(Blackboard)
Children should Help One Another.
25. The Wounded Bird.
There is a beautiful story about birds helping each other in a book[6]
which you must read for yourselves when you grow older.
One day a man was out with his gun, and shot a sea-bird, called a tern,
which fell wounded into the sea, near the water's edge. The man stood
and waited until the wind should blow the bird near enough for him to
reach it, when, to his surprise, he saw two other terns fly down to the
poor wounded bird and take hold of him, one at each wing, lift him out
of the water, and carry him seawards. Two other terns followed, and when
the first two had carried him a few yards and were tired, they laid him
down gently and the next two picked him up, and so they went on carrying
him in turns until they reached a rock a good way off, where they laid
him down. The sportsman then made his way to the rock, but when they saw
him coming, a whole swarm of terns came together, and just before he
reached the place, two of them again lifted up the wounded bird and bore
him out to sea. The man was near enough to have hindered this if he had
wished, but he was so pleased to see the kindness of the birds that he
would not take the poor creature from them.
So we have learnt another lesson from the birds, and will write it down.
(Blackboard.)
Birds helped the Wounded Tern; we should Help Each Other.
FOOTNOTES:
[4] Romanes' _Animal Intelligence_.
[5] Romanes' _Animal Intelligence_.
[6] Smiles' _Life of Edward_.
IX. ON BEING BRAVE.
(BRAVE IN DANGER.)
26. How Leonard Saved his Little Brother.
Have you ever known a little girl who cried whenever her face was
washed? or a little boy who screamed each time he had a tumble, although
he might not be hurt in the least? You would not call =those= brave
children, would you? We say that people are brave when they are not
afraid to face danger, like the men who go out in the life-boat when the
sea is rough to try and save a crew from shipwreck; or the brave firemen
who rescue the inmates of a burning house. Perhaps you think it is only
grown-up people who can be brave, but that is not so; little children
can be brave also, as you will see from this story of a little boy,
about whom we read in the papers not long ago, and who lived not far
from London. Some children were playing near a pool, when, by some
means, one of them, a little boy named Arthur, three years old, fell in.
All the children, except one, ran away. (=They= were not brave, were
they?) The one who remained was little Arthur's brother, Leonard. He was
only five years old, but he had a brave heart, and he went into the
water at once, although he could not see Arthur, who had fallen on his
back under the water, and was too frightened to get up. Leonard had seen
where he fell, and though he did not know how deep the water was, he
walked in, lifted his little brother up, and pulled him out. It was all
done much more quickly than I have told you. If Leonard had run away to
fetch some one, instead of doing what he could himself, his brother must
have been drowned, because he was fast in the mud. I am sure you will
say that =Leonard= was a brave little boy, and we should not think that
=he= cries when he is washed, or when he has a little tumble. Leonard
teaches us to
(Blackboard)
Be Brave in Danger.
(BRAVE IN LITTLE THINGS.)
27. The Twins.
What a fuss some children make when they are hurt ever so little, and if
a finger should bleed how dreadfully frightened they are!
A lady told me this story of two little twin boys whom she knew. Their
names were Bennie and Joey, and they were just two years old.
One day as they were playing together Bennie cut his finger, and the
blood came out in little drops. Now, the twins had never seen blood
before, and you will think, maybe, that Bennie began to cry; but he did
not. He looked at his finger and said: "Oh! Joey, look! what is this?"
"Don't know," said Joey, shaking his head. Then they both watched the
bleeding finger for a little, and at last Bennie said: "I know, Joey; it
is =gravy=". He had seen the gravy in the meat, and he thought this was
something like it. Anyhow, it was better than crying and making a fuss,
do you not think?
(Blackboard.)
Be Brave in Little Things.
(BRAVE IN SUFFERING.)
28. The Broken Arm.
It was recreation time, and the boys were pretending to play football,
when a boy of six, named Robin, had an awkward fall and broke his arm.
The teacher bound it up as well as she could, and Robin did not cry,
though the poor arm must have pained him. He walked quietly through the
streets with the teacher, who took him to the doctor to have the broken
bone set, and when the doctor pulled his arm straight out to get the
bones in place before he bound it up, Robin gave one little cry; that
was all. He is now a grown-up man, but the teacher still remembers how
brave he was when his arm was broken, and feels proud of her pupil.
(Blackboard)
Be Brave in Suffering.
29. The Brave Monkey.[7]
Did you ever hear of a monkey having toothache? There was a monkey once
who lived in a cage in some gardens in London, and he had a very bad
toothache, which made a large swelling on his face. The poor creature
was in such great pain that a dentist was sent for. (A dentist, tell the
children, is a man who attends to teeth.) When the monkey was taken out
of the cage he struggled, but as soon as the dentist placed his hand on
the spot he was quite still. He laid his head down so that the dentist
might look at his bad tooth, and then he allowed him to take it out
without making any fuss whatever. There was a little girl once who
screamed and struggled dreadfully when she was taken to have her hair
cut, and that, you know, does not hurt at all. Let us learn from the
monkey, as we did from Robin, to
(Blackboard)
Be Brave in Suffering.
X. TRY, TRY AGAIN.
30. The Sparrow that would not be Beaten.[8]
A sparrow was one day flying over a road when he saw lying there a long
strip of rag.
"Ah!" said he, "that would be nice for the nest we are building; I will
take it home." So he picked up one end in his beak and flew away with
it, but the wind blew the long streamer about his wings, and down he
came, tumbling in the dust. Soon he was up again, and, after giving
himself a little shake, he took the rag by the other end and mounted in
the air. But again it entangled his wings, and he was soon on the
ground. Next he seized it in the middle, but now there were =two= loose
ends, and he was entangled more quickly than before.
Then he stopped to think for a minute, and looked at the rag as much as
to say: "What shall I do with you next"? An idea struck him. He hopped
up to the rag, and with his beak and claws rolled it into a nice little
ball. Then he drove his beak into it, shook his head once or twice to
make sure that the ends were fast, and flew away in triumph.
Remember the sparrow and the rag, and
(Blackboard)
Do not be Beaten, but Try, Try Again.
31. The Railway Train.
If you had been a little child a hundred years ago, instead of now, and
had wished to travel to the seaside or any other place, do you know how
you would have got there? You would have had to travel in a coach, for
there were no trains in those days. I am afraid the little children who
lived then did not get to the seashore as often as you do, unless they
lived near it, for it cost so much money to ride in the coaches. How is
it that we have trains now?
There was a man called George Stephenson--a poor man he was; he did not
even know how to read until he went to a night school when he was
eighteen years old, but he worked and worked at the steam-engine until
he had made one that could draw a train along. So you see that because
this man and others tried and tried again, all those years ago, we have
the nice, quick trains to take us to the seaside cheaply, and to other
places as well. Like the sparrow, George Stephenson teaches us to
(Blackboard)
Try, Try Again.
32. The Man who Found America.
A long, long time ago the people in this country did not even know there
=was= such a place as America; it was another "try, try again" man that
found it out. His name was Christopher Columbus, and he thought there
must be a country on the other side of that great ocean, if he could
only get across. But it would take a good ship, and sailors, and money,
and he had none of these. He was in a country called Spain, and he asked
the king and queen to help him, but for a great while they did not.
However, he waited and never gave it up, and at last the queen said he
should go, and off he started with two or three ships and a number of
sailors.
It was more than two months before the new land appeared, and sometimes
the sailors were afraid when it was very stormy, and wanted to turn
back, but Columbus encouraged them to go on, and at last they saw the
land. They all went on shore, and the first thing they did was to kneel
down and thank God for bringing them safe to land; then they kissed the
ground for very gladness, and wept tears of joy.
When Columbus came home again, bringing gold, and cotton, and wonderful
birds from the new country, he was received with great rejoicing by the
king and queen and all the people. Do not forget this lesson:--
(Blackboard)
Try, Try Again.
FOOTNOTES:
[7] Romanes' _Animal Intelligence_.
[8] _Ibid._
XI. PATIENCE.
33. Walter and the Spoilt Page.
Walter was busy doing his home lessons; he wanted to get them finished
quickly, so that he could join his playmates at a game of cricket before
it was time to go to bed. He was nearly at the end, and the page was
just as neat as it could be--for Walter worked very carefully--when, in
turning the paper over, he gave the pen which was in his hand a sharp
jerk, and a great splash of ink fell in the very middle of the neat,
clean page.
"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.
A girl came home from school one day, and threw her wet cloak on a chair
all in a heap, instead of hanging it up nicely on a peg. When she next
wanted to wear the cloak, it was all over creases and not fit to put on.
Perhaps she thought that mother would see it on the chair, and hang it
up for her, but a nice, thoughtful child would not like to give mother
the trouble, would she?
(Blackboard.)
Be Tidy and Neat.
FOOTNOTE:
[11] _New Recitations for Infants_, p. 41.
XXI. MODESTY.
50. The Violet.
Two friends were walking along a country road, and as they went on one
said: "I do believe there are violets somewhere on this bank, the air
smells so sweet". The other lady replied that she did not see any; but,
looking carefully, they at last found the leaves, and there, hiding away
among them, was the little sweet violet, with its delicious scent.
Why does the little violet hide away? Because she is =modest=, which
means that she does not like to =boast=, or make a display of her
pretty petals and sweet perfume. =Modest= people do not like to talk of
kind, noble or clever things they may have done; they prefer to =hide=
their good deeds, and in this they are like the violet.
51. Modesty in Dress.
There is another way in which children can be modest--they can be modest
about dress. A child's dress is not so long as that of a grown-up
person, because children want to romp and play about, but a =modest=
child always likes its dress to cover it nicely, and will take care that
no buttons are unfastened.
One evening some children were playing about on the hearthrug, when one
of them, a little girl named Jessie, jumped up quite suddenly, and, with
a blushing face, ran out of the room. The governess followed to see what
was the matter, and Jessie told her in a whisper that she was =so=
ashamed, because in romping about her dress had gone above her knees.
Some people might say that Jessie was =too= modest, but I do not think
so; a nice little girl will always like to keep her knees covered.
In America the children have much longer dresses than in our country,
and they would think little girls very rude who were not as careful as
Jessie.
You will think for yourselves of many other ways in which children can
be modest. It is a good rule never to do =anything= that we would be
ashamed for teacher or mother to see.
XXII. ON GIVING PLEASURE TO OTHERS.
52. "Selfless" and "Thoughtful"--a Fairy Tale.
"Selfless" and "Thoughtful" were sisters of the little "Gold-wings"
(Story Lesson 1). I cannot tell you which of the two was the sweetest
and best; they were =both= so lovable, for like "Gold-wings" they were
always thinking of others, and especially of how they could give
pleasure to the sick and weak. One day, as they sat on a mossy bank in
the Fairy wood, "Selfless" asked, "What shall we do next, sister?" and
"Thoughtful" made answer, "I have been thinking of little Davie, who is
so lame and weak; suppose I go to the Kindergarten and try to get some
one to be kind to him". "A good idea," replied "Selfless," "and I will
fly over the fields and see what can be done there; then in the
moonlight we will meet, and tell each other what we have done." So they
spread their pretty wings and flew away.
* * * * *
Now it is night in the Fairy wood, and in the silver moonlight the
sisters rest again on the mossy bank and talk.
53. The Bunch of Roses.
"I flew to the Kindergarten," said "Thoughtful," "you know Davie used to
attend there before he was ill. Of course no one saw me, and as I
hovered over the teacher's desk, little Bessie, a rosy-cheeked maid,
came up and laid a lovely bunch of crimson roses upon it for the
teacher. The scent was so delicious I could not help nestling down into
one of the roses to enjoy it better. The teacher picked up the flowers,
not knowing I was there, and as she buried her face in the soft petals,
to smell the sweet perfume, I whispered 'Send them to Davie'."
"A smile instantly came over her face, and she said: 'Bessie, a good
fairy has whispered a kind thought to me; shall we send your pretty
roses to Davie?'"
"'Oh! yes,' said Bessie, 'please let me take them to him with your love,
for I gave them to you."
"So the roses were taken to Davie, and how happy they made him to be
sure! and the =teacher= was happy because she had remembered poor Davie,
and =Bessie= was happy to carry the flowers to him, so I came away glad,
also; but what have =you= done, dear sister?"
54. Edwin and the Birthday Party.
Then "Selfless" answered:--
"I flew away over the fields, and there I saw a little boy, dressed all
in his best clothes, speeding away across the field-path, and I knew
that he was going to a birthday party, and that he was walking quickly
so as to be in time; for there was to be a lovely birthday cake, all
iced over with sugar; and little pieces of silver, called threepenny
pieces, had been scattered through the cake, so of course Edwin wanted
to be there when it was cut up.
"I saw a little girl in the fields, also, walking along the hedges
looking for blackberries, and in trying to reach a branch of the ripe
fruit that grew on the farther side of a ditch, the poor child
overbalanced herself and fell in, uttering a loud scream.
"Edwin heard the scream and said to himself, 'I wonder what that is? I
should like to go and see, but oh, dear! it will perhaps make me late
for the party'. Then the Bad Voice spoke to him, and said, 'Never mind
the scream; hurry on to the party," and Edwin hurried on, but his cheeks
grew hot, and he looked unhappy.
"Soon the child screamed again, and the Good Voice said, 'Help! Edwin,
never mind self,' and with that he turned back, and ran to the place
where the sounds had seemed to come from. He soon saw the little girl,
who was trying to scramble up the steep side of the ditch, and could
not; it needed the help of Edwin's strong hands to give her a good pull,
and bring her safely out. Oh, how glad she was to be on the grass once
more! Edwin wiped her tears away, and told her to run home; then he made
haste to the party with a light, glad heart, and he arrived just as they
were sitting down to tea, so he was in time for the cake after all. But
even if he had =missed= it, he would have been glad that he stayed
behind to help the little girl."
"What a nice boy," said "Thoughtful". "Did he tell the people at the
party what he had done?"
"Oh, =no=," replied "Selfless"; "his mother told him that people should
=never boast= of kind things they had done, for that would spoil it."
