and His name is in it a great many times," said Daisy, "and I think it
seems like taking it in vain to play with it or to put things upon it,
or to knock it about like our other school-books. And it is not right
to say 'the Lord knows,' and 'mercy,' and 'gracious,' and such words,
when we are just playing, or when we are provoked."
"What is the harm?" asked Rosie. "Mercy and gracious are not God's
name."
"Well, no," said Daisy, slowly, not exactly knowing how to explain
herself. "And maybe I make a mistake; but it does seem to me as if it
was a kind of--of--"
"Of little swearing, as Lily says," said Lola.
"Yes," said Daisy. "Rosie thinks it is no harm; but even if it is not
much harm, I don't see what is the good of it. We can talk just as well
without saying such words."
"I guess they are pretty wicked," said Lily. "The day mamma went away,
I said 'good heavens,' and she said 'Lily! Lily!' very quick, like she
does when I do something very naughty, and she asked me where I learned
that; and I told her Elly said it. I didn't mean to tell a tale about
Elly; but mamma looked sorry, and she told me never to say it again. I
guess 'mercy' is 'most the same, and I guess I won't say it any more;
and, Daisy, if I hear the other girls say those words, I'll help you
correct 'em."
Lily promised this with an air of such grave importance that the other
children laughed. Not in the least abashed, Lily went on,--
"Papa's coming home day after to-morrow, and I'll ask him to tell me a
whole lot about God's name, and why it is wrong to say those things;
and then I'll tell all you girls. But I'm not coming to school any more
when mamma comes home; so you'll have to come to my house, and I'll
have a swearing class, and teach you all about it."
Lily's words might have been taken with a different meaning from that
which she intended to give them; but the other children understood her,
and that was enough.
"But, Daisy," said Lola, "how do you know so much about these things
when you don't know a great deal about every-day lessons, and have had
no one to teach you for so long?"
"I don't know," said Daisy. "I think my own mamma who was drowned used
to teach me in the home I used to have;" and the dreamy look came into
her eyes which they always wore when she spoke of her far-away home and
those she had loved there. "I think I've forgotten a good many things,"
she added; "but you know I couldn't forget what mamma taught me about
Jesus and what He wanted us to do if we loved Him. And I think if we do
love Him we won't say words about His name, His heaven, or any thing
that is His, that are not very good and gentle, and that we are very
sure He would like us to say."
"But you are so _very_ particular, Daisy," said Minnie; "I think you
are most _too_ particular."
"I didn't think we could be too particular about doing what Jesus
likes," said Daisy.
The other children had all gathered about Daisy, and were listening
with interest to what she said. Perhaps they heard her with more
patience than they would have given to any one else; for Daisy was a
kind of mystery to them, and they looked upon her as a sort of fairy
or princess in disguise, and would not have been at all surprised to
hear the most extravagant stories about her, for she was "just like a
story-book child." Lily had said so one day when she was speaking of
her at home.
"No," said Lola, thoughtfully; "but it does not seem as if such little
things could be wrong. I know it can't be right to play with the
Bible or say its words just when we are joking or for our own common
talk; but I don't see the harm of saying 'goodness,' or 'mercy,' or
'heavens,' or those words which you never will say, Daisy; they are not
God's name, and I don't see how it is taking it in vain to say them."
Daisy looked thoughtful. She felt she was right, and wanted to explain
herself; but she was rather shy and could not find words to do so.
But Lily, whom shyness never troubled, came to her aid.
"Never mind," she said: "I'll ask papa just as soon as he comes home,
and he'll tell us all about it; and if he says it is naughty, why, it
is, and we won't do it; and if he says it's good enough, why, we will.
That's the way to fix it."
Here the bell rang.
"There, now," said Susy Edwards, "we have to go in, and we've wasted
all our time talking, and never had a bit of good of our recess."
But I think Susy was mistaken, and that they had one and all gained
more good from their talk than they could have done from any amount
of play; for it had set more than one young mind thinking; and from
this day, even the most careless among them would check herself when
she found she was on the point of using these words which had grown
so common among them, more from want of thought than from any wish or
temptation to do wrong.
[Illustration]
THE SWEARING CLASS.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
VII.
THE SWEARING CLASS.
WHEN Lily's papa and mamma came home, she was so glad to see them, and
there was so much to hear and to talk about, that she quite forgot her
purpose of asking her father to teach her about the third commandment.
