EARLY TRAINING.
As the daily teaching continued, Mrs. Worthington taught her children
many helpful lessons. She told them of the great necessity of a Savior
and of his mission to humanity. She taught them how God looked upon
disobedience, and always illustrated her talks with interesting Bible
stories and their every-day experiences. In this way she taught them not
only the evil effects of wrong-doing but also the sure reward of
right-doing.
One summer, while the family was spending their vacation in Michigan at
the pretty country home of an aunt, something happened that helped the
children to apprehend their mother's meaning. This incident, although in
some measure painful to Mrs. Worthington, impressed the lesson upon
their young minds almost better than anything else could have.
The house was situated upon a hill that sloped gradually down to the
shore of a lake. In many ways this lake was very attractive, especially
to the two little girls, who were then at the ages of two and four
years. Mrs. Worthington carefully warned the children of the danger of
playing near the lake shore; but, not realizing the greatness of their
temptation, she trusted them too far. Time after time they made their
way down to the water's edge. Something must be done; but what?
One morning Mr. Worthington noticed his little daughters standing in
front of the house. Although he could not hear their words, he clearly
perceived that they were talking about a trip to the forbidden lake.
They hesitated some time, but at last walked slowly down the hillside to
the lake. Again they hesitated. Finally descending the steps of the
boat-house, they stepped into the sparkling water. How dainty the
ripples about their feet, and how clear the water!
"Surely there can be no harm or danger," thought Bessie; but she
remembered the oft-repeated warnings of her parents and aunt. The
shells lost their beauty when she remembered hearing her father say that
bears sometimes travel up and down the shores. What if a bear should
some that morning? She gave a quick, searching glance among the trees,
but, seeing nothing, she tried to forget about bears. She might have
been able to forget about them, but she could not forget that she was
disobedient. Her conscience would not let her; the more she tried to
forget, the louder it talked. She was just about to take her little
sister back to the house, when she heard a rustling among the branches
of a tall tree directly above the path over which she must pass. The
next moment she thought she heard a low growl. "O Louise," she cried, "I
do believe that is the bear papa told us about." The tree then began to
sway from side to side and they heard another growl, louder than the
first. Seizing her little sister's hand, Bessie hastened to help her out
of the water. By this time both were thoroughly frightened; for while
visiting one of the parks in Chicago once, they had seen a bear hug his
keeper until he could not stand. Bessie remembered the incident and
tried to help Louise to hurry; but when the tree shook again, this time
just above her, she screamed wildly and ran a few steps alone. When she
got past the danger-point her reason returned, and, looking back, she
saw her sister's great danger, as she stood just beneath the fatal tree.
Rushing back, she almost carried Louise (while the growling continued),
and they were soon up the hill. In the house they told of their strange
experience, the substance of the story being, "The bear; The bear!"
Mr. Worthington soon joined the excited circle and secretly explained to
his wife that he had been the supposed bear and that he had taken this
course to teach the children a lesson. His plan was successful, for
after that the children did not care to go to the lake alone.
Mrs. Worthington, however, was very sad because her children had been
deceived. Unlike her husband, who was not a Christian, she believed in
keeping the confidence of her children and in praying with them when
they were disobedient. She decided to be more prompt and watchful in the
future and to shield them from temptation as much as possible.
She improved the opportunity for some wholesome instruction. From the
stories of Jonah and King Saul she brought forth some excellent lessons
on disobedience. She told the children that, although they might think
when tempted to disobey that nobody saw them, yet there was one whose
eye was ever beholding their deeds, whether good or bad. Then she knelt
in prayer with her children, praying with a full heart to that God who
is everywhere present and from whom all our strength must come, that he
would teach her how to guide the precious souls entrusted to her care.