The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-05-17

Burning still With eager fire,
striving still with the zeal and truth
or the gadsome morning days u youIh'
still to do and to be forsooth,
Something worthy OF Him whose care,
Summer or winter failed 1t neer.
This Is motive for you and me,
When We grow old like the apple tree.
Christian Union.
Dime Novels for Family Reading.
A club of boys once gathered num-
ber of dime novels of the most sensa-
tional type and were reading them on
the sly. One mother v no had disccV-
cred volume of this sort of literature
in her sons pocket, committed the
book to the flames and threated to
whip him If any more were found.
Another boy, according to this story,
from the Ladies' Home Companion,
was treated in quite different man
ner:
When Harry heard his mothers
voice, he sprung up and intended TO
hide the book, as he had been thor
oughly cautioned to do by the others.
"Why, Harry, what is it ?"
"Oh, only a book boy lent me-"
us it q good one ?"
"Yes, its awfully interesting"
"Well I'm glad of that, for if there's
anything enjoy it Is q good oook.
Put 1t by till after supper, and this
evening we'll read it together"
Harry complied, but feeling all the
time as if there was something wrong
about it somewhere. After supper
Mrs. Nelson got her sewing and said,
"Now Harry you read and I'll sew."
So Harry began. He read little
while, but somehow the book didn't
seem the same to him; things came
10 in the story that he did not just
like to read to his mother.
"Do you like it ?" he asked.
"Weil, I can tell you as you go on
If you are Interested in 1t will be-"
So Harry read on. 1t wasn't quite
as interesting as it hal been for some
reason. Finally his interest Tagged
he told his mother all about it and
where they were reading them:
"And can you get them all ?" Mrs.
Nelson asked. "What a treat there is
in store for US Well finish this one
and then you can get another, and
they'll last us most Of the winter"
Harry WINGED. He was tired Of II
already. He had expected his moth.
er to act little as Rob's mother had.
Mrs. Nelson went on with her sewing,
and Harry read until about nine
O'Clock. Finally, Harry laid down the
book and with some anxiety said,
"What do you think of 1t, mother?"
"Oh, it's very thrilling: don't you
think SOP"
"Well, yes but do you s'pose these
boys really did these thipgs?"
"Why, you must just think how
you would do under such circum-
stances ?"
II should be scared to DEATH" ad'
mitted Harry.
"Mercy! Would you? Why, I was
just congratulating myself that If q
bold, horrid man was to step in on VI
now, and say, Madam, your money OF
your life ? you would bravely spring
TO my rescue, and say, Hold there
villiann Unhand that woman, OF
your life's blood shall pay for the out.
rage = and that you would Immediate
ly draw out that immense knife you
got some time ago aud made 80 sharp
and stab him."
Harry's eyes were luminous by this
time. He couldn't understand his
mother ut all.
"But 90 on, Harry. l must heal
the rest Of that before I 90 tn Sleep
And Harry read little longer.
Ten o'clock came, and Mrs. Nelson
began making preparations for bed
For their evening lesson she read the
first Psalm. In guarded language she
drew Harry's attention to the climax
Of the verses-first, walking with the
ungodly, then standing, stopping lit
tie longer to listen, and finally being
80 taken up with the attractiveness ol
evil as to sit down and stay with it
She did not attempt to moralize, but
Just sowed the seed and let it alone,
then, pressing him to her heart, she
kissed him fondly. saying, "God KEEP
you, my boy, in the time of tempta'
ton. Good night"
When Harry awoke the next morn.
ing, he Lay thinking quite busily. As
he started of to school, bis mother
called, "Be sure to get another book,
Harry, and tell the toys TO come here
tonight and read them, if they want
TO-"
The boys were thunderstruck at the
invitation. Rob Ellis, who was the
leader of the crowd, was disposed to
scold: ''Such cad as you are, Harry
Nelson, to blab everything to your
mother"
"Well, what Of it? She enjoys
them. guess If I can read them,
mother can"
Rob was q little confused at Mrs.
Nelson's literary taste, but next even.
ing Harry coaxed Rob around for the
evening. The reading began, and, al.
though the boys took turns about read.
ing, 1t tagged. The color would creep
into Robs face when he read some OF
the tall Dragging talk that some of the
characters INDUCED in it didn't seem
just the thing before Mrs. Nelson. Be-
fore the evening was well over both
boys were completely nauseated with
the book. When Harry and his moth
er were alone, he said, II don't
believe I'll finish that BOOK, mother: !
don't think it's NICE"
"Why not Harry?"
"Well, it all seems to me as if il
could't have happened"
Mrs. Nelson wisely kept silent.
There Is a time when silence is 80
-nc