Besides, she no longer went to school now that her mother was at home,
but had her lesson each day with her as she had done before Mrs. Ward
went on her journey; and so she was not as apt to hear or to say those
careless words which Daisy Forster had said it was not right to use.
But it was at last brought to her mind one evening as the family all
sat at the tea-table.
"Mamma," said Ella, "will you let Lily and me have a tea-party
to-morrow? I want to ask half a dozen of our girls, and I suppose Lily
would like to have a few of the little ones at the same time."
"Yes," answered Mrs. Ward, "you may each ask six of your most intimate
friends."
"Can Walter and I ask some of the fellows?" said Ned.
"Oh, mercy! no," said Ella: "we don't want any boys. It is not to be a
regular party, Ned. I just want the girls to spend the afternoon and
drink tea; and it makes more fuss to have boys too."
"Goodness me! You needn't get into such a way about it," said Ned.
"Children," said Lily, her brother's and sister's words bringing back
to her what Daisy had said, "children, you needn't either of you swear
about it."
Lily's efforts to keep the family straight were generally considered
as a good joke, and her reproofs and advice received with a laugh; but
this plain speaking was rather _too_ much for either Ella or Ned, and
the former exclaimed,--
"Well, who is swearing, I'd like to know?"
"And who gave you leave to correct your elders?" said Ned.
"Nobody: I just took it," said unabashed Lily; and then, turning to her
father, she exclaimed, "Papa, I b'lieve the girls in our school are
pretty heathen, and don't know enough about the comman'ments. So I told
them we'd have a swearing class, and I'd ask you to teach it, 'cause
I s'pose you know a good deal about swearing; and this will be a good
chance when they come to-morrow."
This speech turned the vexation of Ella and Ned into amusement, and
they laughed with the others.
"I don't think your playmates will thank you for asking them here to
take tea and then bringing them up for a lecture from me, my pet," said
Mr. Ward.
"Yes: they will, papa. They want to know about it, and I think we'd
better make a swearing party of this. I b'lieve it would do those big
girls good too. They swear, oh, dreadfully! and they don't seem to
think they do, least Cora don't. Mamma, let's make a rule we won't have
any swearing in this house: won't you?"
"Certainly," said mamma, smiling; "and I think we must find out what
_swearing_ is, and be careful not to break the rule."
"If one is going to call 'goodness' and 'mercy,' and such things,
swearing, one might as well give up talking altogether," said Ella.
"Perhaps not exactly swearing," said her father; "but the use of them
is a bad habit, and one that I have noticed is quite too frequent among
all the young people of this place. It is growing stronger too, as all
such habits do, and going from bad to worse. But I must go out now, and
have not time to talk to you about it. If Lily can persuade her little
friends to take the 'swearing class,' as part of their afternoon's
entertainment to-morrow, well and good; if not, we will have a little
private talk among ourselves some other time."
Ella was not at all pleased by Lily's proposal; and hoping that it
would pass from the child's mind before the afternoon, she was careful
not to make her remember it by the use of any such words as had called
forth Lily's reproof.
This had very nearly proved successful; and in the excitement of
arranging her baby-house, setting out the new tea-set mamma had brought
her, and dressing the doll which had been papa's present, Lily had
almost forgotten her plan for mingling wholesome instruction with the
amusement provided for her young friends.
There were Lola and Violet Swan, Daisy Forster, Rosie Pierson, Minnie
Grey, and Bessie Norton; and they were all having a real good time
sitting around a small table and playing tea out of the new china set,
when Minnie said,--
"I have a secret to tell all of you, if you'll promise never to tell."
"I won't," said Violet.
"On your sacred word and honor?" said Minnie.
"On my sacred word and honor," repeated Violet.
"And you, Rosie?" asked Minnie.
"On my word and honor," said Rosie.
"Sacred?" said Minnie.
"Sacred. Sacred word and honor," was Rosie's answer.
Lily repeated the words as desired, and next came Daisy's turn.
"I won't tell," she said, when Minnie looked at her.
"On your sacred word and honor?" asked Minnie.
"I promise I won't tell, Minnie."
"But you must say on your word and honor."
"I can't," said Daisy.
"Then I shan't tell you; and you're real mean, Daisy Forster," said
Minnie. "Why won't you say so?"
"I don't see why I need, and I don't know if it is quite right,"
answered Daisy, coloring.
