The Orphan's Home Mittens and George's Account of the Battle of Roanoke Island

"Oh yes, ma'am; we won't speak or stir from our seats," they all cried.

"I believe you," I said. I wish you could have seen their eyes sparkle when I said that! They were so glad that I put trust in them.

I went to the committee room, and there the first directress began to talk to me; and I staid much longer than I at first intended. When I went back with my writing materials, I listened an instant at the door. It was perfectly still.

"We have not moved or spoken," said all the boys at once.

"I believe you," I answered. "You are first rate fellows! not so bad, after all. I think there must have been some mistake about that bad conduct. You can behave so well when you try. I hope it is a mistake that will never happen again. I came in this room feeling very unhappy about you; but now I am very much encouraged. What do you think about being called the ten best boys in the school?"

They chuckled and grinned at this; and one boy gave another a sly poke, and said, "Here's the best boy! he hasn't known a single lesson these six weeks;" and another said, "No! this is the best boy; he broke three panes of glass last night in one of the play-room windows;" and another, "Oh, no; this is the best boy, because he's got such a big wart on his nose."

I let them talk, while I wrote on ten half pages of note paper these resolutions:

"1st. I will read the Bible, and pray, night and morning.

"2d. I will try to keep the Golden Rule.

"3d. I will always tell the exact truth."

"There," said I, "that will do." So I gave one paper to each, with a few earnest words; and shook hands with them again, as they promised me to try to keep them; and then they went softly back into the great school-room.

I looked in a few moments after, and saw that they were quietly studying.

The next Friday, I had my ten naughty boys in the little room again.

"Well," said I, "how did you keep the resolutions?"

"Oh!" cried Jacob, "I've broken the Golden Rule."

"Why, how?" I asked.

"Why, ma'am, David had a ball, and he lent it to me, and when he wanted it again, I would not give it to him, but threw it as far as I could out of the window."

"Oh, Jacob!" I exclaimed, "how well you understood what the rule is! Tell me; what ought you to have done?"

"I ought to have given David his ball when he asked for it."

"Why?"

"Because, ma'am, I would have liked him to do so to me."

"Ah, yes; that is it. You understand, and you have sinned wilfully. I am very sorry, dear Jacob; but it is never too late to mend; and I am glad you have had the honesty to confess what you have done; that is a noble trait in you Jacob, and I want you to come and kiss me."

The boy burst out crying at this; and as he kissed my cheek with his trembling lips, I said to myself, "This a bad boy? No, he is a splendid boy!"

Don't you see that my making him feel that I loved him, was the way to his heart? I think if ladies would be just as tender to poor children as they are to their own, it would have a wonderful effect. Only make a child feel that you love him, that he is more than a poor little beggar dependent upon your charity, and he will try to deserve all your kindness.

All the boys had to confess they had broken their resolutions; and to all I talked kindly; but one of them whispered to another: "She did not give us any kiss." Fortunately I heard this, and I said, "Boys, I am going to give you another chance. I shall bring a beautiful little book next time, and the boy who has behaved the best, shall have the book. I shall not ask the teacher. I shall depend entirely on your own accounts of yourselves, for I intend to trust you, and believe what you say. To make myself certain that you would scorn to deceive me, and above all, that you would not offend Our Heavenly Father by a falsehood, I wish you all to shake hands once more, and give me a kiss; then I am certain you will mean to keep at least the third resolution. What is it?"

"I will always tell the exact truth," they shouted.

So they kissed my cheek, and then I read to them a story I had written some time before for that dear little magazine, "The Standard Bearer." Here is the story, and the good minister's name is Dr. Prime.

THE MINISTER'S STORY

The other day Aunt Fanny was talking with a good minister, and asked him which he thought were best for children – funny stories or serious ones.

"Well," said he, "suppose I relate what happened to me last week, and leave you to guess?"

"Oh! that will be delightful!" I answered. "I am just as fond as the children are of hearing stories, and, as they say: 'Please begin right away.'"

"Very well. Last week I was in Rochester, in this State. There is a very large orphan asylum there, and I was invited to visit it, and address the boys. I was very glad to do so; and when I entered the chapel, I found several hundred boys waiting for me – some with bright, honest faces, some looking full of mischief and fun, and all wondering what the minister was going to say, and no doubt hoping he was a good kind of a minister, who did not think it wrong to play.

"I fancy they must have seen something that pleased them in my face; for when I said, 'Boys, which would you rather have, a story or a sermon?' they all shouted out merrily, 'A story! a story!' and some added: 'Let it begin, "Once upon a time," for that is the best kind of story.'

"Very well, boys, you shall have a story, and it shall begin just as you say.

"Once upon a time, a little girl was playing in a garden, rolling hoop, jumping rope, and talking to her doll. After a while, she ran to her mother, who was sitting upon a bench that was under a wide-spreading tree, and asked if she might have some luncheon. Her mother went into the house, and soon returned with a small basket, and gave it to the little one. What was her surprise and delight, when she peeped in, to find a light, delicate biscuit, a nice cake, a beautiful ripe peach, and a little cherry tart.

"Lucy (for that was her name) placed all these things on the bench, and clapping her hands with delight, exclaimed: 'Oh! how nice they all look! What a fine party dolly and I will have with them!' Then she put the biscuit in dolly's white kid hand, who smiled sweetly all the time, and taking the cake in her own, began to eat it.

"Just then a poor woman approached the gate. Holding fast to her ragged dress was a little boy, so wan, so thin, so starved-looking, that Lucy stopped eating, and gazed pityingly at him.

"'Oh! what nice white bread!' said the poor boy.

"'It is not bread – it is cake,' said Lucy.

"'Alas! little lady,' said the poor woman, 'he does not know what cake is; he is too glad to get a crust of bread.'

"'Poor boy!' said Lucy kindly. 'How strange not to know what cake is! Here, take it.'

"He seized the cake, and in a moment he had eaten it up.

"Then Lucy took up the cherry tart, and stretching out her hand, said, in her sweet voice: 'Eat this too, poor boy!'

"He did not need to be asked twice; and the tart soon disappeared.

"'Now, take this,' said Lucy, handing him the beautiful peach.

"With joyful eagerness the boy swallowed the peach, while the generous child looked on, her face glowing with delight; and then she took the biscuit out of dolly's hand, and gave it to the poor little fellow, who finished it in double quick time, and dolly smiled just as sweetly as ever, when she gave up her biscuit, which was very good-natured in her, under the circumstances. Then the poor woman poured out thanks and blessings upon the head of the dear little girl, and upon her mother who had given the poor woman a piece of money; and she and her son went on their way with grateful hearts, the little boy looking back at Lucy as long as he could see her.

"Then the mother took the little girl in her arms, and kissed her, and said: 'My darling! you have not had any luncheon.'

"'Oh, mamma!' said Lucy, her face still glowing with pleasure, 'I feel as if I had eaten it all myself.'

"You see, boys, that the noble-hearted little child was even more happy in giving than the poor boy was in receiving; and I want you every day of your lives to love one another, and be generous and kind one to another – to do as you would wish to be done by, for this is what little Lucy did.

"God has laid His hand of blessing on your heads; He has placed you who have no earthly parents in this pleasant home, to show you that He is your Father; and the only way in which you can prove your gratitude to Him is, to 'Love one another;' and if you love one another, you will keep His commandments. Love your teachers, and you will obey them. Love God, and you will keep His commandments.