Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1853-09-16

weeping to her room, and angry with ms aiLer
for the punishment inflicted she said to him IN
/ grieving, not chiding voice
How could you do 50, William 3"
q wasn't in any harm, mother" sobbed the
boy. & We only went over into Bailey's woods
for some nuts"
Still, you did wrong; for your father posi-
lively forbade your going with those boys"
% They re not bad boys, mother"
| THAT isn't-the point, William. Your faith
! er's command must be your law. He has his own
reasons. aud they arseoasi eses5 for not wishing
7 YOU to keep company with these boys The
wrong, on your part lies in the disobedienoe.'
/ ..WeIl, 1 didn't intend to 90 with them, mo-
/ thcr. When father told me not to do so, [ meant
/ to obey him. ] always mean to obey him, for l
/ know that is right. But sometimes / forget
7 and sometimes ] want 10 DO what hc has forbid
den 30 very much that it seems as if couldn't
/ help going wrong. 1t was so this morning. Last
! night lay awake for long time, thinking how
] nice it would DC 20 60 90 Bailey's woods and ct
Z some nuts. 1t was the first thing / though.
about this morning and after breakfast ] asked
Edward IF he wouldn't 60 with me But he's
never willing to 60 anywhere. Hes always mo-
rin, about home. or busted in q book. 1 didn't
( want 60 by myself Tor it isn't pleasant TO be
( al alone in the woods. So, when Ar. Jones
/ boys came along, and said thcy were going TO
gather nuts it didn't seem lit wouil. be very
wrong to 20 with then-and SO 1 went"
II IS very wrong to disobcy your father, VIII
( liam, - said his mother.
Il know 1t IS But wish he wouldn' always
be telling me not to do this, and not to do that,
and not to do the other. l wouldn't 90 wrong,
nor get punished half 50 Ottem"
'' But, ifhe sees danger in your way, my son,
shall he not lift a voice Of warning !'' The boy
| did not answer. The'ei is danger in an associ-
/ alton with those boys" said the mother.
| i never saw them do anything 50 very
wrong"
What would you say of boys who were gull
! ty of robbing orchards and hen-roosts ?'' red
! spot burned instantly on Villains face Would
you call that very wrong 2"
Yes, ma'am."
| "Ofsuch wicked acts have these boys been
! guilty and into such wicked acts you may be
led, my son, you keep their company"
Why, mother! Do you think 1 could be
! tempted to do such a thing 2"
= You are easily tempted, Wiiliam-too easily;
and this is why your father is strict in his IN
functions. If he permits you to keep company
with boys who rob orchards and hon-roosts. he
has no security that you viii not be led astray
into commission Of the same evils or, if not uc-
tually guilty of such deeds, that you VIII be ad-
/ Judged guilty, because seen in the company Of
those who commit them"
William looked serious, and stood for some
time with his eyes cast upon the floor.
why didn't he tell me all this 2" he length
asked. I'm sure, if I'd known they were
thieves, I'd never been caught in their company.
But that's just The way with father He's al
ways saying-Don't do this, or don't do that
But never gives reason"
Hush, my son. 1t is not right to speak 50 Of
your father"
But it true, mother. If he'd told me, when
he forbade my going with Mr.. Jones boys, that
they had stolen apples, and robbed hens nests,
do you think I'd have been seen in their compa-
ny? No, indeed. lie would have saved me from
disobedience and punishment"
Farther remarks, Of this tenor, the mother
did not permit her boy to make. Their force
came upon her mind with almost stunning cf-
feet.
At school, William was no favoritc with his
teachers. Too rarely, indeed, do we find the IN
tellectual endowments, requisite for teacher,
united with those moral qualities that should ever
be possessed by those to whom are committed
the aIl-important work of educating the minds Of
young immortals. Unfortunately for William
Wilkins his teachers were men Of no intuitive
perceptions of character, and unselfish regard
for the weIl-being Of others. The natural impul
ses Of this wayward boy were reacted upon. in
, anger, and prejudged as if they were deliberate
: purposes. Moreover, as he soon acquired the
: reputation of being troublesome boy, he was
observed more narrowly, and censured and pun
ished more frequently than other lads guilty o
: like offences. He grew reckless in consequence
His efforts to do right were never met by appro
val, while his wrong deeds always brought ;
, swift reaction.
Punishments, complaints, and temporary sus
pensions, marked the progress Of his education
bringing with them additional punishments a
home. Under such system, the boys life wa
rendered miserable; while, instead of CROWN;
better, he was daily growing worse-that IS, les
hopeful of his own ability to do what was right
Never stimulated, through encouragement, cN
cept by his mothor-and the little she could d
had small power to overcome the adverse inHu
encc exerted at almost every point-and soure
towards his father and his teachers, he was grow
= ing more and more reckless, and really beginnin
Of to think himself what his father most unwiseI
d pronounced him \ boy doomed to disgrac
,e both himself and family"
n Such was the state of affairs, when, one day
s while n gentleman was in conversation with Nh