"Oh, Daisy Forster, what a girl you are!" said Rosie.
"Well," said Lily, "there's nothing left, 'cept these two caramels.
Daisy, you eat up this; and, Bessie, you eat up the other. Now
the tea-party is all done, and we'll go and ask papa about that
comman'ment. He's been playing croquet with the big girls, but they
seem to be resting now."
Lily was right. Mr. Ward had been persuaded to make the eighth in a
game of croquet, for he was a great favorite with all the young people
in Glenwood, and his presence never put any check upon their games or
pleasure parties.
But the afternoon proved rather warm for exercise, even the gentle one
of bewitching croquet; and, after a long game was finished, the whole
party were ready to agree to Ella's proposal that they should take a
rest, and send to the house for some cooling drink.
So Mr. Ward was at liberty to attend to Lily, when she came rushing up
to him, followed, rather more slowly, by the rest of the children.
"Papa," she said, throwing herself across his knee, as he sat upon
the green mound which was raised about the foot of one of the fine
elm-trees which shaded the croquet-ground, "papa, Daisy says we
oughtn't to say upon our words and honors! Oughtn't we? And will you
teach us about taking God's name in vain now? It's the _singalest_
circumstance, but I went and forgot all about the swearing class, till
Daisy said that."
"A very singular circumstance, certainly;" said Mr. Ward, lifting Lily
to a seat upon his knee, and smiling, while the other girls laughed at
her speech. "I am quite willing to have a little talk with you all on
this subject; but tell me first what you want to know."
"Daisy is so awfully particular, Mr. Ward," said Minnie, in an
aggrieved tone. "She won't let us say any thing; at least, she says
every thing is 'wrong.'"
"Every thing?" said Mr. Ward: "that is bad. Does Daisy want you all to
keep silence? That _must_ spoil your play."
"Oh, no!" said Minnie, "not that; but she says such lots of things are
wrong to say. Why, sir, she won't say 'upon her word and honor,' 'cause
she don't think it is right."
"Why do you want her to say it?" asked Mr. Ward.
"I was just going to tell them all a great secret, and I wanted her to
promise, on her sacred word and honor, she would never tell; and she
wouldn't do it."
"So Daisy is apt to break her promises, is she?" said the gentleman,
with a smile at Daisy, which told very plainly that he was only joking.
"Oh, no, sir!" said Minnie. "Indeed she is not. Daisy always tells the
truth, and never does what she says she won't; at least, we never knew
her to do it: did we, girls?"
A chorus of young voices was raised in Daisy's favor.
"And yet you cannot trust her unless she swears to what she promises,"
said Mr. Ward.
"Swears, sir!" said Minnie. "I'm sure I don't want her to swear! 'Word
and honor' are not bad words, are they?"
"Not in themselves, certainly;" answered Mr. Ward. "Many a thing which
is good in itself when properly used, becomes bad and hurtful if put to
a wrong purpose. Now to swear is to say, by some word or person which
you consider holy and sacred, that you will or will not do, that you
have or have not done, a certain thing. Suppose some man were accused
of a crime, and that the judge were about to try him, and punish him if
he were guilty, and it was thought that I knew whether or no the man
had done that of which he was accused. So I am called to the court,
and there made to promise that I will tell the truth, and nothing but
the truth; and to make sure of this I am made to lay my hand on the
Bible,--God's holy word,--and call upon Him, to hear me tell what I
know. And this is considered a very solemn thing, even by many who
have little care or respect for God in other ways; and it is called
swearing, or taking the oath."
"They ought to be 'shamed of theirselves," said Lily, indignantly;
"they ought to know you would never tell a story, papa. And to go and
make you swear too! I wouldn't do it if I was you; but I'd tell 'em the
third comman'ment, and run away fast from them."
"But if this is done in the fear of God, and as a sort of prayer that
He will hear and help us to tell that which is true, it is not taking
His name in vain, Lily," said Mr. Ward; "and to do it falsely is
considered even by men to be a great crime. This is called perjury;
and if any one is found guilty of it, he is severely punished by the
law. Now it may be wise, and even necessary, for a man to take an
oath at such a time as this, when the very life of another may depend
on whether he tells the truth or no; but it can hardly be necessary
for one little girl at play with another to make her promise sure by
swearing to it. For to say 'by your sacred word and honor' is neither
more nor less than a sort of swearing or taking an oath that what you
say is true."
