Year: 1870

"Oh, what a hard task / have got
to-day! / am sure shall not be able
to learn it." .lll .


Why not, Master Henry? Come
here and let me look at it. Why, you
simple boy, it is not so hard rs you think
it is. Your little sister, | am sure,
would say it is quite easy, and she is
not as old as you are. i fear you DO not
love your book. You would rather be
at play with the kitten, or have a
game of ball, or romp in the garOlen
than learn your lesson. But Henry
must TRY, TRY AGAIN. 1t is sad for u
little boy to be idle. r'


Henry has many little books. Some
ofthem are in large letters, and have
some pretty prints Then he has
warm schoOl-room in winter. In sum-
mer the roses climb up to the walls,
and their sweet smell comes in at the
door. r.


Many poor boys have not such a
got. II he will listen he shall hear
about two little sweeps who had no
book at all, and who got their lessons
in the street. Yet they loved to learn;
while Henry has many things they
had not.


One of these little sweeps lived in the
city of Dublin. In this city there are
many sweeps. After the young sweeps
had done their work and taken home
the bags Of SCOT, they used to lie about
the street, or fight, or go to sleep. They
were so black and ragged that no one
cared to teach them. At last n few
kind people said it was very sad that
SO many of these poor boys should
grow up in this way, So they took a
room, to which they asked the young
sweeps to come that they mighti teach
them to read.


When the day came for the new
school to begin, many sweeps came To
it. They were told to sit down on q
long seat and be still for little time.
Then a boy was asked to stand up.


"Do you know your lettcrs?' said
one of the teachers to him. go, yes"
said the young sweep.


"Can you spell?" ooh, yes" was
again the reply.


4Can you read?" "Oh, yes" was
once more the answer, and his sOoty
face looked quite happy as he spoke
the words.


"And what book did you learn
fromW 81 never had a book in my
life" said the sweep.


"Who was your master, then?"
"Oh, never had master"


"What school have you been to-"
az never went to school,"


Here was q strange thing. A little
sweep could spell and read, and yet
never had q book or a master, and had
tr nnrrld N
be? In what way did he learn to
read? You would never think how it
was, so We must tell you.


There was a sweep-boy ho had been
to a school, who went along with tho
little sweep to work. As they passed
down the streets of the city, the elder
sweep taught the young one to read by
the letters that were over the doors Of
the shops. One of his lessons WAS the
word AKER, and from it he learned
the names of five letters. And so he
got on with the other letters. So you
see the little sweep had o teacher who
was as black as he was. His school
was the open street, and his books the
shop doors. What may we not do,
Henry, if we make up our minds to
learn. Will you not then TRY, TRY
AGAIN?


/ will now tell you about another
little sweep. His name was John, but
he was called Jack. One day he saw
some boys playing at marbles. One OF
them laid book on the ground, and
Jack took it up, but he did not know a
letter that was in it. "Oh,- should i
not like to be able to read it! ~ he said.
Then he spoke to the boy: 81 will
give you some Of my marbles if you
will teach me The letters" The boy
said he would; and Jack gave him four
marbles, and the boy gave Jack his
first lesson in A B G.


Tho sweep got lesson almost every
day for some more marbles. But after
a short time the boy cried out, al can
not teach you any more, Jack. My
mother scOlds me, as you make my
book so black with your sooty hands.n


What could the young sweep now
do? One day he went along the
churchyard, and saw the letters on the
tOmbstones. He looked at them, and
then q bright thought came into his
mind. I wish / could get q boy to
teach me the letters here; for my
hands would not spoil the tombstones."
CO nc oShcu tuc Doy W COfut u tle
place, and there Jack learned to read
as he sat on grave.


The young sweep got on so well that
q teacher who heard him, asked him to
come to Sunday-school. He went,
and after time no was able to read
the Bible. And what was better than
all, he was led to love the Bible as tho
best book in the world. ...-.


You see then, Henry, how two little
sweeps learned to read. And will you
not try3 Ifyou get on, you will soon
be able also to read Gods holy book,
which tells you Of the love of Jesus
Christ and the way to heaven. IL you
do read 1t, and the Holy Spirit blesses
it to you, you will through faith in
Jesus have your sins taken away and
have eternal life.


Now take up your book, and TRY,
TRY AGAIN.