"True," said "Thoughtful"; "but what did =you= do, dear "Selfless"? It
is not boasting to tell =me=."
"I only helped Edwin to listen to the Good Voice," replied "Selfless,"
as she looked down on the moss at her feet.
"A good work, too," said "Thoughtful"; "and now, what shall we do
next?"
55. Davie's Christmas Present.
"I have been thinking," said "Selfless," "that Christmas will soon be
here, and how nice it would be if we could help the children at the
Kindergarten to think of Davie, and make ready a Christmas present for
him."
"A lovely idea," said "Thoughtful"; "we will go to-morrow, for it wants
only a month to Christmas."
Next morning the two fairy sisters came to the Kindergarten, and floated
about unseen, as fairies always do. First they rested on the teacher,
who was very fond of these unseen fairies, and she began to think of
Davie. "Children," said she, "Christmas will be here in a month; shall
we make a present for little Davie?"
(Do you know, I believe that doing kind things is like going to parties;
when you have been to =one= party, you like it so much that you are glad
to go to =another=, and when you have done =one= kind thing, it makes
you so happy you want to do =another=.)
Bessie was the first to answer, and she said, "Oh, yes, it would be
lovely to make a Christmas present for Davie; do let us try". And all
the children said, "Yes, do let us try".
"It must be something made by your own little hands," said the teacher.
"Think now, what could you do?"
"We could make some little 'boats'[12] in paperfolding," said one child.
Teacher said that would do nicely, and she wrote it down.
Another child said, "I could sew a 'cat' in the embroidery lesson," and
Bessie exclaimed, "Please let me sew a 'kitten' to go with it," and the
teacher wrote that down, and remarked that some one else might make the
"saucer" for pussy's milk, in pricking. Then others might make a
"nest"[1] in clay with eggs in it, and a little "bird" sitting on the
eggs, suggested the teacher; and as the "babies" begged to be allowed to
help also, it was decided that they should thread pretty coloured beads
on sticks, and make a nice large "basket".[13]
"Now," said teacher, "I have quite a long list, and we must begin at
once." So they all set to work, and when breaking-up day came, Davie's
present was ready. There was a whole fleet of "ships," white inside and
crimson outside. The pictures of "pussy" and her "kitten" were neatly
sewn, and the "saucer" was white and clean, and evenly pricked, while
the "bird" on its "nest" looked as pretty as could be, and the "bead
basket" was the best of all--at least the =babies= thought so.
I have no words to tell of the joy that the children's present brought
to little Davie, his face flushed with pleasure as the "boats" and other
gifts were spread out before him; it was so delightful to think that the
children had remembered =him= and =worked= for him.
"Selfless" and "Thoughtful" sat once more on the mossy bank, and
rejoiced that the plan had worked so well.
If these little fairies and their sister "Kindness" should ever suggest
thoughts to =you=, dear boys and girls, do not send them away. They will
speak to you through the Good Voice, and the happiest people in the
world are the people who listen to the Good Voice.
FOOTNOTES:
[12] _Kindergarten Guide_, Boat, p. 158, No. 35.
[13] _Kindergarten Guide_, Nest, p. 174, No. 12; Basket, Plate 6,
opposite p. 129, No. 9 in Fig. 79.
XXIII. CLEANLINESS.[14]
56. Why we should be Clean.
(Show the children a sponge.) Here is a sponge! What do we see all over
the sponge? We see little holes. There is another name for these--we
call them =pores=. (Write "pores" on Blackboard.) What comes out on your
forehead sometimes on a hot day? Drops of water come out. They come
through tiny holes in the skin, so tiny that we cannot see them, and
these also are called pores.
Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was to be a grand procession in
a fine old city called Rome, and a little golden-haired child was gilded
all over his body to represent "The Golden Age" in the procession. When
it was over the little child was soon dead. Can you guess why? The pores
in his skin had been all stopped up with the gilding, so that the damp,
warm air could not get out, and that caused his death.
You see, then, that we breathe with these little pores, just as we
breathe with our nose and mouth, and if the pores were all closed up we
should die. Now you will understand why we have to be washed and bathed.
What is it that the dirt does to your pores? It stops them up, so
(Blackboard)
To be Healthy, We must be Clean.
57. Little Creatures who like to be Clean.
You know that pussy likes to be clean, and that she washes herself
carefully, and her little kittens, also, until they are big enough to
wash themselves; but there are other creatures, much smaller than the
cat, who like to be clean.
Do you know what shrimps or prawns are? I daresay you have often eaten a
shrimp! Have you ever counted its ten long legs? On the front pair there
are two tiny brushes, and the prawn has been seen to stand up on his
eight hind legs, and brush himself with the tiny tufts on his front
legs, to get all the sand away. Is not that clever for such a little
fellow?
There is another creature, very much smaller than the prawn, that is
particularly clean, though we do not like to have it in our houses.
If the housemaid sees its little "parlour" in the corner of a room, she
sweeps it away. You remember who it was that said: "Will you walk into
my parlour?" It was the spider, and it is the spider who is so very fond
of being clean, that it cannot bear to have a grain of dust anywhere
about its body. Its hairs and legs are always kept perfectly clean.
Then there is the tiny ant, which is smaller than a fly, and it loves to
keep itself nice and clean, so if
(Blackboard)
Shrimps and Spiders and Ants like to be Clean,
Children should like to be Clean.
58. The Boy who did not like to be Washed.
Sydney was a little boy who did not like to be washed. He disliked it as
much as the little dog in Story Lesson No. 4. When the time came for his
bath he screamed and kicked and made such a fuss that at last his mother
said he should remain dirty for a while, and see what would happen. So
Sydney had no bath when he went to bed at night, neither was he washed
in the morning. Of course no one wanted to kiss him, or play with him,
for he was not sweet and clean; he had to play all by himself in the
garden.
Presently a carriage drove up and stopped at the garden gate; then a
gentleman stepped out, walked up to the door, and rang the bell, which
was answered by Sydney's mother.
"I have called to take your little boy for a drive," said the gentleman,
"but I am in a great hurry; could you have him ready at once?"
Just then Sydney peeped in at the door. Oh! what a little blackamoor he
was, not fit for any one to see! His mother had to explain to the kind
gentleman how it was that he looked so dirty, and, as nothing but a bath
and a whole suit of clean clothes would make him fit to go, he had to be
left behind. Poor Sydney began to feel very sad and sorry now, and when
the carriage had driven away he ran up to his mother, hid his little
black face in her dress, and burst into tears. "Oh, mother," he cried,
"do make me a clean boy again; I will never be naughty any more when I
am washed." Sydney never forgot the lesson he had learnt that
(Blackboard)
Nobody likes Children to be Dirty.
59. The Nails and the Teeth.
What a good thing it is that we have nice, hard nails to keep the tips
of our fingers from being hurt! How sore they would get if it were not
for those bright, horny nails, and how well they protect the
finger-tips, which have to touch so many things!
Most of the nail is fast to the finger, but at the outer edge there is a
little space =between= the nail and the finger, and if we are not
careful this little space gets filled with dirt, and then the nail has a
black band across the top, which looks very ugly. When the nails are
long, the band is wider, and, although the dirt is =under= the nail, it
shows on the outside, because the nail is transparent, that is, it can
be seen through.
Do you like to have your hands clean? Then there must be no black bands
to disfigure the pretty, shining nails; our hands cannot be called clean
if there is a little arch of dirt at the tip of each finger. Ask mother
to cut the nails when they get too long, then you can keep them clean
more easily.
Men who do work that soils their hands very much like the chimney-sweep
(Story Lesson 62) cannot possibly keep their nails clean, but children
can.
There was once a little boy who had the funniest finger-tips I ever saw.
The nails were so short that there was not the tiniest space between the
outer edge and the fleshy part, and so the tip of each finger had grown
out like a little round cushion, not at all pretty to look at. If the
little boy saw any one noticing his hands, he would hide them away, lest
he should be asked what it was that caused the finger-tips to look so
funny. I wonder if =you= can guess the reason? It was because the boy
bit his nails. What a horrid thing to do! Was it not? And how do you
think his mother cured him? She dipped the tips of his fingers in
tincture of bitter aloes, so that when he put them in his mouth he might
get the bitter taste, and leave off biting them.
I once heard a gentleman say that =he= thought it was very rude to put a
pencil or anything near the mouth, so what would he think of a child who
put his =fingers= in his mouth, and bit his nails? Baby may suck her
little thumb sometimes, perhaps, because she does not know better, but
sensible children will remember that it is rude to put fingers in mouth.
(Blackboard.)
Keep your Nails Clean.
Do not put Fingers in Mouth.
Can you think of anything else that should be kept clean besides the
nails? In your mouth are two rows of beautiful little, white teeth. At
least they =ought= to be white, but if we do not keep them clean, they
often get discoloured and begin to decay and give us pain.
We should each have a tooth-brush, and use it every day to cleanse the
teeth, dipping it first in nice, clean water, and when the brushing is
done, the mouth should be rinsed several times. The teeth should be
brushed up and down from the gums (not from left to right), so that we
may get all the particles of food from the tiny spaces between the
teeth. If we do this regularly we shall not be likely to suffer much
from toothache.
Two white rows of pearly teeth,
What can prettier be?
If you =keep= them clean and white,
They are fair to see.
(Blackboard.)
Why we brush teeth:--
1. To keep clean and prevent toothache.
2. To make them look nice.
FOOTNOTE:
[14] No. 21, "Washing One's Self" in _Games Without Music_ might be
appropriately used with above subject.
XXIV. PURE LANGUAGE.
60. Toads and Diamonds--A Fairy Tale.
There was an old woman at a well, who, when a little girl came to draw
water, asked for a drink, and the kind little maiden lifted the jug to
the old woman's lips, and told her to take as much as she wished. Then
the old woman blessed her for her kindness, and said that whenever the
child spoke, pearls and diamonds should fall from her lips. Then another
girl came to the well, and again the old woman asked to drink, but the
girl said, "No! draw water for yourself". That was rude and unkind, was
it not?
The old woman, who was really the Queen of the Fairies, could not bless
=this= girl for her kindness, because she had showed none, so she said
that whenever the girl spoke, toads and vipers should fall from her
lips. That is like the people who do not speak good, pure language; the
bad words that fall from their lips are like toads and vipers. I hope
you have never heard such words, but if you ever should, do not stop to
listen, for wicked words are like the pitch that Martin tried to play
with (Story Lesson 63); the person who says them cannot be pure and
true, for bad words are not =clean=.
A lady was travelling in a railway train one day, and several young men
were in the carriage, who spoke and looked like gentlemen. But by-and-by
they began to swear dreadfully, and the lady asked if they would be kind
enough to say the bad words in Greek or Latin, so that she could not
understand them. She did not want to hear the bad words, you see; they
were like toads and vipers to her, because she loved what was pure and
clean.
(Blackboard.)
Keep your Language Pure. Do not Listen to Bad Words.
XXV. PUNCTUALITY.
61. Lewis and the School Picnic.
There was once a little boy called Lewis, who had one bad fault--he was
very, very slow; so slow, that I am afraid he was really lazy. He could
do his sums quite well, but he was always the last boy to get them
finished; and in a morning his mother had no end of trouble to get him
off to school in time, he did everything so slowly. (Read the following
sentence very deliberately, and allow the children to fill in the
adverbs): He got out of bed (slowly), dressed himself (slowly), washed
himself (slowly), laced his boots (slowly), ate his breakfast (slowly),
and walked to school at the same pace (slowly).
Now one day a gentleman came to the school, and told the teacher that he
was going to take all the children in a boat down the river to have a
picnic by the seaside. Could anything be more delightful? The scholars
clapped their hands for gladness, and talked and thought of nothing but
the picnic. It was to be on the very next day, and they were to start
from the school at nine o'clock in the morning.
"Lewis," said the teacher, "remember to be in time, for the boat will
not wait!"
The morning came, and Lewis was called by his mother at seven o'clock.
"There is plenty of time," said Lewis, "I will lie a little longer;" and
he did so. Then his mother called again, and this time he rose, but he
went through all his work as slowly as ever, and all the time his mother
was telling him to "hurry up" or he would be too late.
At last he is ready to start; but just as he leaves the house a bell is
rung. "What is that?" says Lewis; "it must be the bell of the steamer. I
have no time to go round by the school; I must go straight to the pier,"
and off he ran. But, alas! by the time he reached the pier the boat was
steaming off. He could see the children with their pails and spades
waving their handkerchiefs in glee, and there was he left behind!
I was telling this story to a little boy once, and when it came to this
part he said: "Oh, auntie! could not they get a little boat and take
Lewis to the steamer? It is so hard for him to be left behind."
But you see, boys and girls, we =must= be left behind, if we are slow
and lazy.
I am glad to tell you, however, that Lewis was cured of his fault by
this disappointment. He really did try to get on more quickly
afterwards, and he succeeded. At school he had his sums finished so soon
that the teacher began to let him help the other boys who did not get on
so well, and Lewis was quite proud and happy. Then he came to school so
early that he was made "monitor," and had to put out the slates and
books, ready for the others. So, after all, Lewis grew up to be smart
and quick, and not like the man you will hear of in another story (Story
Lesson 84), who grew worse as he grew older.
(Blackboard.)
Do not be Slow and Lazy, or you will be always "Too Late".
XXVI. ALL WORK HONOURABLE.
62. The Chimney-sweep.
"Mother," said little Frank, "I saw a man walking along the street
to-day with a bundle of brushes in his hand, and such a black face. I
was careful not to touch him as I passed, he looked so dirty--quite a
'blackamoor'"!
"Ah!" said his mother, "that was a chimney-sweep; he cannot =help= being
dirty, and my little boy ought to feel very kindly to him, for we should
be badly off without such men."
Not many days afterwards there was a storm. How the wind blew and
roared! All through the night it rattled the windows and whistled in the
chimney. Frank's mother went downstairs early in the morning to make a
fire, but as soon as she lighted it, puff! the smoke came down the
chimney, and filled the room, and she was obliged to let the fire go
out.
Down came the children for breakfast, and Frank cried: "Is the fire not
lighted, mother? I am so cold; and oh! the house =is= smoky."
