Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-01-11
THE BOY AT THE DYKE.

1t is said that little boy III uoiiahu
was returning one night from the village
to which he had been sent by his father
on an errand, when he noticed the water
trickling through narrow opening in the
dyke. lie stopped and thought what the
consequences would be if the hole was not
closed. He knew, for he had often heard
his father tell, the sad disasters which hap
pened from such small beginnings, how in
a few hours the opening would become
bigger and bigger, and let in the mighty
mass of waters pressing on the dyke, until
the whole defence being washed away, the
rolling, dashing, angry waters would sweep
on to the next village, destroying life and
property and every thing in its way
Should he run home and alarm the villa
gers, it would be dark before they could
arrive, and the hole might even then be
80 large as to defy al attempts to close it.
Prompted by these thoughts, he seated
himself on the bank of the canal, and stop
ped the opening with his hand, and pa
tiently waited the approach of some villa
ger. But no one came. Hour after hour
rolled slowly by, yet there sat the heroic
boy, in cold and darkness, shivering, wet
and tired, but stoutly pressing his hand
against the dangerous breach All night
he stayed at his post. At last the morn
ing broke. A clergyman walking up the
canal heard a groan, and looked to see
where it came from. Why are You here,
my child?" he asked, seeing the boy and
surprised at his strange position. Il am
keeping back the water, sir, and saving
the village from being drowned" answer
ed the child with lips so bennmbed with
cold that he could scarcely. speak. The
astonished minister relieved the boy. The
dyke was closed, and the danger which
threatend hundreds of lives was prevent
ed "Heroic boyl What noble spirit
of selfde yotedness he showedp every one
will exclaim. A heroic boy he indeed
was and what was it that sustained him
through that lonesome night? Why, when
his teeth Chartered, his limbs trembled,
and his heart was wrung with anxiety, did
he not fly to his safe and warm home -
What thought bound him to his seat2-
Was it not the responsibility Of has position |!
Did he not determine to brave all fatigue,
the danger, the darkness and the cold, in
| thinking what the consequences would be,
If he should forsake it.9 His mind pic
tured the quiet homes and beautiful farms
of the people, inundated by the food of
waters, and he determined to stay at his
post or to die. Now there is sense in
which every person, every boy and girl,
occupies position of far weightier respon-
sibility than that OF the little Hollander on
that dark and lonesome night; for by the
good or bad influence which you do and
shall exert, you may be the means of turn
ing tide Of Indebtedness and eternal ruin,
or pure stream of gladness and goodness,
on the world. God has given you some,
aohe,e post of duty to occupy and you
cannot get above or below your obligations
to be faithful in it. You are responsible
for leaving your work undone. You can.
not excuse yourself by saying, -" I am no
body-I don't exert any influence" TO,
there is nobody so mean or obscure that
he has not some influence, and you have
it whether you will or no, and you are re-
sponsible for the consequences of that in
fluence whatever it is. Take your stand
before the world then, with determine
ton to devote your influence to virtue, t.
humanity, to God. Let the children be-
gin life and grow up with these solid prin
ciples of action, TO fear and to henour God
to be true to your conscience, and to d.
all the good they can. Then will you
path indeed be like that Of the Just, which
" shinsth more and more unto the psrfec
day."