Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-04-02
JOHNNIE AND THE BRICKS.
An Illustration of the Evil Influence of
Wrong Doing.

Wrong Doing.
Johnnie, a small boy living in the coun-
try, was one day playing with lot of
bricks as his uncle came along This
uncle was a great friend of the boy and
ready to help in any frolic that was not
improper.
What are You doing, Johnnie?" asked
the uncle, after standing awhile to look
at the boy
Building a house; that is what I'm
trying to do. Did you ever build houses
{ of bricks when you was a boy?" asked
I the little fellow
Is Every likely" was the answer,
S''though forget about it, it is so long
Sago But l was thinking if you could
learn a lesson from those bricks
"A lesson from bricl1s?" asked the boy
in surprise; how can 1? Bricks can't
talk
Books can not either, but you learn
lessons from them
''0h, but they have reading; that
talks
But pictures teach lessons without a
line of reading"
Uncle, | wish that you would teach
me lesson from the bricks. Will you?
!, l would like to see what they say
Very well, said the uncle. Just
set the bricks up each on its end, little
distance apart, and all in line. -
SHOW many shall | set up?" asked john
HE after he had placed about twenty on
. end.
THAT will do" replied the uncle,
looking at the long row. Now, do you
wish these bricks to teach you lesson?'
Yes, sir" replied the boy, eagerly.
What shall do?''
Come here to the end of the row and
push the first brick over against the
next one"
''What shall | do them" asked the
\ boy, hesitating.
Y "Nothing, until you have seen what
the bricks do"
''Shall push now?"
Eyes, right away. Push only the
first one
The first brick was pushed against
the next, and then the boy stood up
looking on. The first brick pus he'd the
next over, and that in turn the next
and that the next until the whole row
was down.
"There They are all down! Every
one is over! shouted the boy. See,
uncle! All have tumbledr'
THAT is So said the uncle. "Now
can you learn lesson from those
bricks ?"
What lesson -? l don't see any to
! learn. l only pushed one down and all
the rest fell of themselves"
~. - A. y !
each push its neighbor, after you start
ed the first one?"
''Oh, l see now, uncle, what you
mean. If we give one brick a push it
will push another and that another,
and so all will go down"
Eyes, Johnnie, and so it is with peo-
Pile. Give one start downward, and
J he will take another down with him,
! and he another. But when did the
bricks stop falling?"
when all were down"
Eyes; and so it is with people, Start
one in the downward way and he will
take another along, and he another,
and they will keep falling as long as
there is one to fall. We start people in
the way of evil habits, or other sin, and
prevent, all might go down until the
last had fallen"
Uncle, never thought of that. But
it is so. One boy learns to cheat, or lie,
or steal, and another learns from him,
and another from that one: and so it
goes on until whole lot of boys cheat,
or lie, or steal. 1t is awful, but never
thought of it before The bricks have
, taught me a lesson"
There is another lesson you NAV
learn from them; go down to the end of
the row and push back the last one that
fell viii it make the others stand up?"
mo, sir" said Johnnie, after trying
to make the last one in the row stand
on end. Il can't even make one stand
unless l take it away from the others.
They keep pushing it down all the
/ time"
] ''Wel, there are two more lessons.
tTo tumble all down you need but start
the first one but you can not make them
all stand again by pushing one up
straight. You can not even make that
one stand up until you take it away
from those that went down with it,
Thus, you may start large number
of people in the downward way, by Civ
ing the first one push; but you can
not bring them all back by helping up
one. Each one must be helped back by
special effort Nor can you feel sure of
making him stand safely until removed
from the evil company of those who