A SATURDAY AT HOME.
After we are once six years old, the most of us have to spend more
days, as children, in the school than out of it; and whether Saturday
does us very much good, I do not know. The lessons are nearly always
not as well prepared on Monday as on other days, for too much time to
prepare is about as bad as too little. And then, too, we sometimes
forget over Sunday, what we have studied for Monday; but, it is better
not to know the lessons on Monday, than to study them on Sunday.
Sunday is the Lord's day. The best way of all, however, is to study on
Friday and Saturday nights, and then get up a little earlier on Monday
morning and review before school time.
Saturday is an off day generally. Girls have a good deal of work to do
about the house and boys have a good deal to do about the barn, and
sometimes they have to work pretty hard.
Charlie had finished his chores as soon as he could that day and was
in the house.
Bessie was very busy fixing her dollies' dresses, for she had five
dollies, and they always were so hard on their clothes.
"Boys will be boys," grown up people often say, and Charlie oftentimes
would give vent to his boyish nature by just teasing whoever would be
teased. He teased Bessie a good deal, and mamma too. He made Dash, his
dog, stand in the corner.
He would hide in the evening when his papa came home, until he would
hear what he would say upon missing him, then come out from behind the
stove, behind the door, or under the table, laughing heartily.
On this particular Saturday, Charlie was through with his work, and
while he was helping his mother a good deal in the house, he took to
teasing her.
Presently she said, "Charlie, don't do that, for it is not right."
He said nothing to this correction, but went quietly out of the house.
After a little while he came hurriedly in again saying: "Mamma, you
said I was doing wrong. I went out to the barn, and crawled up into
the hay mow, and I prayed to God to forgive me, for I don't want to do
wrong. Will He forgive me, mamma, and will you?"
"Certainly I will forgive you, Charlie, and God will too. Try not to
do it any more," answered his mother, as she was wondering if she had
not spoken too harshly to her boy.
Some schoolmates came in then and they all went down to the swing
under the apple tree, where they had a good time together.
After they all had a turn swinging, they played "catcher" around the
house, and "hide and seek," and other games as all children know. At
about five o'clock the little visitors all went home.
Some men passed along the road talking very loud and swearing. One of
them had been drinking. Charlie and Bessie were looking at their mother
as she was doing some evening's work when, in a very thoughtful mood,
Charlie said: "Mamma, don't you wish you'd 'a' never had any children?"
"No, Charlie. Why?" said she.
"Well, so many people are so bad,--swearing and getting drunk. Suppose
I should turn out that way. Really, I wish I'd die while I'm little."
"So do I," said Bessie.
"Why children, children, you must not talk that way. What would your
papa and I do?" said their mother, almost choking on her words, for
Charlie had said that a number of times before. "Who made you?" she
asked.
"God" they answered.
"Well then," continued their mamma, "you ought to want to live as long
as you can, so you could serve Him more. He wants us to do all the
good we can."
Both children went into the sitting room, and Charlie got his little
account book and figured up how much money he had on interest, and how
much the interest was, and counted how much he had in his bank, and
then added it all up together. "Bessie" he said, "when I get big I'm
going to go to college and pay my own way. See if I don't." Then they
played together till they got into a little difficulty, and both ran
out to "tell mamma" all about it.
That night Bessie did not go to sleep as soon as usual. 'Twas the same
the night before. She seemed troubled. Her mamma thought she was
sick. Presently Charlie suggested, "Mamma, I'll bet I know what's the
matter with Bessie."
"Well, why don't you tell me, Charlie? I do want to know," said their
mamma.
"Bessie wants to join the church," he replied, and his little sister
began crying in earnest, and soon cried herself to sleep.