Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-10-02


as easy to work people up to good
things. have seen great crowds
wrought up to the highest pitch of
enthusiasm by the story of a brave
deed, or by an Grafton giving the
record Of a noble life. And YOU
surely all have seen congregations
stirred to their very souls and led
to give literally, even to the point
of great self.denial, by an earnest
appeal in behalf Of those who are
suffering and in great need of help.
yes, indeed said Herbert.
That's what / mean. When one
block goes, all the others follow.
And how important it is that among
human blocks the block which leads
should lead the right way A lit
tie incident of my school days fixed
this fact very strongly on my mind.
An old man had come to live in a
halfruined house on the outskirts
of our village. He never allowed
any one to 90 into his house, and
seemed to desire to have nothing
to do with anybody. We boys, for
want of something better to think
of, began to persuade ourselves that
he was a suspicious character, that
the matter ought to be looked into,
and that it would become us to look
to it.
"There's always something
wrong where thereis so much mys-
tery,' said one wiseacre among us,
" No telling what mischief may
be Matching in that old SHE'LL said
another.
Giles probablya a burglar or an in
cendiary.'
"Or an escaped convict
diets drum him out of town |
said in the course of what thought
a very stirring harangue. Lets 20
tonight and hustle all his old duds
out of the house and give him an
hour to leave town.
"Agreed. Agreed they all
cried.
"a violent storm that night kept
us from carrying out our plan of
in1icting cruelty upon a helpless
being of whom VIC knew no harm.
In the morning it was observed by
passcrs.by that the old house had
been half blown down, and my fa-
ther, hearing Of it, went to see if
the occupants had suffered any in
jury. He came back with a pitt
full account of what he had seen.
The old man had taken refuge in
that quiet spot in order to devote
himself to the care of an imbecile
son who was subject to terrible fits
when excited by the approach Of
strangers or in any other way.
They were poor enough, but tho
father asked nothing except to be
allowed to remain undisturbed.
That day after school harangu.
cd the boys again. They gathered
about me full of readiness for the
fun postponed from the night be-
fore, but it was pleasant to see how
soon a different spirit came over
those boys.
'We went in a body to the old
hOuse-nOt to innict undeserved
suffering upon the inmates, but to
offer such help as willing hearts
and sturdy hands could give in re-
pairing the mischief which the
wind had done. We were able to
do the poor creatures many kind
ness afterward, as much, | am sure,
to our own benefit as to theirs, and
| have never ceased to be thank
full for the kind providence which
stood in the way Of our wrOngin q
a feeble old man whose burthens
were already so heavy. I hope
you will remember as you go
through life, Herbert, that boys
and men can usually be influenced
for good as well as for evil and
that we shall be held to fearful
responsibility for the influence we
may exert over them
Herbert looked thoughtful as his
grandfather ceased speaking. Lit
tie Jessie, finding the talk trifle
too serious, had slipped to the
floor and was again setting up the
blocks.
Not long ago. went on grand
father, was summering near q
small lake. Steamboats, flew over
its bright surface every day, going
up and down with merry excursion
PAL ties, and l used to watch the
long swell which came Of the stir
ring of the quiet waters. Wave
followed wave in q regular sweep
often, owing to the distance of the
vessel, not reaching the shore un
til the vessel had passed beyond
|, the point reaching out from a little
bay, and was out of sight. Tha
was a 'makes-me-think-of,' too.
used to watch the curves on tn