"I have tried to light a fire," said his mother, "but the smoke blows
down the chimney. I think it needs sweeping; I shall have to give you
milk for breakfast; there is no nice, hot coffee for you, because the
fire will not burn."
After breakfast Frank's brother went to fetch the chimney-sweep, who
soon came, and with his long brushes brought down all the soot, which he
carried away in a bag. Then the fire burned merrily, making the room
look quite bright and cheerful, and Frank said: "Thank you, Mr.
Chimney-sweep, for your good work. I will never call you 'blackamoor'
again; and when I meet you in the street, I will not think you are too
dirty to speak to."
Frank had learnt two lessons:--
(Blackboard)
1. Some Work makes Men Black.
2. We must be kind to these Men, for we Need their Work.
XXVII. BAD COMPANIONS.
63. Playing with Pitch.
You have seen the men at work mending the roads, and you know how
sometimes they spread little stones all over the road, and then roll
them flat with a steam-roller. But in some places the roads are laid
with stones as large as bricks, and when these have all been placed
together, the men take a large can with a spout, full of hot pitch, and
pour it into the spaces between the stones to fasten them together.
A little boy, named Martin, was watching the men do this one day, and he
said to himself, "I should like a piece of that black stuff; it has
cooled now, and looks like a black piece of dough; I could make all
sorts of shapes with it, and I do not believe it would soil my hands".
So he picked up a length that lay near him, rolled it into a ball, and
put it in his pocket. Some of the tar stuck to his hands, and when he
washed them it did not come off, but it was now school time, and away he
went. When he came out of school, he put his hand in his pocket to get
the tar, and oh, what a sticky mess it was! His pocket was all over tar,
so was his hand, and when he reached home, his mother set to work to get
it off, and it took her a long, long time.
Martin was mistaken in thinking he could play with the pitch and not get
soiled.
64. Stealing Strawberries.
When Martin grew older he had some playmates who were not very good, and
his mother said, "Martin, I wish you would not play with those boys; I
fear they will get you into trouble".
"Oh! no, mother," replied Martin, "if they =wanted= me to do anything
wrong I would not; I need not learn their bad ways if I =do= play with
them." But his mother shook her head, for she knew better.
Some time afterwards the boys had a half-holiday, and Martin went with
his friends into the country. Presently they came to a large garden,
with a high wall round it, and the boys began to climb the wall.
"Where are you going?" asked Martin.
"Oh!" said one of the boys, laughing, "a friend of ours owns this
garden, and we are going to help him gather strawberries."
There was a large bed of strawberries on the other side of the wall, and
as soon as the boys were over, they began to pick and eat.
What the boy had told Martin was quite untrue--they were =stealing= the
strawberries; but before very long the gardener spied them, and with one
or two other men came upon them so quietly, that they had no time to get
away, and every boy was made prisoner. The gardener locked them up in
the tool-house until the owner came, and he took their names and
addresses, and said they should be brought before the magistrates, as it
was not the first time they had stolen his fruit. Of course Martin had
not been with them the other times, but he was caught with them now, and
can you imagine how dreadfully ashamed he felt, and how his cheeks
burned when he thought of his dear mother, and the trouble it would be
to her. When he reached home, he told his mother all that had happened,
and begged her forgiveness. His mother was greatly distressed, and said:
"You remember playing with the pitch, Martin, when you were a very
little boy--you thought you could handle it, and still keep clean, but
you could not; so neither can you have bad companions without being
mixed up in wrong-doing".
(Blackboard.)
To mix with Bad Company is like Playing with Pitch.
XXVIII. ON FORGETTING.
65. Maggie's Birthday Present.
It was Maggie's birthday, and her father brought her as a present
something that she had been wishing for a very long time. It was a
beautiful yellow canary, and its little house was the prettiest cage
imaginable, for it was made of brass wire, which was so bright that you
could almost think it was gold. Of course Maggie was delighted. "It is
just what I have been wishing for," said she; "I shall feed the canary
myself, and give it fresh water every day; it is the prettiest bird I
ever saw."
For some weeks Maggie remembered her little pet each day, and attended
to all its wants, but there came a day when there was to be a picnic for
all the school children, and Maggie was so excited and glad about the
picnic that she forgot all about feeding the bird.
Then next day there was hay-making, and she was in the field all day,
and again forgot the poor bird.
This went on for a few days, and when at last she =did= remember, and
went to the cage, the bird was dead.
Maggie was full of grief, and cried until her head ached, but she could
not undo the results of her forgetting.
Some people think it is a =little= fault to forget, but that cannot be,
for we know well that "forgetting" often causes pain and suffering to
others.
(Blackboard.)
Forgetting often causes Pain.
66. The Promised Drive.
Daniel was a lame little boy. He could not walk at all, nor play about
with the other children, so he was very puny and pale. His mother used
to put his little chair near the door of the cottage where they lived,
so that he could watch the people pass, and one day, as he sat there, a
lady came by with a well-dressed little boy, and when she saw the
pale-faced child she stopped and spoke to him, and then Daniel's mother
came to the door, and invited her to step inside the cottage.
The lady's little boy was called Emil, and he stood on the doorstep
talking to Daniel, while the two mothers spoke together within the
cottage. Emil, who was a kind-hearted little fellow, felt very sorry for
the lame child, and when he found that Daniel was never able to go any
farther than the street where he lived, Emil said: "I will ask my father
to bring his carriage round and take you for a drive; I am sure he will,
and then you can see the green fields and trees, and hear the birds
sing".
Daniel's little face flushed with pleasure, and he said; "Oh that would
be lovely!"
By-and-by the lady and her boy said "Good-bye," and went away, and then
Daniel told his mother all that Emil had said. "Do you think he will
come to-morrow, mother?" asked Daniel.
"Perhaps not to-morrow, dear," replied she, "but some day soon maybe."
So Daniel sat at the door each day, and waited for the carriage, but it
never came, and when he grew too ill to sit up he would still lie and
listen for the sound of the wheels, and say: "I think it will come
to-day, mother," but it never did. And do you know why? Emil had
forgotten to ask his father, and so Daniel waited in vain for the drive.
You see how much pain and disappointment can be caused by forgetting,
and when you promise to do a thing and forget to =keep= the promise it
is just like telling an untruth. You do not =intend= to speak what is
not the truth, but you do it all the same. Remember, then, that it is
=not= a little fault to forget, and that those who do it are not
building on the firm foundation of truth.
(Blackboard.)
When we Promise and Forget, we are not True.
_To the Parent or Teacher._--However culpable it
may be to break promises to adults (and it is in
reality nothing less than untruth), it is
infinitely worse to break faith with children. An
unredeemed promise is a sure way of shaking a
child's confidence in truth and goodness. Let us
keep our word with the little ones at whatever
cost.
67. The Boy who Remembered.
Little Elsie had a big brother called Jack, of whom she was very fond,
and he was fond of Elsie also. Jack was about fifteen years old, and he
was learning to be a sailor. When his ship came into port he used to
come home for a few days, and then he would tell Elsie all about the
places he had seen. One time the voyage had been very long, and Jack
told Elsie that when the bread was all finished they had had to eat
sea-biscuits instead.
"How funny," said Elsie; "what are sea-biscuits like, Jack?"
"They are very hard and round and thick," replied Jack.
Elsie said she would like to see one, and Jack promised that when he
went back to his ship he would send her one.
It was not a great thing to promise, was it? But Elsie felt very
important when the postman brought her a little parcel a day or two
after Jack had left, and she was very glad when she opened it and found
the promised biscuit.
"There is one good thing about Jack," exclaimed Elsie, "he always does
what he says." I think Jack would have been pleased to hear Elsie say
that; it is one of the nicest things that =could= have been said about
him. I hope it is true of all of us.
(Blackboard.)
To Forget is not a Little Thing.
Be True, and do what you say.
XXIX. KINDNESS TO ANIMALS.
68. Lulu and the Sparrow.
As Lulu came home from school one afternoon, she noticed three or four
boys throwing stones at something--I hardly like to =tell= you what. It
was a poor little brown sparrow that had somehow hurt its leg, and could
not fly. However, this happened a great many years ago, and perhaps boys
are less cruel now.
Lulu could not bear to see the poor bird treated so badly, and she asked
the boys to give it to her. At first they laughed, and went on throwing
the stones; but she continued to beg for it so earnestly, that at last
one of the boys said, "Let her have it". And Lulu was only too glad to
pick up the wounded bird and carry it home. She nursed and fed it
carefully, and put it in a warm place by the fire; but, in spite of all
her care, the sparrow died in a few hours.
Sometimes pain is necessary, as in Story Lesson 29; we should never
think of saying the dentist was cruel; rather we should say he was kind,
because he saved the monkey from =further= pain. But when we cause pain
that is =needless=, as these boys did, it is =cruel=. They were cowardly
also. If the bird had been an eagle, with strong claws that could have
hurt them in return, would they have stoned it? No; they chose a poor
little sparrow that could not defend itself, and this was =cowardly=.
Then it was =unfair=. You do not like to be punished or found fault with
if you have done nothing wrong; you feel it is not fair; neither is it
fair to hurt a dumb animal that has done nothing wrong.
69. Why we should be Kind to Animals.
Just think how many things animals do for us. Where did the wool come
from that makes your nice, warm clothes? (Let children answer.) How do
we get the coals to our houses--the coals that make the bright, hot
fires? (Ans.) What could we do without the brave, strong horses? I heard
the other day of a man who did not give his horse enough to eat. What
kind of man was he? (Ans.) I would rather be like the Arab, who loves
his horse so much that he brings it into his tent, and shares his food
and bed with it. Where do we get our milk, butter and cheese? (Ans.)
Then think of all the stories of animals in this book, who have done
kind, clever things (and all these stories are true). If boys and girls
would =think=, I am quite sure they would never be unkind to animals.
70. The Butterfly.
One day a boy was chasing a butterfly, cap in hand, and just as he had
caught it, a bee stung him. He was so angry that he threw the butterfly
down and trampled on it. Was not that cruel? The butterfly had done him
no harm, and the greatest skill in the world could not paint anything so
delicate and beautiful as a butterfly's wing; and yet he destroyed that
beauty. Sometimes children will hunt spiders out of the crevices in the
wall and torture them, and others will torment the little fly, or steal
the bird's pretty eggs that the mother sits on with such care. All this
is cruel and unkind. Remember it is =not noble= to hurt. The truest
gentleman is he who is full of kindness and gentleness and will not hurt
anything.
71. The Kind-hearted Dog.
Have you ever seen children riding donkeys at the seaside? and have you
noticed how the boys beat the poor things sometimes to make them go
faster? I do not think a =kind= boy or girl would like to have a donkey
beaten. I hope =you= would not.
There was once a little dog who could not bear to see any creature
beaten. If any one were ill-treating a dog he would rush up and bark
quite angrily, and when he was driving in the dog-cart with his master,
he always used to hold the sleeve of his master's coat every time he
touched the horse with the whip, as if he would have said, "Do not beat
him, please". Now, if a =dog= knows that it is not kind to hurt dumb
creatures, we are sure boys and girls know.
(Blackboard.)
To Hurt Animals is Cruel, for the pain is needless.
It is Unfair, for they do not deserve it.
It is Cowardly, for often they cannot hurt you in return.
XXX. BAD TEMPER.
72. How Paul was Cured.
Paul was a little boy who was very fond of having his own way, and when
he could not get it he used to throw himself into the most dreadful
tempers. He would take his pocket-handkerchief and tear it all to pieces
in his rage, not to mention lying on the floor and kicking with his
heels. One day his governess said to him, "Paul, I will tell you a true
story". Paul sat down ready to listen, for he loved stories, so the
governess began:--
"There was once a little boy, bright, honest and truthful, always ready
to run messages for his mother, or to help a schoolmate with his
lessons, he was so good-natured. But Henry (for that was his name) had
one great fault--he would get into violent passions when any one vexed
him, and as he grew older his passion became stronger, and had the
mastery of him more and more. He was a sailor, and as time went on he
had a ship of his own, and was captain of it. Henry could manage the
ship well; he knew just how to turn the wheel to make her go East or
West, and he knew also how to trim the sails to make the ship move
swiftly along. If he could have controlled his temper as he did his
ship, all might have been well. But he used to be very angry with the
sailors when they did not please him, and one day when the cabin-boy had
done something that vexed him, the captain in a fit of passion beat the
poor boy so cruelly that he died. When the ship came home the captain
was taken to prison, and in the end he lost =his= life for having taken
the boy's life."
The governess paused, and Paul gazed up into her face with wide-open,
anxious eyes. "Is =that= what happens to boys who get into a passion?"
he asked.
"It happened to the captain," said she.
"Then I will never give way to passion again if it has such a dreadful
ending," said Paul, and the governess told me that he kept his word.
(Blackboard.)
If Bad Temper gets the Mastery, it leads to sad Results.
73. The Young Horse.
Edgar was riding in the train with his mother one day. He sat next the
window, as children like to do, so that he could see all that was going
on. How the train speeds along! now passing through a tunnel, then out
again into the sunshine; next it goes over a long row of arches built
across a valley, and called a viaduct. "How high up we seem to be," said
Edgar; "see, mother, the river is down there ever so far below!" Now
they are passing through fields again, and there, looking over the
hedge, is a beautiful young horse. But as the train whirls by, the horse
runs off and scampers round and round the field. Edgar watched him as
long as he could see, and then he said: "What a lovely horse, mother!
how I should like to ride him!"
"The horse is of no use for riding yet, Edgar," said his mother.
"Why?" asked Edgar.
"Because he has not yet learnt to obey a rider," replied she; "the horse
has to wear bit and bridle before he can be of use, and to learn by them
to be controlled. A horse that could not be managed would run away with
you, just as poor Henry's temper ran away with him (Story Lesson 72)."
Bad tempers and bad habits are like wild horses: they take us where they
will, and get us into sad trouble if we do not bridle them, so we must
take care =not= to let the temper be master, but bridle it just as the
horse-trainer bridles the horse.
