THE UNGRATEFUL SON.
"Hatty is all ready now, ma."
"It is not a very long story, my dear; but it shows God's displeasure
at ingratitude to parents.
"In Birmingham, England, there once lived a family who were poor. The
father died, at last, and all the younger children, leaving the widow
with her two eldest sons. At this time, they had gone into business,
and were able to assist her; but they forgot all she had done for
them, often denying herself food that they might have enough. They
forgot the days and nights she had watched by them in sickness; and,
when she humbly entreated a little help, they refused her.
"She was so feeble that she could do little for her own support, and
was obliged with great reluctance to apply to the parish for
assistance.
"For two years she received the small sum of two shillings a week from
the overseers of the poor, which, with a little help from some
Christian friends, was all she had to live upon.
"During this time the younger of these two sons died; not peacefully
on his bed, trusting that Jesus would forgive all his sins, but in the
most terrible agony both of body and mind, cursing and raving because
he must leave all his property, and go to a world of darkness.
"The eldest son was shrewd in his business, and in a few years became
rich. He was still unmarried; but he refused again and again to assist
his mother, though many persons applied to him in her behalf. He held
offices of trust in the city, but still allowed his infirm mother to
eke out her poor existence on the parish allowance.
"At last his ungrateful, inhuman conduct rendered him so notorious
that he caused her name to be struck off the parish books, and allowed
her the two shillings from his own pocket; but not a penny more, even
when he was possessed of thousands of pounds.
"One day some friends of the old lady were assembled, among whom was
her clergyman. They expressed great indignation at the base
ingratitude of the son, and proposed that a remonstrance be drawn up.
"'No,' said the minister; 'if that man dies possessed of the property
which he is now worth, I shall be greatly deceived. God will never
suffer such base ingratitude to prosper.'
"Shortly after, the mother died a happy death, and very soon the
prospects of her wicked son began to change. He met with great losses;
and finally he was reduced to poverty as abject as his mother's had
been. No one pitied him; but all felt his suffering was richly
deserved, and was a just punishment for his sin."
"What a wicked man!" cried Frederick. "I would never do so; I would
have you live with me, ma, and take care of you all your life."
Mrs. Carleton kissed her boy and softly whispered in his ear,--
"Thank you, my darling;" and then it was time for them to get their
Bibles, and read aloud in turn. Afterward Mrs. Carleton knelt, and
prayed for herself and her absent husband, and for their dear
children, that God would make them sensible of all his blessings and
would give them hearts to praise him for his great mercies.
Fred usually fell asleep almost as soon as his head touched the
pillow; but this night he was very wakeful. The stories he had heard,
both from his teacher and his mother, led him to think of the end of
wicked men; and he resolved, as he had never done before, that, with
God's help, he would try to be a consistent Christian.
Especially he thought of his father, and wondered where he was, how
soon he would be home, and what kind of a present he would bring this
time.
Fred's father was a sea-captain. He had once been very successful in
business; but two years before the time I have written about, his
vessel was wrecked, and he barely escaped with his life.
As he could not afford to lose his time in waiting for the command of
a new ship, he took the situation of first mate, in which he had
continued ever since. It was now a few days more than a year since he
sailed, and Hatty noticed that her mother began to watch the clouds
more than she had done, while she supposed him too far off the coast
to be affected by storms. Still as he was not now the captain, he
might not be able to leave the vessel at once, even if it had arrived
in port.
Mrs. Carleton said little to her children of the subject which filled
her heart; but night after night, while they were soundly sleeping,
she prayed that he from whom she had been separated so many weary
months might be brought in safety to his home.