Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1875-12-18
TO DO Good to Others.
A STORY FOR BOYS.

~ WOtueT, Salu DcIIe CuJllhS,
running into the parlor, "Harry has
lost his new knife, and now he de.
MES 1t, and says he hasn't lost it,"
"Then, my DEAR" said her mother,
81 think lie hasn't, for Harry is very
truthful. What makes you think
he has lost it ~
"Because, mother, l asked him
for it to sharpen my lead pencil,
and he grew red,and said he couldn't
let me- have it. Then | asked him
if he had loaned it to anybody, and
he said 'no;' and then l told him
he had lost it, and he said he hadn't"
"Tcll Harry to come to me, Belle"
said Mrs. Cutting.
Belle ran to the yard and told
Harry that mother wished to see
him, and added; "Now, sir, guess
you'll have to own up"
Harry walked into the parlor and
stood before his mother. She look
ed into his clear blue eyes, and in
her heurt was satisfied that he had
told no untruth.
"Well, my son." she said, "Relle
tells me you have lost your knife
and she thinks you are unwilling to
say SO. How is it Z"
81 haven't lost it, mother; | don't
know but you will be angry with
me, but I-well, l sold i'll guess
it was; l let it go, any way" said
Harry,
"But 1 am surprised that you
should have sold the knife, when it
was a present from your father, and
you have wanted one so long. How
happened it, and what did you get
for it?"
"Mother, do you remember the
last Sundays lesson you gave us:
TO do good to others ? Youitold
us that it meant to be willing to
make sacrifices for others, when by
that means we could make them
better"
ayes, my son, but that could
hardly be made to mean that you
should give your knife to another,
when it was all you had. But you
said you sold it, and whether given
or sold, l cannot see how any one
is to be made better by it. But tell
me all about it, Harry"
Poor Harry looked as though it
would be hard to explain it to his
mother satisfactorily, but he began:
"Well, mother, l will tell you
just how it was. ! should have
told Belle, but she began to talk
real hateful, and then l wouldn't.
Willie Woods came on the Com
mon yesterday, where we were play.
ing, with cigar in his mouth, just
as he was the other night when he
passed here, when you said: Poor
Mrs. Woods. Willie is all she has
left, and he has commenced smoking
so early. Well, l fear she has little
to hope from him. Don't you re.
member it, motherW
eyes, my son; go on"
"Well, we were playing marbles,
and | had good chance, so | said
willie, what makes you smoke
cigars? | should think it would
make you sick
lit don't much now,' he said, lit
used to-
l kept thinking what you said
about his mother, and about our
Sunday lesson, too; SO said will
lie, d Oes your mother give you
money to buy cigars p
No sir,' said he; 'she wouldn't
want me to smoke if she knew it,
bnt she don't. | do chores for Bent,
the grocer, and he gives them to
me-
well, Willie,' said |, Il never
would smoke if [ was in your place.
My father says it is generally the
first bad habit boys form, and the
others come a great deal easier
when this is thoroughly fixed, Now
throw the old thing away, and say
you'll never touch another. That
would be brave.'
Willie looked at me n little shy,
and asked me if l didn't think l
was rather too much of sissy to
he very brave.
told him didn't think was a
sissy and l was brave enough to
say 'nO' to any one that offered me
a cigar, and brave enough, too, to
do anything could to help him to
let them alone.
Then he asked me what | would
do. OF course | couldn't tell any.
thing in particular. We had stop.