The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-12-08


playfully.
Hal wavered. Conscience said,
Don't CO." but inclination urged
against conscience, and Hal yielded
to the pleading that it really would
not matter to lose this one day; and
he was not actually disobeying, since
there was no possible chance to con-
suit anyone concerning the matter.
"Well," he said, disengaging him
self from Fred, "wait till | take my
books home and leave note where
Bessie1l find it when she comes from
school, SO she'll know where | am"
And he hurried away, intent upon
getting back as soon as possible.
As Hal ran he thrust his hand into
his pockets in search Of a piece of
paper on which to scribble the mes
sage to his sister, and drew out the
stray leaf of memorandum book
just the thing-and dropping down
on convenient step he was about to
begin when he noticed that his slip
of paper was already written upon.
"Hello," he said, whats this9"
And opening it out he read: "ln all
points tempted like as we are, yet
without sim"
Hal recognized his own hand.
writing, and instantly his thoughts
went back to the Sunday school les
son of few weeks before OF which
this had been the Golden Text. He
remembered writing the text down
in order that he might more easily
remember it. He had a fashion of
doing that when he was trying to
commit anything to memory; and
now not only the text, but the lesson
itself, and Mr.. Carson's earnest talk
about it, all came back to him.
He sat there a moment, thinking
about it, then he rose, put the paper
back in his pocket, shouldered his
books, and started back in the di-
rection from which he had come.
Not running this time, but walking
rapidly and wearing determined
look:
"Hellol" exclaimed Fred, as he
neared the little group still waiting
for him at Duncan's gate. "Why
didn't you leave your booksi"
Because" answered Hal, "I've de-
cided not to go, I know the folks
wouldn't like it, and so I'm going on
to school. It's too bad to have kept
you waiting, but it can't be helped"
The boys were loud in Their ex-
pressions of regret and disappoint-
ment; but finding him fully deter
mined, they went on without him,
and Hal hurried on to school. He
narrowly escaped being late, and as
he went to his recitations-h
breathless, and without his usual
preparation-he could not help Civ
ing little regretful thought to the
pleasure he had relinquished. But
as the day wore on the satisfaction of
having done right overbalanced the
other feeling, and somehow the day
did not seem nearly so long nor SO
hard as he had anticipated.
HAL" said Mr.. Reed that night,
as they sat around the supper table,
81 see there are some gypsies camp
ing over near Spider Bridge, and if
you and Bessie would like to see
them we'll drive over there tomorrow
after school. You deserve a little
pleasure, both of you, for giving up
the visit today, and if I'm not too
busy Saturday we'll take little trip
to Hamilton. l have to attend to
some business there anyhow, and you
may go along"
Hal and Bessie both expressed
their delight, and when Hal went to
his own room he took out the little
slip of paper that had been such
faithful reminder of duty, and put it
carefully away among his treasures.
81 don't want to forget that" he
said to himself. "Mr. Carson said it
would be help and it was. If it
had not been for that I'd have gone
with the boys today sure, and I'm
mighty glad l didn't" = Sunday
School Visitor
THE FAIRY SISTERS