"I should think the horse does not like the bit and bridle at first,"
said Edgar.
"Very likely not," replied his mother; "but he would not be the useful,
patient animal that he is if he did not submit."
(Blackboard.)
Horse has to be Held in by Bit and Bridle.
We Must Bridle Temper and Bad Habit.
XXXI. SELFISHNESS.
74. The Child on the Coach.
It was summer, and we were riding on the top of the coach through one of
the loveliest parts of Scotland. The coach had five seats with four
persons on each, so you may easily find out how many people there were.
On the next seat to ours sat a lady with a little spoilt boy, about four
years of age, who was very hard to please, and very discontented and
unhappy. You will not be much surprised to hear that presently he began
to cry, for spoilt children often do that, but I do not think you could
ever guess the =reason=. His mother was speaking to a lady on the seat
behind, and when the child was asked, "What is the matter?" he said,
"Mamma is not attending to me when I speak to her," and =that= was why
he cried. He wanted his mother to attend to =him=, to speak to him all
the time, and that was selfish. He was only a very little child, but he
thought too much of that ugly word--=self=, and that was why he was so
discontented and unhappy.
I knew another little child who was always wanting some one to play with
her; she never tried to amuse herself, but was continually teasing her
mother to join in her games. It is better to be like little Elsie (Story
Lesson 21) who when only a year old thought of the comfort of others.
75. Edna and the Cherries.
One day a lady called at a cottage where there lived a little girl,
named Edna, who was playing on the hearth-rug with another little girl,
Lizzie. The lady had come to see Edna's grandmamma, but she had not
forgotten that Edna lived there, and she brought out of her basket a
little paper bag full of ripe cherries, and gave them to the child. Edna
did not forget to say "thank you," then she took the little bag, put it
on a chair, and peeped inside; she was only two years old, and could not
have reached the table. As soon as she saw the pretty, red cherries, she
toddled to her little friend, and holding out the bag, said, "Lizzie
some". When Lizzie had taken a handful, she went to her grandmother, and
said, "Grandmamma some," and then with a shy, little glance at the lady,
she placed the bag in her lap, and said, "Lady some".
Last of all she helped her dear little self, and so we say that Edna was
=un=selfish, that means =not= selfish. Baby Edna did not know about the
Temple we all have to make, but she was building it just the same.
Perhaps "Selfless" and "Thoughtful" were helping her to find the stones!
(Blackboard.)
Think First of Others, Last of Self.
76. The Boy who liked always to Win.
We all like to win when we play games, and that is quite right, but
Johnny liked =so much= to win that he was cross and unhappy if any one
else was winning, and did not enjoy the game at all; I am afraid that he
even cheated sometimes to win. Now all that was downright selfish; it
reminds one of a story--a sort of fairy-tale--about Minerva and
Arachne.
Arachne said to Minerva, "Let us see who can spin the best". So they
began to spin, and when Minerva saw that Arachne was beating her at the
spinning, she struck her on the head with a spindle, and turned poor
Arachne into a spider. It is a pity when people are so anxious to win
that it makes them selfish.
Selfishness is an ugly stone to have in your Temple, dear children. Just
as Thoughtfulness is one of the most beautiful stones, so Selfishness is
one of the ugliest. Try not to let it come into your lives at all. No
one likes a selfish child, but everybody loves the child who =forgets=
self and thinks of others.
(Blackboard.)
Try to be Glad when Others Win, as well as when you Win Yourself.
77. The two Boxes of Chocolate.
It was Christmas time, and on Christmas Eve the children hung up their
stockings as usual. Next morning they were awake early, and eagerly
turned out the stockings to see what they contained. Among other things
Horace and Stanley found that they each had a beautiful large
picture-box full of lovely chocolate creams.
After dinner on Christmas Day Stanley brought out his box, and handed it
round to everybody, and by the next day his chocolates were all
finished.
But Horace hid his box away in a drawer, and kept going to it, and
taking out a few at a time, so his chocolates lasted much longer than
Stanley's, and he ate them all himself, but we are obliged to say that
he was rather selfish. "Shared joy is double joy," and of the two boys
we are sure that Stanley would be the happier.
Shall I tell you a little secret? Selfishness will spoil the =other=
stones if you let it come into your Temple, and as to the =gold=--the
lovely gold of "Kindness" that the little "Gold-wings" brought--Selfishness
will =eat it all away= in time. I am sure we all hate selfishness; let
us write down
(Blackboard.)
We will not have the Ugly Stone "Selfishness" in our Temple.
78. Eva.[15]
Eva was not a very big girl, and her boots were generally cleaned by the
older ones, but one day her mother said, "Eva, I wish you would brush
your own boots this morning, we are all so busy".
"Oh mother!" said Eva, "you know it gives me a headache to brush boots,
and I shall make my hands so dirty, and perhaps bespatter the floor with
blacking as well." I am afraid Eva was rather a spoilt little girl, and
this had made her somewhat selfish.
Half an hour later her mother came into the room again, just as Eva was
lacing up her boots, and she inquired who had made them so bright and
shiny. It was Eva's elder sister, Mary, and Eva knew that her mother was
not pleased, but nothing more was said.
In the afternoon Mary and her mother went out shopping, and Eva hurried
home from school, although she would have liked very much to stay for a
while and play with the other girls. But she wanted to give mother a
surprise. First she put the kettle on the fire, and then she laid the
table all neatly and nicely, ready for tea. When everything was in its
place, she went to the door several times to look for her mother and
sister; at last she saw they were just turning the corner of the street,
and Eva ran along to meet them, and said, "Come away, mother, tea is
quite ready; I have been looking for you and Mary ever so long". And
dear mother knew what it all meant.
It meant that Eva had been listening to the Good Voice, and that she was
sorry she had been so selfish in the morning. The Good Voice says
(Blackboard)
Don't be Selfish. Help all you can.
FOOTNOTE:
[15] See No. 3 _New Recitations for Infants_, p. 8.
XXXII. CARELESSNESS.
79. The Misfortunes of Elinor.
Elinor was a great anxiety to her mother, for she was always either
tearing her clothes, or forgetting, or losing something--all because she
was so careless. One day at tea Elinor was taking the cup which her
mother had just filled, but as she was not looking at it, nor taking any
care, it tilted over and fell against a tall flower-vase that stood in
the centre of the table. The vase was broken, and the tablecloth deluged
with tea and water--all for want of a little care.
Another day Elinor's mother gave her a shilling, and sent her to the
shop for some fruit, but she lost the money, and returned empty-handed.
Coming home from school one day, she was poking her umbrella about in a
little stream of water that the rain had made along the side of the
road, when the tip of the stick caught in a grate and broke off, so the
umbrella was spoilt. I could tell you many more things about poor
careless Elinor, but these are enough to show how bad it is not to take
care. Sometimes people have taken poison instead of medicine by being
careless, and not noticing the label on the bottle; and sometimes a
train has been wrecked, and lives lost, because the engine-driver was
careless about noticing the signal.
(Blackboard.)
Do not be Careless; it brings Trouble.
XXXIII. ON BEING OBSTINATE.
80. How Daisy's Holiday was Spoilt.
Daisy's aunt had invited her to go and spend the day with her cousin
Violet, and to Daisy, who lived in the town, it was a very great treat;
for Violet's father and mother lived at a farm, and when Daisy went
there, the two little girls spent the whole day out in the open air,
climbing on the hay, playing "hide and seek" in the barn, or helping to
milk the cows. The last time Daisy went to the farm, however, she had
taken cold, and her mother found that she had been playing without coat
and hat, so on this occasion she said, "Daisy, I want you to promise me
that you will keep your outdoor things on when you are playing with
Violet, for the day is cold".
Daisy did not answer, and when her mother again asked her, she would not
promise. The omnibus which was to take Daisy to the farm would pass at
nine o'clock, and the time was drawing near, but still Daisy was
self-willed and would not give in. (Oh, Daisy! that is =not= the Good
Voice you are listening to, you will be sorry afterwards.) The omnibus
came rumbling down the street, and Daisy sprang up ready to go.
"Do you promise, Daisy?" asked her mother; "I cannot let you go unless
you do;" but Daisy was still obstinate, and the omnibus went quickly
past. A minute after she burst into tears, and cried, "I =will= promise,
mother," but by this time the omnibus was too far on its way, and there
was not another until two o'clock. At this time Daisy was allowed to go,
but what a pity that she should lose half a day's pleasure, and
disappoint her cousin, as well as grieving her dear mother, all for the
sake of wanting her own way. You remember what we said about mother
knowing best in "Obedience" (Story Lesson 6). When we are obstinate, we
want to please =ourselves= instead of some one else, so you can see that
(Blackboard)
It is Selfish to be Obstinate;
Better give in; Mother Knows Best.
XXXIV. GREEDINESS.
81. Stephen and the Buns.
It was breaking-up day at school, and the children were having buns and
tea. Each child had brought a clean pocket-handkerchief, and spread it
on the desk for a tablecloth. Then the teacher gave out the buns; nice
large buns they were, with sugar on the top, and there were just a few
left over, after one had been given to each child. Next a cup of tea was
placed on each desk, and the tea-party went on merrily.
But why does Stephen take such large bites, and fill his mouth so full?
And why is he eating so quickly? See, his bun is finished now, and he is
asking for another! "Oh! Stephie, naughty boy, you have gobbled up your
bun as fast as you could, because you were afraid the buns left over
would be used up before you asked for more. That was =greedy=."
Do not be greedy, boys and girls. Never mind how hungry you are; eat
slowly and nicely, and pass things to others. It is so selfish to think
only of your =own= wants, and not to care how other people are getting
on. "Greediness" is an ugly word, and no one likes to see greedy
children.
(Blackboard.)
It is Rude and Vulgar to be Greedy.
XXXV. BOASTING.
82. The Stag and his Horns.
Have you ever seen a stag with its graceful, branching horns?
There is a fable told of a stag who went to a pool to drink, and seeing
himself reflected in the water, he said: "Dear me, how beautiful are my
horns; what a nice, graceful appearance they give to me! My legs are
quite slender, and not at all beautiful, but my horns are handsome."
When the hunters came, however, the stag found that his slender legs
were very useful, for by means of them he could run away from his
enemies, and if it had not been that his horns caught in the branches of
a tree and held him fast, he might have escaped.
You see how foolish it was of the stag to =boast= about his fine horns;
and we are just as foolish when =we= boast of anything that we have, or
of anything we can do.
Boasting often leads to untruth, as in (Story Lesson 11) "The Three
Feathers". It is always vulgar to pretend that we are better than our
neighbours, and people who boast generally try to make one believe that
they =are= cleverer or richer or better than somebody else. Let us be
like the modest violet, who hides her beauty, rather than be boastful
and foolish, as the stag was.
(Blackboard.)
It is Foolish and Vulgar to Boast.
XXXVI. WASTEFULNESS.
83. The Little Girl who was Lost.
A little girl wandered away from home one morning and got lost in a
wood. She tried in vain to find the way home again, but she could not,
and then she sat down and cried, for she was so tired, and oh! =so=
hungry. She thought of the many crusts of bread and pieces of meat that
she had often left on her plate at home, and how glad she would have
been to eat them now. It was evening when her friends found her, and
took her safely home; we will hope that she remembered that hungry day
in the woods, and did not waste any more pieces of bread afterwards.
If you think of the many poor people who have scarcely enough to eat,
you will see how wrong it is to waste anything. When we have more than
we need, let us give it to those who have not enough, and never forget
that
(Blackboard)
It is Wrong to Waste.
XXXVII. LAZINESS.
84. The Sluggard.
You will hear of a great king (in Story Lesson 90) who had a throne of
ivory overlaid with gold. When you are old enough to read the words he
wrote (Proverbs) you will find that he always kept his eyes wide open
and noticed things.
As the king was taking a walk one day, he passed by a vineyard, which
is another name for a grape-garden, and he noticed that the wall was
broken down. He looked farther, and saw that the vines were all trailing
on the ground, instead of being tied up, and worse still, they were all
grown over with nettles and thorns--the beautiful grape vines that give
such rich, delicious fruit. "How is this?" thought the king, and he
began to consider. "Ah!" said he, "this vineyard belongs to the man who
likes 'a little sleep,' 'a little slumber,' and who would rather fold
his hands and go to sleep again than use them to work in his garden. And
what will be the end of it all? He will soon be poor, and have nothing
to eat, while his lovely grapes which would have sold for money if he
had looked after them, lie there buried and spoilt by the nettles and
thorns."
It is quite right to sleep through the dark night, but this man slept in
the daytime as well, instead of weeding his garden, and tying up the
grapes, so we say he was a sluggard. What an ugly word it is! Would
=you= like to be a sluggard? No, indeed you would not. Then remember
this:--
(Blackboard)
Never be Lazy.
XXXVIII. ON BEING ASHAMED.
85. The Elephant that Stole the Cakes.[16]
Far away in a country called India there are many elephants, which are
used for hunting, and also for carrying burdens.
One evening a driver brought his elephant home, and chained him to a
tree; then he went a short distance away, and made an oven to bake his
cakes for supper. You will wonder how this was done.
First he dug a hole in the ground, in which to place his fuel, and when
he had set the fuel alight, he covered it with a flat stone or plate of
iron, and on this he put his rice cakes to bake. He then covered them up
with grass and stones and went away.
The elephant had been watching all this, and when the man was gone, he
unfastened the chain which was round his leg with his trunk, went to the
oven, uncovered the cakes, and took them off with his trunk and ate
them. (Perhaps he waited a little while until they cooled, for the
elephant does not like his food hot.) Then he put back the grass as
before, and returned to the tree. He could not manage to fasten the
chain round his leg again, so he just twisted it round as well as he
could, and stood with his back to the oven as if nothing had happened.
By-and-by the driver returned, and went to see if his cakes were ready.
They were all gone, and the elephant was peeping over his shoulder to
see what would happen next. The driver knew by his guilty look that =he=
was the thief; the elephant knew he had done wrong and was ashamed.
Let us not do anything that we need be ashamed of. We know what is right
better than the elephant, because we can think better.
