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Read Ebook: Stories from Switzerland by Malan C Sar
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Ebook has 406 lines and 36449 words, and 9 pages
Page.
The pleasure of being able to read 3
Are you happy when you are cross? 9
Maurice; or, the way of the slothful is a hedge of thorns 14
The real friend 20
Idle Dick 29
The lady-bird 56
The lost child 61
Real charity 67
Providence; or, the mother and child 75
Lucy; or, "I will not be naughty again, Papa." 90
A lesson of mercy 102
Mountain John and the bear 111
Hymns for children 125
One blow of the chisel does not make a statue 134
STORIES FROM SWITZERLAND
FOR
JUVENILE READERS.
THE PLEASURE OF BEING ABLE TO READ.
Boys and girls who have learned to read, are able to examine the Holy Bible, which is the book that tells us about God, and from which we learn about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
They can also read this blessed book to aged persons who were not taught when they were young, and to blind people, or those who are sick.
I am about to relate a little story upon this subject.
Mr. Williams was one day walking in the fields; as he passed through a meadow in which some sheep were feeding, he saw a little boy about eight years old sitting under a tree. He was quite idle, and gaped and stretched his arms about as if he felt very uncomfortable.
Mr. Williams stopped and said, "My boy, are you well?"
"O, Yes," answered the boy, "I am very well; but I am quite tired, and I do not know what to do."
The boy did not reply, but held down his head and looked quite ashamed.
The boy looked still more ashamed, but did not say a word.
Mr. Williams then advised the boy to ask his master's leave that he might go to the Sunday School; and said, that when the long winter evenings came, he might get one of his companions to help him, and he would very soon learn to read.
This kind gentleman then walked on till he came to a cottage where a weaver lived, to whom he wished to speak respecting some work.
Mr. Williams found the weaver very busy at his loom, and while they were conversing he heard the voice of some young person who was reading in the next room. It was the Parable of the Sower, which I dare say you recollect is in the 4th chapter of St. Mark's gospel. It was read in a very distinct and proper manner, as if the reader understood it.
When Mr. Williams had given his orders, he asked who was reading in the next room.
Mr. Williams then went to the room door, and saw the little girl standing by the old woman's chair, reading a large Bible which lay on the window seat.
She read very distinctly, as I mentioned just now; she minded her stops, and took pains to pronounce every word properly, so that it was very easy to understand what she read. She did not gabble it over like some little folks I am acquainted with, as if she were trying to get the words out of her mouth as fast as possible.
The weaver's aged mother listened very attentively, and appeared very thankful to hear the blessed word of God; when the little girl had finished the parable, she stopped, and the old woman explained what was meant by the good seed. She said that it was the word of God which taught us about the Saviour, and that when this good seed was sown in our hearts by him, and we were enabled to understand it by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, then we loved him for all he had done and suffered for us; and, being cleansed from our sins by his precious blood, we desired to do his will.
The little girl listened very attentively, and after asking some questions, began to read again.
Mr. Williams then went into the room, and after asking the old woman how she was; he then turned to the little girl, and said, "My dear, I dare say you are very happy to be able to read; as you can read not only for yourself, but also you are able to make this good old woman very happy too."
The little girl replied, "Yes, Sir, I am very glad to read to our kind neighbour; do you know, Sir, that she taught me to read three years ago."
The old woman then said, "I trust that God has blessed this little girl; she was very attentive and soon learned to read the Testament, and I hope He will be pleased, by his Holy Spirit, to enable her to understand the truths it contains, for she becomes more and more attentive every day."
Mr. Williams then gave his Testament to the little girl, who had long wished to have one of her own. He advised her to read a chapter every day, and to pray to God for a blessing, and then bade them all good bye.
As he returned home he could not help thinking what a great difference there was between the shepherd boy who was tired of doing nothing, because he did not know how to read; and the little girl who was so happy at being able to read the Testament to her kind neighbour.
ARE YOU HAPPY WHEN YOU ARE CROSS?
Lucy was just six years old. One day she was sitting on a little stool, by the side of her mother's chair, and reading the last chapter of St. John's gospel. "Mamma," said Lucy, "what did Christ mean when he told St. Peter to feed his lambs?"
"Abroad in the meadows to see the young lambs, "Run sporting about by the side of their dams, "With fleeces so clean and so white."
But, mamma, some of the little lambs have black faces; and, mamma, don't you recollect, as we returned home, we met the shepherd, and he had got a little lamb in his arms, which had fallen into a pit and hurt itself. How kind the shepherd was in taking care of this little lamb!
Lucy again thanked her mamma; and as she had finished her lesson, she went and put her book away in its place. I hope my readers will remember this, for it is very untidy to leave books littering about upon chairs or the floor. She then took her work, and went and sat down by the window, and began to sew very busily.
Just as she had begun, her little brother Samuel came into the room; he went up to her, and said, "Lucy, dear, if you please, will you cut out this paper stag for me? I have drawn its legs very nicely, as you see, but I am afraid I shall not be able to cut them out properly, they are so very slender, and I want to put it on papa's table before he comes home, to surprise him."
I am sorry to say, that instead of doing this directly, and in a kind manner, Lucy frowned, and said, in a short sharp tone, "How troublesome you are, you are always teazing me; I have just sat down to work and I am too busy, go and do it yourself."
Little Samuel was a good boy, and instead of returning a sharp answer to her cross speech, he said, "Lucy, please to cut it out, you will do it so much better than I can, and it will not take you a minute." Lucy put down her work, and took up her scissors; but when people set about a thing in an ill humour they never do it properly, and this was the case with Lucy. Her brother had taken a great deal of pains to draw the stag very nicely, but she cut it out very carelessly, and presently poor Samuel saw that one of its legs was cut quite off.
"There," said he: "there, my poor stag; it is quite spoiled, you have cut its leg off."
"Finish it yourself," said Lucy, throwing the stag one way and the scissors another. "It's all your fault, you ought to have let me go on quietly with my work, and not come to interrupt me, as you always do."
Poor Samuel looked quite surprised; he was sorry to see his nice stag spoiled, but he was still more sorry to see Lucy so out of humour, and he could not think that it was his fault. Indeed, I have generally found that when people are very ready to blame others, the fault has commonly been their own, after all.
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