Read Ebook: The golden pennies by Leslie Madeline

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Ebook has 133 lines and 6694 words, and 3 pages

Barnaby, who with due discretion instantly set the alarm bells ringing, aroused Thomas, and what with the screaming of the women up stairs, the shouting of the men down below, and the ringing of the bells all over the house, the burglars were so frightened, that they took to their heels, leaving all the implements of their trade behind them.

Had it not been for the sagacity of Old Tom, they would have very soon been inside the house.

As the geese, whose loud quacks saved the Capital of Rome, have been honored in the pages of history, so does Old Tom deserve to have his acts recorded by a member of the family to whom he rendered so great a service.

HOW MY PIGEON HELPED ME TO GET MY LESSON.

"I SHALL never know this long lesson," said George Nelson. "I wish there were no such book, then I wouldn't have to get lessons from it."

"What is the matter, George?" asked his grandma, who then entered the room.

"Oh, this lesson!" said George. "I'm sure I can't learn it. Just look! Both of these long columns, and I don't know one word!"

"Well, never mind that; you will soon know every word, if you only keep patiently at it. And then, only think how much more you will know! I wonder if my white pigeon wouldn't help you."

"Your pigeon, grandma! I didn't know you had any pigeons."

"I haven't now; but when I was a little girl, my brother had a pair of beautiful pigeons given him. One was white, the other black. He told me I might call the white one mine. They were both very tame, and would eat corn from our hands. What pleased us most was, that they seemed to know us both; for my brother's pigeon would go and take the corn out of his hand, while mine always came to me. Well, I was going to tell you how mine helped me to get my lesson."

"Did it really help you, grandma?"

"Yes; and it will help you just as it did me."

"I'm sure I wish it would," said George.

His grandma smiled and continued:

"One morning, I was sitting near the window trying to get my spelling lesson. It seemed so hard, that I was sure I could not learn it. I sat there a long time, wishing I knew it, so that I could run out and play. The sun was shining bright, and it looked so pleasant out of doors."

"All at once, I saw my pigeon fly up to its house, and then in a short time, it flew down again to the street. I watched to see what it was doing. It picked up a piece of straw, and flew up as it had done before, and then returned to get another. It did so for a long time."

"It was building its nest; wasn't it, grandma?" asked George.

"Just so; it would fly up with a piece of straw, sometimes with quite long pieces, and when it would get about half way up to the window, the straw would drop down, and then it would go right down after it and pick it up again. I saw it get one piece up three times, and the third time, it reached the window safely."

"Just then, my eyes fell on my book. I thought how much my pigeon had done, while I had been doing nothing; and yet it had only took one straw at a time. My lesson did not seem so long now. I very soon knew the whole of it."

"My lesson looks easier already, grandma. I shall only have to learn one word at a time, and I'll soon know all of them."

George set to work in good earnest, and in a short time he had learned it perfectly.

"Now, George," said his grandma afterwards, "do you think you will remember the pigeon?"

"Oh, I'm sure I shall," said George, laughing. "And when I come to the longest words, I'll do as the pigeon did when the straw fell, I'll go at them again!"

IT'S VERY HARD.

"IT'S very hard to have nothing to eat but porridge, when others have every dainty," muttered Charlie, as he sat with his wooden bowl before him. "It's very hard to have to get up so early on these bitter cold mornings, and work hard all day, when others can enjoy themselves without an hour of labor! It's very hard to have to trudge along through the snow, while others roll about in their coaches!"

"It's a great blessing," said his grandmother, as she sat reading her Bible, "it's a great blessing to have food, when so many are hungry; to have a roof over one's head, when so many are homeless; it's a great blessing to have sight, and hearing, and strength, for daily labor, when so many are blind, deaf, or suffering."

"Why, grandmother, you seem to think that nothing is hard," said the boy, still in the grumbling tone.

"No, Charlie, there is one thing that I think very hard."

"What is that?" cried Charlie, who thought that at last his grandmother had found some cause for complaint.

"Well, Charlie, I think that heart is very hard that is not thankful for so many blessings."

THE MOTHER'S SECRET.

"MOTHER," said a child, ten years of age, "I want to know the secret of your going away alone every night and morning?"

"Why, my child?"

"Because, mother, it must be to see some one you love very much."

"And what leads you to think so?"

"Because I noticed when you come back you appear to be happier than usual."

"Well, suppose I do go to see a friend I love very much, and that, after seeing Him and conversing with Him, I am much happier than before, why should you wish to know anything about it?"

"Because I wish to do as you do, mother, that I may be happy too."

"Well, my child, when I leave you in the morning and evening, it is to commune with my Saviour: I go to ask Him for His grace to make me holy and happy. I ask Him to assist me in all the duties of the day, and especially to keep me from committing any sin against Him; and, above all, I ask Him to have mercy on you, and save you from the misery of those who sin again Him."

"Oh, is that the secret!" said the child. "Then please, mother, may I go with you?"

LITTLE WILLIE.

SOME years ago, a little dark-eyed orphan boy came to my house to stay a few weeks.

There was a little, puny kitten about the house, continually poking its nose into places forbidden, and thereby calling down upon its head the wrath of the housekeeper. Several times, it had been sent whirling through the window or door into the yard.

One day, when it had thus been treated, Willie beheld the scene. He took the kitten up in his arms, stroking its back tenderly, and came into the house.

Pity and indignation mingled in his tremulous tones, when he said, "You must be kind to the little kitten now, for it hasn't got any mother!"

Later in the evening, Willie lay asleep on the carpet, in one hand a knife, and in the other a half-eaten apple. Directly the little kitten came in, and went whining around, until it saw Willie, when, without delay, it ceased its piteous mewing, crawled up close to his bosom, and went to sleep too.

ROBERT AND HIS DOG.

LITTLE Robert was a playful, intelligent lad. He did nothing by halves. If he studied, he did it with all his might, and was sure to be at the head of his class. If he played, it was in right good earnest. Yet he was gentle and affectionate.

He had a famous dog, who shared all his sports, and seemed as happy in them as his master. Lion, for that was his name, would take Robert's dinner-basket in his mouth, and carry it carefully and safely. And he would defend his master from rude boys, as if he were his guardian.

This lad grew up to be a man; but his attachment to Lion never ceased, and he was never known to do a cruel action to a brute creature. He has often been heard to say that he could not trust a boy that was unkind to animals. God made them for our service, but not for cruel sport.

We hope that our readers will strive to cultivate the spirit of kindness to all God's creatures. God sees each kind or unkind action, and He has said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

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