(Blackboard.)
Do nothing that you need be ashamed of.
FOOTNOTE:
[16] Romanes' _Animal Intelligence_.
XXXIX. EARS AND NO EARS.
86. Heedless Albert.
"Listen, boys," said the teacher, "I am going to tell you about a land
across the sea, not much more than twenty miles from England--the sunny
land of France." So he went on to tell them of the vines loaded with
grapes, from which wine is made; of the apples growing by the roadside,
and of the French people, how gay and merry they are, and how neatly the
poor people dress.
Many more interesting things he told them, and then he said: "Now, take
your papers, and write down all that you can remember about France". The
boys set to work, and soon all were very busy, except one--a boy named
Albert, who could not think of anything to write, and who, when the
papers were collected had not managed to pen a single line. How was
this, do you think? It was simply because he had =not attended= to the
teacher when he was speaking, and so he could not remember anything that
had been told him.
One day, when Albert was about ten years old, his mother sent him to a
farm for some eggs. He had not been to the farm before, but his mother
told him exactly which way to go, and if he had listened he could have
found it easily.
In about an hour Albert came back, swinging the empty basket. He had not
been able to find the farm. Why? Because he did not =attend= when his
mother was telling him the way.
You will readily see that a child who does not attend cannot learn
much, and will never be bright and clever, nor of much use in helping
others.
(Blackboard.)
Do not be Heedless; Listen and Attend.
87. Olive and Gertie.
Olive and Gertie were walking along a country road, and high up in the
sky a lark poured forth his sweet song.
"How beautifully that skylark sings," said Olive; "it is worth while to
come out into the country just to hear it."
"I did not hear it," said Gertie, swinging her parasol.
"It is there, right overhead," exclaimed Olive; "do look, Gertie; it
will drop like a stone when it gets nearer the ground."
"Oh! I cannot trouble to look up," replied Gertie, "it makes my neck
ache."
By-and-by they passed a field of oats, nearly ripe, and as the wind
swayed them to and fro, they made a pleasant rustling sound.
"How nice it is to hear the corn as it rustles in the wind," said Olive,
"and listen, Gertie, is not this a pretty tinkling sound?"
Olive had plucked one of the ears of oats, and was shaking its little
bells close to her friend's ear.
"It is nothing," said Gertie.
"To me it is lovely," replied Olive, "and the tinkle of the harebells is
just as sweet."
Then a bee went buzzing by, and Olive liked to hear its drowsy hum, but
Gertie did not notice it.
Presently they were on the edge of the cliffs, and could hear the splash
of the waves as they rolled in and broke on the beach.
"Surely you like to hear 'the song of the sea,'" said Olive, but Gertie
made no reply--she was thinking of something else.
Do not be like Gertie, who seemed as if she had "No Ears," but, like
Olive, keep your ears open to all the sweet and pleasant sounds.
The fire makes a pleasant sound as it burns and crackles in the grate,
and who does not like to hear the "singing" of the kettle on the hob?
How musical is the flow of the stream, and do you not love to hear the
splash of the oars as they dip in the river? or the sound made by the
bow of the boat as it cuts through the water? Some people like to hear
the "thud" of a great steamer as it ploughs its way through the sea, and
everybody loves the sound of the wind as it whispers in the trees.
The sounds that we hear in the fields and woods are called "voices of
nature," let us listen to them, for they speak to us of God's love.
(Blackboard.)
Listen to the Voices of Nature;
They Speak of God's Love.
(Let the children enumerate some of the pleasant
"sounds" mentioned, and the teacher might then
write them on the Blackboard.)
XL. EYES AND NO EYES.
88. The Two Brothers.
Have you ever heard of the "Black Country"? It is a part of England
where there are many furnaces and iron-works, and a great deal of smoke;
that is why it is called by this name.
Two boys, named Francis and Algie, lived in this district, for their
father was an iron-worker, and one evening they went out for a long
walk. They were away two or three hours, and when they returned their
mother said: "Well, boys, what did you see in your walk?"
"Nothing, mother," replied Algie, "there is nothing pretty to be seen;
it is all black and ugly."
"Ah!" said Francis, "but there was the =sky=, and that was beautiful,
for we were walking towards the sunset, and the colours were changing
all the time. First the sky seemed to be all over gold, and then as the
sun went down it changed to red; next when I looked there were shades of
a lovely green or blue, which soon changed to dark red; it was the
loveliest sunset I have ever seen."
How strange it was that, although both boys had eyes, only one of them
saw anything worth seeing! Francis was the boy with "eyes," while Algie
was as though he had "no eyes". Keep your eyes open, children, and try
to see all that is beautiful. It is such a pity when people grow up and
walk about without seeing anything. There is always something to see in
the sky. Sometimes it is all a lovely blue, with white, fleecy clouds
floating across it, or piled up in curly masses; and at night it is of
a deeper blue, and the stars come peeping out, reminding us in their
beauty of goodness and God:--
Thou Who hast sown the sky with stars--
Setting Thy thoughts in gold.
And the silver moon, which is always changing its shape, how lovely that
is! Do not forget to look for the beauty of the sky.
89. Ruby and the Wall.
Little Ruby was not two years old, but she always noticed things, and
tried to find out their names.
One day when she was walking out with her auntie they passed a stone
wall. Ruby looked at it, and then glancing up said, "Wall".
"Yes," said auntie. "What is the wall made of?"
"Coal," answered Ruby quite seriously. (I suppose the blocks of stone
reminded her of the same shape in the coals.)
"No, it is not coal," said auntie.
Ruby was puzzled, and thought for a little, then she said, "Wash it".
You see she had never heard the word "stone," and as her little hands,
when dirty, became lighter coloured with =washing=, she thought that
stone must be "washed" coal. It was wrong, of course, but it shows you
that tiny Ruby used her eyes, and =thought= about things.
(Blackboard.)
Two kinds of eyes:--
1. Eyes that See--Francis, Ruby.
2. Eyes that do not See--Algie.
XLI. LOVE OF THE BEAUTIFUL.[17]
90. The Daisy.
You have often gathered buttercups and daisies, but have you ever gazed
into the daisy's yellow eye, and thought how wonderful it was? You will
find that it is made up of many tiny flowerets, all packed closely
together. And the fringe of white petals, tipped with pink, how
beautiful =they= are! and so dainty that we might almost think they had
been painted by the pencil of a fairy! And have you noticed the strong,
green cup which closes round the petals at night, and keeps them all
safe?
You have held the pretty buttercup under your chin to make it look
yellow, but have you ever looked carefully at the shining petals of
gold? How smooth, and clear, and glossy they are!
There was once a great, wise king, who was so rich that he had plates
and cups of gold instead of china. He made a beautiful throne of ivory,
with six lions on the one side and six on the other, and the throne was
all overlaid with gold; how bright and glittering it would be! And then
picture the king himself in his robes of state, seated on his gilded
throne, how dazzling and beautiful it would all look! And yet the
greatest Teacher who ever lived--He who took the little children in his
arms--said that the great King Solomon, with his throne of ivory and
gold, "in all his glory" was not so beautiful as the lily growing in the
field. So you see the best of all beauty is close beside us, at our
feet indeed, if we only have eyes to see it.
Dear little modest daisy,
I love your yellow eye,
I love the pink-tipped petals
That round the centre lie;
I love the pretty buttercup
Of lovely, shining gold;
I love it, for it speaks to me,
Of wondrous love untold.
You have heard of other beautiful sights and sounds in the Story Lessons
that have gone before (87, 88), and in the Story Lesson which follows
you will learn =why= it is good to love all these beautiful things.
FOOTNOTE:
[17] The guessing rhymes, Nos. 74 to 82, headed "Natural Phenomena," in
_Games Without Music_, would follow this Story Lesson appropriately.
XLII. ON DESTROYING THINGS.
91. Beauty and Goodness.
Why do we hang pictures on the walls, and put plants in the windows?
Because we want to make the room look pretty.
Why do we love the flowers and the trees, the bright green fields and
the waving yellow corn? Why are we so glad to be near the sea, with its
glorious, rolling waves, and to bask in the warm, bright rays of the
sun? Because they are =all= beautiful, and when we love what is
beautiful it helps us to love what is good; and when we love =goodness=
we love God, who gave us all this beauty.
Now you will see why it is so wicked to =destroy= beautiful things. When
a boy carves his name on a tree, or breaks off its graceful branches,
he =destroys= that which is good, instead of loving it; and how can he
grow up gentle and true if he does not love beauty and goodness?
Sometimes people put iron railings round their gardens, and you will
have noticed that they are often finished off with a pointed pattern at
the top, to make them look pretty. When a boy comes along and knocks off
the points, he makes the railings look =ugly= instead of pretty. He
would never think of destroying the pictures that hang on the walls of
his home, or of throwing the plants away that stand in the window, yet
he destroys things that are =not his=, and that other people have put
there to make their houses look nice. I am sure you will say this is not
right; it is =downright wrong=, just as wrong as it would be for me to
go and break that boy's slate, or to snap his wickets in two when he is
wanting a game of cricket, and it is all for want of =thinking=.
It is quite dreadful to know that so many cruel, unkind things are done,
just because boys and girls do not trouble to =think=! But I hope that
=you=, dear children, =will think=, and keep your little hands from
spoiling anything.
(Blackboard.)
It is Wrong to Spoil and Destroy.
XLIII. ON TURNING BACK WHEN WRONG.
92. The Lost Path.
A boy named Eric was coming home from school. There were two ways that
he could take--one was a path through the fields, and the other was a
winding road. It was winter time, and there was snow on the ground. Eric
chose the field path, for it was the shorter of the two, but he had not
gone far when it began to snow very fast. The snow-flakes were so large,
and fell so quickly, that there was very soon quite a thick carpet on
the ground, and before long Eric found that he could not see the path,
and he scarcely knew where he was. If he had only turned round just
then, he could have seen his own footprints in the snow, and following
them, would have got back to the road safely, but he did not want to do
this, so he went on and on until he was lost entirely, and had not the
least idea as to which was the way home.
Then he determined to turn back, and try to reach the road, but where
are his footprints? All covered up with snow. Eric felt ready to cry,
but he struggled on as long as he could, and then a great drowsiness
came over him, and he fell down in the snow.
It is just like that with wrong-doing, if we do not turn back at once,
it becomes more and more difficult to find the path, and sometimes the
wrong-doer loses it altogether.
When Eric did not come home from school his parents became very anxious,
and his father accompanied by the dog went out to seek him. First he
took the way by the road, then he came over the field-path, and the dog
ran sniffing about in the snow, until he came to what looked like a
white mound, and there was Eric half-buried in the snow. You can imagine
how pleased the father was when he had his boy safe in his arms, and how
gladly he carried him home, for if Eric had not been found quickly, he
must have died. Remember Eric in the snow, and
(Blackboard.)
When you have gone Wrong, Turn Back at Once.
XLIV. ONE BAD "STONE" MAY SPOIL THE "TEMPLE".
93. Intemperance.
From all these Story Lessons you will see that there are a great many
"stones" for the building of "character".
But there is another thought, which is this: a =bad= "stone," =one= bad
"stone" may spoil =all= the rest. You remember we said (Story Lesson 77)
that Selfishness could spoil a character. And there is another fault--I
think we ought to call it a sin--that spoils the character of many an
up-grown person. I mean the sin of Intemperance. You know what that is,
do you not? When we say that people are intemperate, we generally mean
that they take too much beer or wine, and I have known most beautiful
characters spoilt by that bad "stone".
When a man has lovely "stones" like Kindness, Unselfishness and Truth in
his Temple, is it not a pity that these should be all eaten away by the
dreadful sin of Intemperance? Even truth, the foundation, decays, and
often the lovely temple of character tumbles all to ruins.
What should you think is the best thing for children to do? Is it not
this? Never =take= any of these things that =cause= Intemperance, and
then you will never be fond of them, and they will never get the mastery
of you and spoil your character.
(Blackboard.)
It is Better not to Take Things that Cause
Intemperance.
2.--MANNERS.
XLV. PRELIMINARY.
(To be read first.)
94. The Watch and its Springs.
You have heard the ticking of your father's watch, and have seen the
hands on its face, but did you ever get a peep inside at the wonderful
tiny wheels and springs? These are called the =works=, and if =they= are
not right and true the hands and the face are of no use at all, because
it is only when the =wheels= and =springs= work properly that the hands
can tell the time correctly.
It is just the same with us. If the =character= is true and good, it
will not be difficult to be polite and nice in manner, for manners are
the =outside= part of us (just as the hands and face are the outside
parts of the watch). The kind, good thoughts =within=--in our
hearts--will teach us how to behave.
There is nothing that makes people so rude as thinking of self and
forgetting the comfort of others; some call it "Thoughtlessness," but we
fear the true name is "Selfishness". If we are =un=selfish and
thoughtful for others, we shall not be likely to do anything that
=hurts= people, and so we shall not be likely to be rude.
In the Story Lessons on "Manners" which follow, just see if you can find
out what it is that causes each rude action. You will probably say that
it is "=want of thought=" for others.
(The writer would ask the teacher, or mother, who
reads the following Story Lessons to the little
ones to emphasise this fact in each--that =thought
for others= induces nice manners, while
"Thoughtlessness" and "Selfishness" invariably
lead to rudeness. Spoilt children, and those whose
mothers are in the habit of doing everything for
them, =miss= the training in "Thoughtfulness for
others" which is so essential to the building up
of an unselfish character; and so the mother's
intended kindness is in reality =not= kindness,
seeing that it causes distinct loss to the child,
_viz._, =loss= of those traits of character which
are the most desirable, and which tend to the
greatest happiness.)
XLVI. ON SAYING "PLEASE" AND "THANK YOU".[18]
95. Fairy Tale of Alec and his Toys.
Alec was a merry little fellow, full of life and fun, and a great
favourite with his aunties and uncles, who often gave him nice presents.
The strange thing about Alec was that he always forgot to say "Thank
you". No matter how beautiful the present, he would just take it and
play with it, and return no thanks to the kind giver, until his mother
reminded him how rude it was not to say "Thank you". Alec was not like
little Vernon (Story Lesson 44), who was brimming over with thanks.