"Then we'll make a rule not to say it any more," said Lily. "We
didn't know it was naughty before, papa. But please tell us now about
other words. Daisy says we mustn't say 'mercy,' and 'gracious,' and
'heavens,' and maybe we mustn't; but why is that swearing? Swearing is
taking God's name in vain, and how do such words take His name in vain
if we don't speak it? And she thinks playing with the Bible, or saying
its words when we are playing or just talking common talk, is taking
God's name in vain, too. Is it?"
"I will tell you," said Mr. Ward. "Suppose, Lily, that some great king
or queen, or the president of our own country, were to come here; would
you not wish to be particularly polite and respectful to them, both in
your manner and way of speaking?"
"Um-m-m, I don't know," answered Lily, doubtfully; "not partic'lar. I
guess I'd just as lieve be saucy to them as to any one else."
Mr. Ward saw this would not do, at least, not for Lily: he must go
higher than earthly rulers.
"Suppose, then," he said, "that Jesus should come down here among us,
so that we could see Him with our eyes, walking and talking with us,
what would you all do?"
"I'd fall down and worship Him," said Minnie.
"I'd listen to every word He said, and never speak one myself for fear
I should miss one," said Daisy; "and then I'd remember them all the
days of my life."
"Dear child!" said Mr. Ward, laying his hand fondly on hers: "I believe
you do treasure your Lord's words and try to live according to them."
"I'd ask Him to put His hand on my head and bless me just as He did
those other little children when He was on earth before," said Lola,
softly.
"So would I. And I'd be glad there were no disciples to forbid us to
come to Him," said Lily. "I s'pose they thought Jesus wouldn't care
about children; but He did, didn't He? And you wouldn't think so, papa,
would you?" and the little child laid her hand lovingly against her
father's cheek. "I'd keep very close to Him all the time He was here,
and take fast hold of His hand, only I wouldn't be troublesome, but
just keep as still as a mouse; and I'd give Him every thing of mine
that He wanted."
"So you would all show your love and reverence for Him by every means
in your power," said Mr. Ward, "trying not to grieve or offend Him
by treating His name or His presence with the least carelessness or
disrespect, but letting Him see that you honored the one and were
blessed by the other: is it not so?"
"Yes, sir," came from the older as well as the younger children.
"And if, after He had gone away, He should send you each a letter,
telling you what He wanted you to do, how you were to love and serve
Him, and in which you would find all the advice, help, and comfort you
might need at any time,--how would you treat that letter?"
"I'd keep it all my life, and take such good care of it," said Rosie.
"I'd read it, and read it, and read it; and kiss it, and kiss it, and
kiss it," said Lily, "and then I'd put it in my bosom, and keep it, oh!
so carefully."
"And so would I, and I, and I," said the rest, satisfied to have Lily
for spokeswoman.
"And if you saw any one misusing that letter, how would you feel?"
asked Mr. Ward.
"I'd be very provoked with them," answered Lily, "and I think I
wouldn't love them any more, 'cept it was you, papa, or mamma, or Elly,
or any one of my own that I _have_ to love; and then I'd cry, and ask
you not to serve my Jesus' letter so."
"You mean the Bible is Jesus' letter to us: don't you, sir?" asked
Daisy.
"Yes; and, dear children, our Lord's presence is here among us as much
as if He were in man's form which He once wore on earth. His ear is as
quick to hear our words of love and praise, or those of carelessness
and disrespect, as it was then; His eye as ready to see the use we make
of the precious Word He has given us. But we forget this when we use
His book more carelessly than we would any gift from an earthly friend,
or when we take His name lightly or without thought upon our lips. To
do this is to take it in vain, and it displeases Him."
"But, Mr. Ward," said Minnie, "it is not cursing and swearing to say
'mercy,' and 'gracious,' and 'good Lord,' and such things, is it?"
"Not cursing, certainly: that is to use God's name profanely, or to
call on Him to destroy us or other people; and this is a most terrible
sin. But, Minnie, the use of such words in play or thoughtlessness is a
bad habit, and leads to worse. Suppose a man breaks open a bank here,
and takes all the money from it: that is stealing, is it not?"
"Why, yes, sir," answered Minnie.
"And suppose you take a sugar-plum belonging to your sister: it is a
very small thing compared to the money taken from the bank, but is it
not stealing, all the same?"
