Year: 1869

Edward, my son But the boy did
not hear the voice Of his mother. lie was
seated near window engaged in reading and
was SO deeply interested in his book that the
sound passed by his ear unnoticed.


" Edward Z called the mother IN a louder
tone This time the boy looked up and said
" Did you call me, mother


81 did, my son, was the mother answer.
Then, after a moments pause, she said Are
You very much interested in your book, Ed
ward


Oh yes, mother, very much indeed l
am reading such a beautiful story


" Have you almost finished it ~


No. mother 1t is a long one, and twill
take a good while yet"


Then 1 shall have to ask you to lay your
book aside for a time, and do something for
me-


But won't it do as well another time,
mother? You don't know how much | want
TO finish my story, and | am just now in the
prettiest part of it"


Not so well, Edward What | wish you
to do cannot be put OF longer. Do you re-
member the woman who called here yester-
day with the poor little babe in her arms, and
who then told me that she had at home a lit
tie boy ten years old, who had been a cripple
for long time, and wasn't able to help him
self ;"


"Oh yes and | felt so sorry for the poor
little boy"


q" am glad to hear you say that you felt
sorry for him, Edward. Now | want you to
20 to the womans house. Do you remember
the direction she gave ?


"Yes."


81 wish you them to 60 and see if she has
such a little boy for you know that some
times persons who 60 about asking for hell
are idle, and tell things that are not true IL
order to get money and if she has such q
child, to see if he can read, what kind Of {
boy he is, and all about him"


+" But indeed mother, | shouldn't like tC
60"


Why not, my son ?


Because | shouldn't like to-"


That is no reason at all, Edward"


1t would make me feel unhappy, mother
to see such poor kind Of people as she say
they are"


Suppose you were crossing the street, anC
a carriage were to run over you, and breal
both your legs and suppose no one woul'
come near you to lift you up tenderly, to car
ry you home, because it would make then
feel so unhappy to.witness your suffering
would they be acting right "


"Oh no, mother, Of course not But thi
little boy you speak Of is not left all alone
his mother is with him, and does everything
for him in her power


" Suppose then, that some persons ha'
picked you up and brought you home to you
parents, suffering great pain; and suppos
your father had gone to the doctor and aske
him to come quickly and do something 70
you and suppose the doctor had said, In
deed, sir, cannot 60 it always makes m
feel so unhappy when | witness suffering j
my fellow creatures :; what would you thin
Of him ?"


But | am not doctor, mother; | can
do anything for the crippled boy"


4" Are you sure that you cannot do anythin
for him ?"


a." What can l do, mother ?"
Z" | cannot now answer that question; bu
after YOU have seen him, and told me all abou
him, then | think | shall be able to tell yo
a good many things that you can do for hin
TO make his hard lot a more pleasant one. 5
get your hat and take the basket which ST
san will give you, in which are bread an
meat with little tea and sugar, down to tn
poor woman's house. Learn as much abor
her and her family as you can, and then CON
back and tell me all you see and hear"
As Edward saw that his mother was
!, earnest and knew that she never allowed he
r self to be disobeyed by any of her childrel
he said no MORE but got his hat, and takir