One night as Alec's mother was putting him to bed, she said: "Alec, I
have been reading some verses about a little girl who would not say
'Please'. She would cry 'Pass me the butter,' 'Give me some cheese'. So
the fairies, 'this very rude maiden to tease,' carried her down into the
woods, among the butterflies and birds and bees, until she should have
learnt better manners."
Alec listened with wide-open eyes fixed on his mother's face, but when
she said, "I wonder what the fairies would do with a little boy who
always forgets to say 'Thank you,'" his eyes dropped, and he was very
quiet while his mother was tucking him in his little cot.
When she had gone Alec thought to himself, "Suppose the fairies should
come and take all my toys away," then he fell asleep, and this is what
happened.
The fairies =did= come, and Alec saw them. Such funny little fellows
they were, dressed in red, with funny little wings stuck out behind, and
the funniest of little peaked caps on their heads.
Alec began to wonder about his toys, and sure enough they had come to
fetch them. First they picked up a beautiful, long railway train, which
was a present from Aunt Sophie. It took them all to lift it, there were
so many carriages. (Why do they not draw it along? thought Alec.) Up on
their shoulders it went. Would the peaked caps fall off? No, they were
all tilted sideways, and the train was borne safely out.
Soon the funny little fairies came dancing in again, laughing and
rubbing their hands as they looked all about. Surely they were not going
to take the Noah's ark! =That= was Uncle Jack's present, and the animals
were such beauties! But that did not matter to the fairies. Slowly the
ark was lifted on their shoulders; six fairies were on one side and six
on the other; again the peaked caps were tilted sideways, and solemnly
they all marched out.
Next time they pulled out a wooden horse, papa's gift, and Alec saw that
the fairies all jumped on its back, and then a funny thing happened--the
horse walked out of its own accord.
Again and again they came in and bore away one precious toy after
another, until there was nothing left but grandpapa's gift--the
tricycle. Surely they will leave that! Alec never knew until now how
much he loved his toys; but here they are again, and, yes! they are
actually bringing out the tricycle. One sits on the saddle, one on each
pedal, and all the rest on the handle-bar. Now the pedals go round, and,
strange to say, the funny little men do not fall off. The tricycle seems
to go of itself, as the horse did.
And now, oh dear! =everything= is gone, and Alec thinks he is worse off
than the little girl who was carried away by the fairies.
Morning comes! Alec wakes and rubs his eyes; what has happened? Oh! the
toys! Quick as thought he is out of bed, and off to the playroom in his
night-dress. Where are the toys? All there, just as he left them last
night. "It was only a dream, then," said Alec; "how glad I am that it is
not true, but all the same I =will= remember to say 'Thank you' in
future," and he did.
(Blackboard.)
Always Remember to say "Please" and "Thank you,"
not in a Whisper, but loudly enough to be Heard.
FOOTNOTE:
[18] Nos. 15, 18 and 19 in _Games Without Music_ are games that might be
used in connection with above Story Lesson.
XLVII. ON BEING RESPECTFUL.
96.
If you should see the sailors on board ship when they are receiving
orders from the captain, you will notice how polite and respectful they
are. They never forget to say "Yes, sir," or "No, sir," when he speaks
to them. Perhaps the captain was once a little cabin-boy himself, and
he, in his turn, had to learn to be respectful to his captain.
But it is not only on board ship that it is necessary to be respectful;
children should always remember to say "Sir" or "Ma'am" when speaking to
a gentleman or lady, wherever they may be.
In France the word "madam" is used when addressing a lady, but in our
country the "d" is mostly left out, and we say only "ma'am". (Show the
two words, "madam" and "ma'am" on blackboard.)
No one thinks a boy or girl well-behaved who answers "Yes," or "No"; it
is blunt and rude. You can always say "Sir" and "Ma'am," even if you do
not know the name of the person to whom you are speaking, and in
answering your father or mother you should always say "Yes, father," or
"No, mother," as the case may be.
(Blackboard.)
To answer "Yes," "No"--it is blunt, and is rude,
But "Yes, sir" or "No, ma'am" are both right and good;
"Yes, father," "No, mother," polite children say,
And these are good rules to remember each day.
XLVIII. PUTTING FEET UP.
97. Alice and the Pink Frock.
You have often heard grown-up people say to little children, "Behave
nicely," or "Mind your manners"; I wonder if you know just what they
mean. There is a little word that describes people who have =not= nice
manners--we say they are =rude=. Try to find out who was rude in this
story.
One bright day in April little Alice was dressed all ready for a
birthday party. She had on a pretty, new pink frock, of which she was
very proud, and over this she wore a cloak, but the cloak was not quite
long enough to cover =all= the pretty dress, for which Alice was not
sorry. She was all the more pleased about the party because she had to
go by train. It was only three miles, but Alice thought that was quite a
long journey for a little girl of ten to take all by herself.
Her mother brought her to the station, and when the train came up, Alice
jumped in and sat near the window, opposite to a tall, nicely-dressed
boy. Now before Alice came into the carriage, what do you think the boy
had been doing? He had been sitting with his feet up on the cushions
opposite, and his boots were very muddy. Can you guess the rest? Poor
Alice sat down on the muddy patches left by the boy's dirty, wet boots,
and her pretty pink frock was spoilt.
Can you tell who was rude in this story? "The boy was rude." What did he
do that was rude? "He put his feet up." Then we will say, "It is rude to
put our feet up". The proper place for feet is the floor. What effect
did the boy's rudeness have on Alice? (or to younger children): How did
the boy's rudeness make Alice feel? It made her unhappy. Then I think we
might say that manners are =rude= when they make other people
=uncomfortable= or =unhappy=.
Write on Blackboard and let the children repeat the following:--
What is it to be rude?
If in our work or in our play
We take our friend's comfort away,
And make him sad instead of gay,
Why that is to be rude.
XLIX. BANGING DOORS.
98. How Maurice came home from School.
How is it that boys and girls so often forget to close the door quietly?
When Maurice went out to school in the afternoon he knew that his mother
had a headache, but by the time he came home he had forgotten all about
it, and so he stamped in with his muddy shoes unwiped, leaving the front
door wide open.
His mother said, "Close the door, Maurice," and he gave it a great bang,
which made her shudder.
Next he walked into the room, flung his bag on a chair, his cap on the
floor, and his overcoat on the sofa. Then he said in a loud voice,
"Well, mother, how's your head?" His poor mother felt almost too sad to
answer him; she had so often told her little boy about hanging up his
coat and other things, and had tried so hard to teach him to be gentle
and polite, instead of rough and rude; but you see Maurice was
=thoughtless=, and did not remember the nice things he had been taught.
Take care, Maurice! or you will have the ugly stone of "Selfishness" in
your Temple. A boy who is not kind to his mother is the worst kind of
boy, and will find it difficult to grow up into a good and noble man.
99. Lulu and the Glass Door.
When Lulu was a little girl, she lived with her auntie and uncle. The
front door of their house was made half of glass, and there was a
shutter which covered the glass part of the door at night.
Lulu's auntie told her that when it was windy weather she must go round
to the =back= door, lest the front door should get a bang, and some of
the panes of glass be broken.
I am afraid Lulu did not always remember to obey her auntie, for one
very windy morning she came home from school, and went as usual to the
front door. She managed to open it and to get inside safely, then the
door closed with a loud bang, for the wind was very strong, and it
happened just as auntie had feared--a large pane of glass fell out of
the door, and was shivered into a thousand pieces.
Auntie was very angry, and Lulu was so unhappy, and cried so much that
she could not eat her dinner. When her uncle came home and heard the
story, and knew how sorry Lulu was, he said: "Oh, well, dry your tears,
we will call and ask old James to come and mend the door, and my little
girl must do what auntie tells her next time".
So Lulu trotted back to afternoon school, holding to the hand of her
kind uncle, and they called to tell James to put a new pane of glass
into the door. But Lulu has not forgotten her disobedience, and the
banging of auntie's door, although it is now more than forty years ago.
(Blackboard.)
Close Doors Softly.
L. PUSHING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE.
100. The Big Boy and the Little Lady.
The Queen was in London, and as the time drew near when she was expected
to drive through the park, many people stood on the sidewalk to see her
carriage pass.
A little lady who was walking through the park thought she would stand
with the others to see Her Majesty, and as she was too short to look
over the heads of the people, she found a place at the edge of the crowd
near the roadway.
By-and-by they heard a cheer in the distance, and knew that the Queen's
carriage had come out of the palace gates. At that very moment some one
came pushing through the people, and before the little lady had time to
speak, a great big boy brushed rudely past, and stood in front of her.
The lady touched him on the arm, and he turned round, and saw that it
was a friend of his mother's whom he had been treating so rudely. He
raised his cap at once, and, blushing with shame, begged the lady's
pardon, and took a place behind her.
But if the lady had been a perfect stranger, it would have been equally
wrong for the boy to act like that. It is always rude to push, whether
we are entering a tramcar, a railway train, or going to some place of
amusement; let us remember this:--
(Blackboard)
It is Rude to Push in Front of People.
LI. KEEPING TO THE RIGHT.[19]
101.
When you have been walking down the street, has it ever happened that
you could scarcely move for the people who are blocking up the causeway?
That is because they do not keep to the right.
In London, where the streets are so busy, it would be impossible to get
along if people did not keep to the right. What accidents we should have
in the streets if the drivers did not remember to keep to their proper
side of the road, which is the left! And how often the ships at sea
would go bumping against each other if they did not remember always to
keep to the right in passing those that are coming in an opposite
direction! If you are ever puzzled as to how you should pass people in
the street
(Blackboard)
Keep to the Right.
FOOTNOTE:
[19] No. 13, in _Games Without Music_ illustrates above.
LII. CLUMSY PEOPLE.
102.
I wonder if you know any boys and girls who are clumsy. I am always a
little sorry for clumsy people; they seem to be so often in trouble. If
the clumsy boy is allowed to collect the slates, he is sure to send some
of them sliding on to the floor with a noise like thunder; or if he
gathers the books in a pile it is sure to topple over, and the books are
scattered in every direction. The clumsy people tread on our toes, step
on a lady's dress and tear it maybe, or bump against baby's cot in
passing and wake the little sleeper.
Do you think we could find out the secret of being clumsy? Is not it for
want of taking =care=? You remember Elinor, in Story Lesson 79, how she
upset her tea, broke the vase, and spoilt the tablecloth, all for want
of =care=? It is the same with clumsy people--they forget to take care?
The books and slates are not piled =carefully=, that is why they tumble;
they bulge out here and go in there, instead of being smooth and
straight on every side. If you do not want to be clumsy
(Blackboard)
Take Pains, and be Careful in all you do.
LIII. TURNING ROUND WHEN WALKING.
103. The Girl and her Eggs.
Have you ever seen a girl walking along the street with her head turned
backwards, trying to look behind her as she goes? Of course she does not
walk straight, for she is not looking where she is going. It would be
better if she =did= either look where she is going or turn quite round,
and go where she is looking.
A girl was coming along the street one day with a paper bag full of
eggs, looking behind her all the time.
A lady, who was walking in the opposite direction, tried to get out of
her way, but as we said before, the girl could not walk straight when
her eyes were turned backward, and as the lady stepped to one side to
avoid her, the girl in her zigzag walk came to the same side and bumped
up against the lady.
Crash! went the eggs, and a yellow stream ran down the pretty blue dress
worn by the lady. What would the girl's mother say when her eggs were
all wasted? This is a true story, and you will agree that the girl was
very silly to walk along with her head turned round. You see we have no
eyes behind our head, nor even at the side; they are at the front, so
(Blackboard)
Look where you are Going.
LIV. ON STARING.
104. Ruth and the Window.
There was once a girl named Ruth, who was in many respects very
well-behaved indeed. For instance, you would never hear her reply to her
mother without saying "Yes, mother," or "No, mother," and she never
banged the door or came into a room noisily, but she had =one= fault
that was really very bad.
As Ruth went on her way to school each day, she passed a house that had
its dining-room window facing the street. The window was rather low, and
every time that Ruth went by she would walk slowly, and stare into the
room all the time. If the people were at dinner it made no
difference--she still gazed in. You will think this exceedingly rude, as
indeed it was, but it is quite true nevertheless.
One day a lady came to the school that Ruth attended; she was driven
there in her carriage, and remained talking to the teacher after the
children had been dismissed. Presently she said, "Good afternoon," and
left, and the teacher, happening to glance out of the window, was vexed
to see that a number of the scholars had gathered round the carriage,
and were staring in, and staring at the lady as she took her seat. Next
day the children were told how rude this was, and we hope that Ruth
learnt at the same time how rude it is to stare into people's houses.
Another day some Japanese ladies came to the school to see the children
drill; they were dressed so differently from English people, and looked
so funny with their little slanting eyes, and their shiny, black hair
dressed high, with no bonnet to cover it, that the children were tempted
to stare again, but the teacher had told them that it would be rude to
stare at the ladies. "You may glance at them," said she, "but do not
keep your eyes fixed on them." It is natural to wish to look at curious
things, but we can be careful to take our eyes away when we have
glanced, so that we do not stare, and make the person uncomfortable, for
you remember we said that anything was rude which caused people to be
uncomfortable (p. 110).
There was a little boy in church who had just the same rude habit as
Ruth. He would sit or stand at the end of the pew, and turn his head
round to see what was passing behind. He did not take just a little
glance, and then turn his eyes back again--even that would have been
rude--but he kept his gaze fixed behind for ever so long.
Do you know =why= we do not look about in church? It is because we go
there to worship the Great God, to hear of Him, and think about Him, and
we cannot do this if we are looking about, and thinking of other things.
Why do we close our eyes when we pray? It is so that we may think of
what we are saying; if we kept them open, we should be thinking of what
we were =seeing= instead, should we not?
(Blackboard.)
It is Rude to Stare.