"Yes, sir; and if I was to be so bad as to take Julia's sugar-plums,
I'm afraid I'd maybe steal something worse some time."
"Just so," said the gentleman; "and now you see why it is not wise or
right to make use of such expressions. It is, as Lily says, a kind of
little swearing, and may lead to worse. Besides, it is very useless.
You can surely believe one another,--unless, indeed, it is some false
and deceitful child,--without saying 'upon your sacred word and honor,'
'as sure as you live,' 'Heaven knows,' and so forth. And there is so
little temptation to fall into this sin that it seems strange it should
be so common. There is nothing to be gained by it, even of this world's
good,--no pleasure, no profit. It is only an idle, useless habit,
most displeasing and vexing to the holy ear of Him whose commandment
we break without thought or care. Goodness and mercy and graciousness
belong to the Almighty; and so, too, we must take heed that we do not
speak of what belongs to Him in an irreverent, careless way. And now I
think we have had enough talk on this subject for this afternoon. You
did not ask your friends here that I might lecture them."
"Oh, yes! I did, papa," said Lily; "for we all deserved it very much,
'specially the big girls. But, papa, do you believe the Lord troubles
Himself to know where the girls put an old, worn-out cushion, and such
things; and if He does, ought we to say He does?"
"God knows every thing, Lily; even the smallest trifle is seen by Him;
but it is very wrong to say, in a heedless way, 'the Lord knows,' for
I suppose that is what you mean. And this very thought, that His eye
and His ear are always with us, noticing every word and look, knowing
the very feelings of our hearts, should make us all the more careful
how we use His holy name. I am glad this question has come up among
you; for heedlessness in using God's name, and other sacred words, in
quoting Scripture,--talking Bible, my Lily calls it,--and other such
habits, were becoming too common, I fear, among all the young people
in Glenwood; and we older ones too, I believe, fall too often into the
custom. We have, too many of us, constant need of the prayer, 'Set a
watch, O Lord, upon my mouth; keep the door of my lips.'"
"It is Daisy's doing, sir, that we have come to think of this," said
honest Cora. "I, for one, have been very thoughtless about offending
God in this way, and have set a bad example to the rest. I believe the
little ones have caught it from us larger girls, and we have to thank
Daisy that she has taught us a better lesson."
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
DAISY'S NAME.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
VIII.
DAISY'S NAME.
"INDADE, now, and hasn't me words come true, sir? For wasn't I afther
tellin' ye she was as nate a little lady as iver stepped in two shoes?"
said Betty Macarthy, as she stood with her arms akimbo, her head on one
side, and her honest face one broad glow of delight and satisfaction,
gazing at the dainty-looking little creature who stood before her, her
young face bright with as much pleasure as Betty's own.
For Daisy's old friend had come to live at Mrs. Forster's; and this was
the way it had been brought about.
The lady had wanted a laundress; and, thinking that Betty, who had once
held that post in her father's family, might know of one, had begged
the General to ask her.
No sooner had he put the question than Betty eagerly answered she
should be only too glad of the place herself; for she was tired of her
present position, and a countrywoman of her own was ready to take it
off her hands, stock, fixtures, goodwill, and all. "For her heart was
sore for the child," Betty said, and to be where she could see her
every day, and to live once more with "Miss Gertrude," would be almost
as much happiness as she could wish for; and then she would try to put
Jack out with some gardener to learn his trade, for which he had always
had a turn.
So the General, having talked the matter over with his wife, and
mindful of the generous care and kindness shown to their Daisy by these
poor people, not only told Betty she should come to live with them, but
also put Jack under his own gardener, though there was really no need
of any more hands about the place.
Thus did the "bread cast upon the waters" by this kind-hearted
Irishwoman, come back to her, blessed sevenfold.
Nothing was told to Daisy of this arrangement till one afternoon, when
the General had returned from the city, Mrs. Forster said to her, "I am
going to speak to the new laundress and gardener's boy. Come with me,
Daisy;" and half wondering, the little girl obeyed.
But her surprise soon changed into delight and gratitude when she saw
who the new domestics were; for, in spite of all the pleasure she felt
in her new way of life, Daisy's loving little heart often longed for
the old friends who had been so good to her in her time of need, and
she wanted not only to see them, but to share some of her many comforts
with them.
So you may know how glad she was when her eye fell upon the two figures
standing by the back door, and she knew that they had been brought to
live in the same place with her.