DICK IN TROUBLE.
MANY of the children in Annesley were in the habit of going to school
barefoot through the warm weather. Dick had often urged his mother to
let him go without shoes. This she had decidedly refused.
The second week in September was extremely warm. One day Richard was
going home from school with a companion, when the boy said:
"I wouldn't wear shoes this hot day, for any thing, it's so much cooler
without them."
"I'd like to try it," answered Dick.
"Why don't you, then?"
"Perhaps I shall this afternoon."
He intended at the time to make one more plea with his mother; but when
the hour came she was busy with household duties; and there was a grave
expression on her face which did not look very hopeful. He went out the
back door to be by himself.
"I have a good mind to try it," he began. "Mother hasn't said any thing
about it this great while, so I shouldn't be disobeying. I'll hide my
shoes here and put them on before she knows it."
"If you are not disobeying, why do you hide them?" asked conscience.
Dick knew he was doing wrong; and he did not deceive himself by any
more arguing. "Mother don't know how hot my feet are with shoes and
stockings," he said to himself, "or she wouldn't make me wear them."
After he had gone, the door bell rang; and Mrs. Stuart answered it. It
was a beggar who wanted food and old clothes. When she had supplied
his wants to the best of her ability, she saw him take something from
beneath the front steps, and hide it under his coat.
"Mother! mother!" cried little Lyman, rushing into the house. "Man has
got Dick's shoes."
"Are you sure Dick did not wear shoes to school?"
"I saw him take 'em off under the steps."
Oh, Dick! Could you have seen your mother's face then, not angry; but,
so sad, so grieved that you had disobeyed her, you would have been
sorry I am sure!
Mrs. Stuart sat down with a sigh to a basket full of mending. She was
not fond of mending, and now the holes to be patched were many and
large. She felt discouraged but not at the work. She did not even
think of that. She was grieving for her boy, who had disobeyed her and
displeased his heavenly Father.
"I did hope he was a Christian child," she said half aloud. "I thought
he had begun to remember that he was not his own—that he was bought
with a price,—that he had pledged himself to obey Christ's commands.
What if he had deceived himself?"
Tears rolled down her cheeks and fell on her work. At last she
reflected that he was only a child, liable to fall into temptation. "I
will wait and see whether he confesses," she said. "If he does, I will
freely forgive him, and I will pray God to forgive him."
Her husband looked into the room and was surprised to see instead of
her usual bright smile, a clouded face.
"What is it?" he asked.
She told him What had occurred and her own fears about her boy.
"Dick is trying to be like his Master," was his encouraging reply. "I
am sure of that; but like all the rest of us, he sometimes yields to
the temptations of the arch deceiver. I feel sure his conscience will
not let him rest till he has confessed, both to God and to his mother."
"I hope not, husband."
In a few minutes a wagon drove up to the door, and one of their
neighbors, a young farmer, sprang to the ground.
"Why there's Dick!" exclaimed Mrs. Stuart growing very pale. "I hope
nothing has happened."
Mr. Pond took the boy in his arms and brought him into the kitchen.
"I was going by the school house," he explained, "while the children
were out at recess. There was a scream and presently the teacher found
that Dick had stepped with his bare feet on some glass. She tried to
stop the bleeding and then asked me to bring him home.
"You'd better let me carry him up stairs. He's a pretty good armful."
All this time Dick had avoided his mother's eye; and did not speak a
word. Only when his father took off the handkerchief bound around his
foot, and pressed the place with his finger the tears ran down his pale
cheeks.
"Does it hurt you, dear?" asked his mother.
He bowed his head.
"Was it a large piece of glass, Dick?"
"No, sir, it was window glass. We were playing catch and I stepped on
it."
Dick sobbed so much his father could scarcely understand.
"I'm afraid there is glass in his foot now," urged the gentleman. "If
so we must have the doctor here, with his forceps."
Dick gasped. "I don't think there's any in it," he sobbed.
"I'll do it up," said Mrs. Stuart. "If he is no better in the morning,
we will have the Doctor examine it."