LV. WALKING SOFTLY.
105. Florence Nightingale.
A long time ago there was a war, and the English soldiers went out to
fight. Many of the poor fellows were wounded, and a kind lady, who is
now quite old, went from England to nurse the brave soldiers. Her name
was Florence Nightingale, and it is a name that everybody loves.
The soldiers had never been nursed by a lady before, and she was so kind
and gentle, they loved her more than I can tell you--so much, indeed,
that they would kiss her shadow on the pillow as she walked softly
through the rooms where they lay.
If you have ever been in a hospital you will know how quietly the nurses
move about. Why is it? Because a noise would disturb the poor sufferers.
But it is not nice for people who are well either to hear children
stamping about as if they would send their feet through the floor. Have
you noticed how softly pussy moves? It is because she walks on her toes.
We have to wear shoes on our feet, and cannot help making a little
noise, but we must remember to step on our toes, and move as quietly as
possible.
(Blackboard.)
Try always to Walk Softly.
LVI. ANSWERING WHEN SPOKEN TO.[20]
106. The Civil Boy.
One day a lady was passing through a country village, and not being
quite sure as to which was the right road to take, she went up to some
boys who were playing on the green to inquire.
"Can you tell me, please, which is the way to East Thorpe?" asked the
lady.
"Yes, ma'am," said one of the boys, raising his cap, "you walk straight
past the church, and then take the first road to the right." The lady
thanked the boy, and bade him "Good-day," and as he replied "Good-day,
ma'am," and again raised his cap, she thought to herself, "What a civil,
polite boy! He is very poorly dressed, but he has the manners of a
gentleman, and how nicely he answered when I spoke to him; I must tell
Dorothy about it."
Dorothy was the lady's little niece, and had been staying with her some
time. One afternoon auntie had taken Dorothy with her to call at the
house of a friend, and when the lady spoke kindly to the little girl,
and asked her name and where she lived, Dorothy only smiled and looked
foolish, and did not speak or answer. Her auntie was very much
surprised, and perhaps felt a wee bit ashamed of her little niece that
afternoon.
Children should never be bold and forward, but they =should= look up and
answer a question fearlessly and clearly when they are asked one; it is
so foolish to simper and not speak.
(Blackboard.)
Always Answer when you are Spoken To.
FOOTNOTE:
[20] Nos. 12, 27 and 28 in _Games Without Music_ might follow above.
LVII. ON SPEAKING LOUDLY.
107. The Woman who Shouted.
The train had just steamed into the railway station, when a porter
opened the carriage door to let a lady step in--at least she =looked=
like a lady, and was dressed most elegantly. Her gown was of silk, over
which she wore a rich fur-lined cloak, and her bonnet was quite smart
with feathers and flowers. As she drew off her gloves, you could not
help noticing that her fingers were covered with glittering rings.
"Surely she must be going to some grand concert, or to a party," thought
we.
But listen to what happened next! Just before the train started she
suddenly opened the carriage window, and leaning out as far as ever she
could, shouted in a loud, rough voice, so loudly that all the people
round could hear, "Heigh! you porter there, is my luggage all right?"
Then she closed the window and sat down, and we felt that in spite of
her finery she was a rude, rough woman, for a lady is gentle, and would
never speak in a loud, coarse voice that grates on those who hear it.
Never speak too loudly either out of doors or elsewhere; keep always a
soft, sweet voice.
Speak gently, for a gentle voice
Is loved, like music sweet;
Coarse tones and loud are out of place
At home or on the street.
LVIII. ON SPEAKING WHEN OTHERS ARE SPEAKING.
108. Margery and the Picnic.
It was holiday time, and Margery had gone to play with her little friend
Helena Poynter, who lived in the next street but one. They were in a
little summer-house at the end of the garden, having a happy time with
their dolls, and Helena was telling Margery that her father had promised
to take them all for a picnic to the hills next day. They were to drive
there in a coach, papa, mamma, Helena, and her brothers, who were all at
home for the holidays.
Just then Helena's mamma came walking down the garden. "Good-morning,
Margery," said she, and Margery stood up at once and returned her
greeting. "I have been thinking," said Mrs. Poynter, "that you would
like to join our picnic to-morrow, and I am sure we could find room for
one more on the coach."
"Oh! thank you, ma'am," said Margery, "I should like it so much; I will
run round and ask mother at once," and off she ran as fast as her little
legs could carry her.
Margery came into the house bubbling over with the good news, and
anxious to tell it all to her mother immediately, but she found that a
lady had called and was talking to her mother, so she just waited
quietly until the conversation was ended before she spoke a word, for
Margery knew that
(Blackboard)
It is Rude to Speak when Other People are Speaking.
You will see now why we sit quietly in church, or at an entertainment,
or in a room when any one is singing or playing--it is because we do not
wish to be rude, and it =is= rude to speak when any one else is
speaking, or praying, or reading aloud, or singing, or playing music for
us.
You will like to know that Margery was allowed to go to the picnic, and
she enjoyed it very much.
LIX. LOOK AT PEOPLE WHEN SPEAKING TO THEM.
109. Fred and his Master.
In a previous Story Lesson, No. 106, we spoke of a village boy who, you
remember, answered the lady politely, when she inquired her way. His
name was Fred, and when a gentleman came to the school that Fred
attended one day, and said he wanted an office-boy, the schoolmaster
called Fred up to the desk. The boy looked so bright and honest, and
said, "Yes, sir" so politely, that the gentleman thought he would do,
and the next week Fred began his work. Sometimes he had to sit at a desk
and do writing; one morning as he sat thus, the master came in to speak
to him. What do you think Fred did? He rose from his stool at once,
turned towards his master, and stood while he was speaking. The master
was giving Fred instructions about his work, and as soon as he had
finished, Fred looked up and replied, "Yes, sir, I will attend to it".
We have learnt two lessons from Fred, what are they?
(Blackboard.)
1. To Stand up when Spoken to.
2. To Look up when Speaking to any one.
LX. ON TALKING TOO MUCH.
110.
One evening a number of friends met together at a little party. First
they all had tea, and after tea was over they sat round the fire to
talk, for some of them had not seen each other for a long time. But
there was one lady there who had so much to say that scarcely any one
else could get a chance to speak. She talked and talked nearly all the
evening. Sometimes we =expect= one person to speak all the time, as when
we go to hear a lecture, or to listen to a sermon in church, but when
people meet together for conversation, it is much pleasanter to hear
=more= than one speak.
Another time three children were having dinner with some grown-up
people, and a lady who was there told me that one of the children, a
little girl about eight years of age, talked continually, so that even
the grown-up people had scarcely an opportunity of speaking.
So you see it is quite possible for people to be made uncomfortable by a
child speaking too much, as well as by a child that refuses to speak at
all (Dorothy in Story Lesson 106).
Perhaps you have been in a railway carriage where a little boy has never
ceased asking questions and talking during the whole journey. Years ago
children used to be told that "they must be seen and not heard". We do
not often say that now, but we must remember that it is rude to take up
all the conversation, or even more than our share. I believe it is more
than rude--it is selfish. We must learn to listen to other people as
well as to talk ourselves.
(Blackboard.)
Do not be too Fond of Hearing Yourself Talk;
Learn to Listen as well.
LXI. GOING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE.
111. Minnie and the Book.
One evening Minnie sat at the table preparing her lessons. Her father
and mother, with an aunt who had called to see them, were seated at the
hearth.
In a little while Minnie found that she required a book from the
bookcase, which stood in a recess to the left of the fireplace, so she
rose from the table, and, without speaking a word, walked in =front= of
her aunt and in =front= of her father to reach the book. Her aunt looked
up in astonishment, and her father exclaimed: "Minnie, how =rude= you
are!"
Why was Minnie rude? Because she did not say "Excuse me, please," both
to her aunt and her father. We ought =not= to go in front of any one, if
we can by any means avoid it; but, if it is impossible to get behind, we
must never forget to say those little words which Minnie so rudely
forgot.
112. The Man and his Luggage.
A gentleman was travelling in a railway train, and, as there was no one
else in the carriage, he placed his portmanteau and other luggage on the
rack =opposite= to where he sat instead of overhead.
At the next station several people entered the carriage, and, when the
gentleman wanted to get out, he was obliged to reach up in front of the
people sitting opposite to get his luggage. But he did not forget to
say, "Excuse me, please".
(Blackboard.)
When Passing in Front of others, or when Reaching
in Front, always say "Excuse me, please".
LXII. WHEN TO SAY "I BEG YOUR PARDON".
113.
I was talking to a lady one day, and not happening to hear something
that I said, she exclaimed in a loud voice, "=What?=" I was as much
astonished as Minnie's aunt was in Story Lesson 111, and quite forgot
what I had intended to say next. What should the lady have said? She
should have said, "I beg your pardon". Perhaps she had forgotten herself
just that one time.
Suppose you are sitting at table next to mother, who is pouring the tea;
perhaps there is no bread and butter near enough for her to reach, and
you do not notice that her plate is empty. She is obliged to ask you to
pass her something, and as you do so you feel sorry that you have not
done it =without= being asked, and you say, "I beg your pardon, mother".
Some people leave out the "=I=," and say "Beg your pardon," or "Beg
pardon," but the proper words are, "I beg your pardon".
114. The Lady and the Poor Boy.
A young lady was hurrying down a street, and, as she turned the corner
quickly, she nearly ran against a little ragged boy, but by putting out
her arms she just managed to save him from being hurt. Then she rested
her hands on his shoulders, and said in a sweet voice: "I beg your
pardon, my boy". The boy was greatly surprised that any one should beg
=his= pardon; he had not been accustomed to have people speak politely
to him, but the lady knew that it is just as important to be polite to a
beggar as to a fine gentleman.
We should, of course, try =not= to run against people, and be careful
=not= to step on a lady's dress or on any one's toes, but if by accident
we =do= make any of these blunders, we must remember to say, "I beg your
pardon".
(Blackboard.)
When you do not Hear what is said to you,
When you Forget to pass a Plate,
When you Bump against any one,
When you Hurt any one in any way,
Do not Forget to say, "I Beg your Pardon".
LXIII. RAISING CAP.
115.
Why is it, do you think, that a boy raises his cap? It is to show
respect to the lady or gentleman whom he is passing or speaking to.
That was why the boy raised his cap to the lady in Story Lesson 106, and
said "Yes, ma'am;" he wished to show her respect. Soldiers do not raise
their caps to the general or captain; they salute (that is, they raise
the forefinger of right hand to forehead), but it answers the same
purpose--it shows their respect. Why do men and boys take off their caps
and hats when they enter a church or chapel? It is to show reverence to
the God of all who is worshipped there.
Boys should always remember to raise their caps when a lady or gentleman
bows or speaks to them, and also when they enter a house or other place,
such as a church or chapel.
LXIV. ON OFFERING SEAT TO LADY.
116.
A number of soldiers were one day riding in a car, indeed the car was
quite full of soldiers; and at the end there was a general, that is the
man who is at the head of the soldiers.
Presently the car stopped, and a poor old woman entered, but there was
no room for her to sit, and not one of the soldiers had the good manners
to offer her his seat. So the woman walked to the end of the car where
the general sat, that she might stand where she would not be in any
one's way, but the kind general rose instantly, and gave her his place;
that was courteous and kind of him, was it not? Then several of the
other soldiers stood, and asked the general to be seated, but he said:
"No, there was no seat for the poor woman, so there is none for me".
The soldiers were very much ashamed, and soon left the car.
=Why= did the general offer his seat to the old woman? For the same
reason that the boy raises his cap--to show respect to her.
You know how father takes care of mother and lifts heavy weights for
her, and how brothers take care of sisters, and so if there is not room
for everybody to sit, a man or boy will rise, and let a woman have his
place; and they do all this partly because they are strong and like to
do kind acts, and partly because it is nice and right to be courteous to
women.
But a kind woman does not like always to take the seat that is offered
to her. The man may be old or weak, then the woman would say, "Thank
you, I will stand," for she sees that the man needs the seat more than
she does. And if a man had been working hard all day (never sitting down
at all maybe), and he should be coming home tired at night, in the train
or tramcar, one would not like to let =him= stand, and give up his
place.
It is nice and polite for a man to =offer= his seat, and the lady should
always say, "Thank you," whether she takes it or not.
A very old man entered a crowded railway carriage, and a young girl who
was sitting near the door stood up at once and offered the old man her
place, for she knew that he was too weak to stand. So you see that
sometimes it is right for a girl or woman to give up her seat; we must
not let the men do =all= the kind, polite actions.
LXV. ON SHAKING HANDS.
117. Reggie and the Visitors.
One afternoon I called with a friend to see a lady at whose house I had
not been before; she was very pleased to see us, and brought her little
boy, Reggie, into the room where we sat.
"Shake hands with the ladies, Reggie," said his mother; but Reggie
refused, and hid his face in her dress. She explained that he was shy,
and went on coaxing him to come and speak to us. After a great deal of
talking and persuading, he consented to come and shake hands, =if= his
mother would come with him. So she brought him across the room, and held
out his hand, just as you hold out the arm of your doll, when you play
at shaking hands with her.
Would =you= make all that fuss and trouble about shaking hands with any
one? I hope not. It is so silly, as well as ill-mannered.
After this Reggie sat down in a little chair, and tried to put his feet
up on a small table that was near--but you will not care to hear about
such a badly-behaved little boy. And it was not very long before his
mother had to take him from the room screaming, he was so tiresome and
naughty.
If Reggie had tried to please his mother and her visitors, instead of
his little =self=, everybody would have been much happier, and I am sure
=he= would, for selfish people cannot be happy.
Think =first= of others, =last= of self,
Be friendly, kindly all around;
Shake hands with strangers, be polite,
Unselfish, sweet be always found.
LXVI. KNOCKING BEFORE ENTERING A ROOM.
118. The Boy who Forgot.
A lady was sitting in a cottage one morning talking to the person who
lived there, when suddenly, and without any warning knock, or even a
little tap, some one lifted the latch noisily, and pushing the door wide
open, burst into the room, asking, "What time is it?"
The lady looked up to see who the rude intruder could be, and beheld a
little, rosy-faced boy. She called him to her, and placing her hand on
his shoulder said kindly: "My little fellow, do you not know that you
should =knock= at a door before entering, and should say, '=Please=,
will you tell me the time?'" The boy hung his head and looked ashamed,
but we hope he remembered what the lady said to him, and I hope also
that none of you ever forget to
(Blackboard)
Knock at the Door before Entering a Room.
LXVII. HANGING HATS UP, ETC.
119. Careless Percy.
You did not admire the boy (Story Lesson No. 98) who threw his bag here,
his cap there, and his coat somewhere else, did you? neither will you be
likely to admire the little boy in this story.
But come with me--I will take you into the bedroom of a boy named Percy,
who has gone to a party. I am afraid you can scarcely get inside though,
for everything he has taken off is lying on the floor. His coat is flung
behind the door, his collar lies inside the fender, and his trousers are
beside the bed. He has been playing on the bed, you see, for it is all
tossed, and one of the pillows has tumbled on the floor.
Let as take a peep into the nursery, where Percy's play-things are.
There is a railway train on the floor, just as he has been playing with
it; and beyond the train, where he had made a huge castle with all the
bricks he could find, the floor is all strewn over with bricks from the
castle, which has tumbled down.
Who will pick up all these things, and tidy the two rooms that Percy has
left in such a dreadful state? His mother, maybe, who has so many other
things to do. Would =you= leave all your clothes scattered on the floor
for some one else to pick up, instead of folding them neatly yourself?
or would you like another to have the trouble of putting away all your
toys? No, I am sure you would not. None of us want to be selfish, but if
Percy does not mind, =he= will grow up selfish, because he is not taking
thought for others.
Hang up your cap and coat,
And put away your toys,
Save mother all the work you can,
Dear little girls and boys.
The recitation, "Two Little Maids" (_New
Recitations for Infants_) would follow this Story
Lesson appropriately.
LXVIII. HOW TO OFFER SWEETS, ETC.
120. How Baby Did it.
Some one had brought baby a parcel of sweets. They were rather sticky,
but baby did not mind that when the colours were so pretty! There were
pink, blue, red and yellow sweets, and she was greatly pleased with
them. Baby was very kind and unselfish, so she wanted us all to share
her sweets, and picking one out with her little chubby fingers, (which
were not any too clean), she offered it to mamma. You see baby was very
tiny, and had not yet learnt that sweets should always be offered in the
paper or box, and not be touched by the fingers at all. But mamma
explained this to her, and then baby lifted up the paper, and trotted
round to everybody, holding it out, and saying, "Please, take one".
Fruit and nuts should be offered in a plate or dish. It is not nice to
touch with our fingers anything that we are offering to others.
(Blackboard.)
Always offer Sweets in the Paper or Box.
LXIX. YAWNING, COUGHING, AND SNEEZING.
121.
I daresay you have sometime been in a room where a person was sleepy,
and kept yawning continually. You know that by-and-by you begin to do
the same yourself, and it is very disagreeable. A good plan is to run
out of the room and bathe your face in cold water: that will soon make
you feel bright again. It is not nice to yawn, because it makes other
people feel sleepy, and we should never forget to cover the mouth with
the hand: it is very rude to open the mouth wide, and not to put the
hand in front of it.
In coughing and sneezing, people should make as little noise as they
possibly can. Sometimes we hear coughing in church, and the minister can
scarcely speak for the noise. A pocket-handkerchief will soften the
sound a good deal, both in coughing and sneezing.
These are only little things, but they can make others feel
uncomfortable, and you remember we said that it was rude to do
=anything= that caused people to be uncomfortable (p. 110), so do not
forget to
(Blackboard)
Cover the Mouth when Yawning;
Make as Little Noise as Possible when Coughing
or Sneezing.
LXX. HOW A SLATE SHOULD NOT BE CLEANED.
122.
You will have noticed that there is always moisture in your mouth. Where
do you think it comes from? Perhaps you did not know that there were
six tiny fountains in your mouth, two on each side the tongue, and one
in each cheek. When you are well these little fountains pour out the
fluid which keeps your mouth so nice and moist. Sometimes when people
are ill the little fountains do not flow, and the mouth is all dry and
parched, and they are longing to drink all the time.
The fluid that comes from the tiny wells is called saliva, and, when we
eat, it mixes with the food in the mouth, and goes down with it into the
stomach. But this is what I want you to learn, the saliva is never to be
sent out of the mouth in the way that is called "spitting" (an ugly
word, is it not?), and you must remember never to do this, not even when
you are cleaning your slate. You may breathe on your slate, and rub it
dry with your slate rag, though that is not a very nice way. The best
plan of all is to have a damp sponge, as well as a slate rag, and a
well-mannered child would have both.
If there is anything in your mouth that needs to come away, take it out
with your pocket-handkerchief, and remember that the proper way is to
(Blackboard)
Clean your Slate with a Damp Sponge, and Dry with a Slate
Rag, not with a Pocket-handkerchief.
LXXI. THE POCKET-HANDKERCHIEF.
123. Guessing Rhyme.[21]
You have me in your pocket,
I'm square and white, 'tis true,
And many things I'm used for
By children such as you.
(Let children guess answer.--Pocket-handkerchief.)
There is moisture in the nose as well as in the mouth, and we keep a
handkerchief in our pocket to take the moisture away, when it makes us
uncomfortable. A nice, clean child will never be without a
pocket-handkerchief, and he will use it =without having to be told=.
In using a pocket-handkerchief, as in coughing and sneezing, we should
make as little noise as possible, and we should try not to have to use
it at table. If it is necessary to do so, we must turn our head away, as
we should do if we were obliged to cough or sneeze.
(Blackboard.)
Use Pocket-handkerchief Without Being Told,
Making as Little Noise as Possible.
FOOTNOTE:
[21] _Games Without Music_, No. 55.
LXXII. HOW TO BEHAVE AT TABLE.
(ON SITTING STILL AT TABLE.)
124. Phil's Disaster.
Phil was a little boy, and sat on a high chair at the table. He was very
fond of tilting his chair backwards and forwards, which was not
well-mannered, you will say. One dinner time, just as all the dishes had
been placed on the table, and Phil was tilting back as far as ever he
could, it happened that the chair lost its balance, and fell over
backwards, taking Phil with it; and as he grasped the tablecloth in
falling, he drew it with all the dishes on the top of him. Many of the
dishes were broken, and the dinner was all scattered and spoilt. Surely
Phil would never tilt his chair again.
125. Fidgety Katie.
Have you ever sat at table with a child who was never still? Such a
child was Katie! Instead of waiting quietly until every one was served,
she would fidget about on her chair, put her little fat arms on the
table (which you know is a very rude thing to do), and move from side to
side all the time. When at last she was served, her dinner would be
quickly eaten, and then she was impatient to be gone, and kept asking
mother if she might not leave the table, and go to her book or her play.
Now if Katie had thought a little of others, she would not have made
everybody uncomfortable by being so restless. When she was waiting to be
served, and when she had finished, she should have sat quietly with her
hands in her lap. These two stories teach us that
(Blackboard)
We must Sit Still at Table.
(THINKING OF OTHERS AT TABLE.)
126. The Helpful Little Girl.
A very different child from restless Katie (Story Lesson 125) was Hilda,
whose mother had died, and left her little ones to the care of auntie.
When the dinner-bell rang, Hilda would run into the room, and see that
all the chairs were in their places round the table, especially baby's,
for he was much too little to bring his own chair. It was Hilda who
lifted baby into his place, and tied on his "feeder"; and when his plate
was passed, she prepared his food, and took care that it was not too hot
for him.
Hilda's bright eyes were always ready to see anything that was needed:
"Shall I pass you the salt, grandpapa?" "May I give you a little water,
auntie?" No wonder auntie said that Hilda was just like sunshine in the
house, and the reason was that she thought so little of herself, and so
much of those around her. Let us try to be like Hilda; she was much
happier, I am sure, than restless Katie, for there is nothing nicer than
to bring sunshine into the lives of others, and this we do by being
helpful.
(Blackboard.)
Think of Others when you are at Table;
Pass Things and Help all you can.
(UPSETTING THINGS AT TABLE.)
127. Leslie and the Christmas Dinner
We heard of people who were clumsy in another Story Lesson (No. 102),
and I am afraid Leslie was a little like them.
It was Christmas Day, and there was a large family party at
grandmamma's, to which Leslie and his mother were invited. The
dinner-table looked beautiful with its snow-white cloth and shining
silver, and its decorations of Christmas roses and red-berried holly.
The dinner-bell rang, and the guests took their places at the table.
Leslie bounced into the room, and was sitting down on the last chair,
all in a hurry, when he somehow caught the tablecloth, and by dragging
it upset the gravy, and sent it streaming all over the nice, clean
cloth. Leslie was very sorry, and his mother was so uncomfortable at the
thought of his clumsiness, that I am afraid the dinner was spoilt for
=her=. From Leslie we learn to
(Blackboard)
Sit Down Carefully, so as not to Upset Anything.
128. Cherry Stones.
If you were eating plum tart or cherry pudding, how should you manage
with the stones? (Let children try to answer.) When a little bird eats a
cherry, he drops the stone on the ground; the bird has no spoon and fork
to eat with, so that is the best thing he can do.
One day a boy, named Kenneth, was invited out to dinner, and one of the
dishes was cherry tart. There was a custard pudding as well, but Kenneth
thought he would like cherry tart better, and he did not remember that
the stones might be a difficulty until he began to eat it. He felt sure
that it was not right to drop them out of his mouth on to the plate, and
he could not think what else to do. He looked round the table, but no
one else was taking cherry tart, or he might have noticed what another
person did. At last he determined that he would keep all the cherry
stones in his cheek until dinner was over, and put them out afterwards,
when no one was looking. But presently some one told a funny little
story, and, as Kenneth could not help laughing with the rest, out came
the cherry stones, to his great dismay.
The best way is to separate the stone from the cherry on your plate with
the spoon and fork, but if you cannot manage this, take the stone from
your mouth with the spoon, and put it gently on the edge of the plate.
Everybody has to learn these things, and as no one had happened to tell
Kenneth, of course he did not know.
LXXIII. ON EATING AND DRINKING.
129.
Key E.
{:s |d :m |m :m |l :r |r }
1. I must not fill my mouth too full,
{:r |f :r |s :r |m :-- |-- }
Nor ver - y quick - ly eat,
{:m |r :f |m :s |f :l |s }
But take a small piece, chew it well,
{:l |s :m |s :r |d :-- |-- }
And fin - ish all my meat.
2. Food should be carried to my mouth
Upon the fork, I see;
The knife is used to cut, and ought
Not near the lips to be.
3. When pudding comes, the =point= of spoon
Within the mouth may go,
But soup or broth is taken from
The =side= of it you know.
4. Without a noise I eat and drink,
I must not spill my food,
Nor scald my mouth, nor make complaint,
"This is not nice, not good".
130.
Key E.
{|m :-- |m :m |f :f |f :-- }
1. Small bites of bread we take,
{|r :-- |r :r |m :s |s :-- }
And chew it well be - fore
{|l :-- |d :l |s :m |m :-- }
We drink our tea or milk;
{|m :-- |r :l |s :s |s :-- }
We must not ask for more
{|f :-- |r :l |s :m |s :-- }
Un - til we've finished quite,
{|m :-- |r :m |d :d |d :-- }
For that would not be right.
2. If handkerchiefs we use,
Or sneeze or cough, we try,
When seated at our food,
To do it quietly;
And don't forget, I pray,
To turn your head away.
3. When we have finished, then
The knife and fork should lie
Together on our plate,
And hands rest quietly
Within the lap,[22] this wise,
Until mamma shall rise.
(Explain that children should not leave table until mother has done so,
unless she gives them permission.)
FOOTNOTE:
[22] Fold hands in lap.
LXXIV. FINALE.
131. How another Queen Builded.
A great many years ago, a little girl played in a garden in London. Her
father was dead, but she had a dear, good mother, who taught her to
build for herself a good and beautiful character, for the mother knew
that this would be a better thing for the little girl to have than gold
or diamonds, because as the Fairy Queen told us, it =lasts for ever=.
As time went on the little girl grew up, and became a great queen. She
has been a queen now for more than sixty years, and I do not think there
ever was so good a queen, and we are sure there never was one so dearly
loved. The queen has a beautiful gold crown, and beautiful castles and
palaces to live in, but these are not the things she values most. Best
of all, she has all those lovely jewels in her character that we have
been speaking about, with "Truth" for the foundation, and it is all
woven round with the pure gold of "Kindness"; these are the jewels that
are more precious to the great queen than crowns and costly stones.
Do you know the name of this queen? It is our own Queen Victoria.
Why do we love her so much? Not because she is a queen, simply, for
queens have sometimes been wicked, but because she is good, and true,
and kind, and these jewels make up the something that we call
"character," which when built like this is more beautiful than the
Fairies' Temple.
And just think of it: =every= little boy and girl may build up a good,
true character, which is the most precious thing you can have.
The Story Lessons in this book have been written to help each one of
=you= who hear them to build up this beautiful Temple of Character.
The queen believes that a =good= "character" is the best thing in the
world, and I want you all to think so too.
A man who was put in prison for preaching wrote a beautiful book,[23]
which you will read when you are older, and in it there is this story.
The story tells of a man who spent all his time raking up rubbish on the
floor to find gold and other things, and =never once looked up=. But all
the time there was an angel standing behind him with a beautiful crown
in her hand, which she wanted the man to have, but he never saw it.
That is like the people who think of nothing but =self=, instead of
"looking up" and thinking of the beautiful "stones" that build up the
"Temple," which is such a good thing to have, just as the crown was,
which the man did not see. Let us look up and see all that is beautiful
and good, so that we may become like God who made all these things.
FOOTNOTE:
[23] _Pilgrim's Progress._
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Page xiii, "Another" changed to "another" (How another Queen)
Page 41, word "on" added to text (mother had gone on)
Page 59, "Thoughful" changed to "Thoughtful" ("A lovely idea," said
"Thoughtful")
Page 107, "out" changed to "own" (own accord)
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